23/12/2017  Shatin  Race 9

CONSORT and EXULTANT bumped heavily at the start. On jumping, SALTO OLIMPICO was crowded for room between HAPPILABABY which shifted in and DINOZZO which began awkwardly and shifted out. In this incident, S Clipperton, the rider of DINOZZO, became unbalanced, resulting in his left foot slipping from the stirrup iron. Jockey Clipperton was able to regain the use of his stirrup iron after passing the winning post on the first occasion. Approaching the 1700 Metres, DINOZZO and CONSORT raced tight for a short distance inside HARBOUR MASTER which was soon after directed out to relieve the tightening. CONSORT then commenced to race keenly and made contact with DINOZZO after being checked away from the heels of EXULTANT. For some distance after leaving the 1600 Metres, EXULTANT raced ungenerously and got its head up on a number of occasions. Then approaching the 1200 Metres, EXULTANT, which continued to race ungenerously, endeavoured to shift out from behind GONNA RUN, resulting in EXULTANT making contact with DINOZZO and those two horses racing tight for some distance and consequently becoming unbalanced. As a result of the contact with EXULTANT, DINOZZO was forced into a position wide and without cover at the 1100 Metres. After leaving the 900 Metres, GOLDFIELD commenced to hang out when racing in the lead and made contact with SALTO OLIMPICO on a number of occasions, resulting in both those horses becoming unbalanced. Approaching the 600 Metres, when GOLDFIELD bumped SALTO OLIMPICO, that horse shifted out and in turn bumped the hindquarters of PRAWN BABA. GOLDFIELD continued to hang out rounding the Home Turn and after passing the 500 Metres became awkwardly placed on the heels of SALTO OLIMPICO. A veterinary inspection of GOLDFIELD immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. The racing manners of GOLDFIELD, which subsequently finished tailed out, were considered unacceptable. Before being allowed to race again, GOLDFIELD will be required to perform to the satisfaction of the Stewards in a barrier trial around a bend and be subjected to an official veterinary examination. Rounding the Home Turn, DINOZZO was brushed and taken wider by SERGEANT TITANIUM which shifted out to improve. GENERAL SHERMAN had some difficulty obtaining clear running in the early part of the Straight. From on straightening until after passing the 200 Metres, CONSORT was badly held up and unable to improve. When CONSORT shifted out into clear running near the 150 Metres, HARBOUR MASTER, which was giving ground, was steadied. From the 300 Metres until passing the 200 Metres, ROCKETEER was held up for clear running. For some distance after the 200 Metres, when endeavouring to improve between PRAWN BABA and SERGEANT TITANIUM, ROCKETEER was impeded due to SERGEANT TITANIUM shifting in slightly under pressure. When questioned, T Berry stated that he had firm instructions from Trainer J Moore to ride HARBOUR MASTER positively in the early stages and to lead if able, but if unable to lead, to be as forward as possible. He said he had ridden HARBOUR MASTER in a 1200 Metre barrier trial on 3 December 2017 and on that occasion he had ridden the horse vigorously in the early stages and it did not show sufficient speed to be able to take up a forward position. He said similarly in today’s race, despite riding the horse vigorously from the barriers and slapping it down the shoulder with the whip, HARBOUR MASTER was unable to muster sufficient speed to be able to cross runners to its inside. He said passing the winning post on the first occasion there was a line of at least six horses to his inside and as he felt that HARBOUR MASTER did not have the necessary pace to be able to cross those runners, he elected to settle his mount behind runners and find cover as he felt pressing forward would have resulted in HARBOUR MASTER racing extremely wide and given no opportunity to close off the race. He said by taking this option, he left himself with an opportunity to make a forward move later in the race if the pace slackened. He said when attempting to shift in behind SALTO OLIMPICO approaching the 1700 Metres, he received a call from riders to his inside who were in some difficult and was therefore not able to shift in any further at that stage of the race. T Berry added that approaching the 1600 Metres when the tempo appeared to reduce, he took the opportunity then to ride HARBOUR MASTER forward in order to gain a more prominent position in the field and in an endeavour to comply with his instructions as best as he was able. He stated that along the Back Straight when racing with cover behind SALTO OLIMPICO, he followed that horse forward to be just behind the leading division, however, when SALTO OLIMPICO crossed into the lead, HARBOUR MASTER was then left without cover and soon after came under pressure. He said from the 900 Metres HARBOUR MASTER commenced to give ground despite being ridden along and subsequently finished near the tail of the field. Assistant Trainer C W Wong, in the absence of Mr Moore who was overseas, confirmed that the primary instruction to Jockey Berry was to lead, but if unable to lead, to be as prominent as possible. When questioned, B Prebble stated that, from the outside barrier, he was asked to ride PRAWN BABA positively and assume a prominent position, hopefully in the first four or five runners. He said in the run to the winning post on the first occasion when racing to the outside of HARBOUR MASTER which was being hard ridden, he quickly assessed that the solid early pace, along with a number of runners vying for leading positions to his inside would have resulted in PRAWN BABA being forced extremely wide if he continued to push forward. He said therefore he steadied his mount after the 1800 Metres and took cover behind HARBOUR MASTER. Jockey Prebble stated that the circumstances of the race in the early stages forced him to deviate from his instructions, but he felt that he had provided PRAWN BABA with the best opportunity to save ground by taking this option. He added that when the pace slackened near the 1400 Metres, he shifted out and improved to obtain cover behind HARBOUR MASTER as that horse improved its position in the field. He said when HARBOUR MASTER was unable to take him any further into the race, he shifted out from behind that horse at the 900 Metres and continued to press forward on PRAWN BABA as Trainer J Size had impressed upon him that the horse is rather one-paced and he wished for PRAWN BABA to make the race a proper staying test. Jockey Prebble added that PRAWN BABA, after taking the lead on straightening and maintaining that position in the early part of the Straight, came under pressure and weakened over the latter stages of the race. A veterinary inspection of DINOZZO immediately following the race did not show any significant findings, however, the horse was unable to be scoped due to being fractious. EXULTANT and CONSORT were sent for sampling.