14/03/2018  Happy Valley  Race 7

MY POWER was withdrawn on 13.3.18 by order of the Stewards acting on veterinary advice (lame right front foot) and was replaced by Standby Declared Starter MR RIGHT (K C Leung). Before being allowed to race again, MY POWER will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. WAKEY, WINNING SUPREME and ROMAN ODYSSEY began only fairly. Then despite being ridden along, WINNING SUPREME failed to muster speed. From wide barriers, SMART DECLARATION and MONEY BOY were steadied in the early stages and shifted across behind runners. When being steadied to obtain cover, SMART DECLARATION became unbalanced of its own accord approaching the 800 Metres. GENERAL IRON lost its left front plate at the 700 Metres. STORM SIGNAL made the turn near the 550 Metres awkwardly, shifted out and bumped CIRCUIT KING which then became unbalanced and shifted out, resulting in CIRCUIT KING racing wide and without cover for the remainder of the race. Near the 450 Metres, MONEY BOY shifted out and was awkwardly placed inside the heels of YOUNG EMPIRE. For some distance approaching and passing the 400 Metres, GENERAL IRON was awkwardly placed close to the heels of STORM SIGNAL. In the early part of the Straight, GENERAL IRON was awkwardly placed inside the heels of STORM SIGNAL. Also in the early part of the Straight, ENCORE BOY lay out under pressure, resulting in its rider, C Schofield, changing his whip into his left hand approaching the 200 Metres. Over the concluding stages, GENERAL IRON raced tight inside STORM SIGNAL. Close to the finishing line, ROMAN ODYSSEY was awkwardly placed inside ENCORE BOY which, after racing tight inside MONEY BOY passing the 50 Metres, then shifted in away from that horse. As ENCORE BOY was shifting in, C Schofield, the rider of that horse, was required to stop riding and straighten his mount to prevent causing crowding to ROMAN ODYSSEY. This resulted in him being unable to ride ENCORE BOY out over the concluding stages. After the race, the Veterinary Officer reported that SMART DECLARATION had sustained a cut to the left front coronary band. WINNING SUPREME, MONEY BOY and MOMENT OF POWER were sent for sampling.