09/09/2018  Shatin  Race 7

RIGHTEOUS MATE was withdrawn on raceday morning by order of the Stewards acting on veterinary advice (lame right front foot). Before being allowed to race again, RIGHTEOUS MATE will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. GREAT TREASURE was slow to begin and then shortly after the start threw its head in the air when being ridden along to improve its position. When being ridden along to obtain a forward position, PO CHING TREASURE raced tight shortly after the start between SMART CHARADE and PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT, both of which shifted ground. From the outside barrier, FULL OF CHANCES was steadied in the early stages and shifted across behind runners. Despite being ridden along in the early stages, GOOD DAYS failed to muster speed and was shifted across behind runners shortly after the start. Approaching the 900 Metres, RED ELYSEES raced tight between PO CHING TREASURE and THE FULL BLOOM which shifted in marginally. Rounding the Home Turn, ELECTRIC LIGHTNING was shifted in away from the heels of RED ELYSEES. Then passing the 400 Metres, ELECTRIC LIGHTNING was steadied when disappointed for running between PO CHING TREASURE which shifted to the outside of PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT and RED ELYSEES which shifted in marginally. After this, ELECTRIC LIGHTNING was shifted to the outside of RED ELYSEES to obtain clear running. Approaching the 200 Metres, RED ELYSEES momentarily raced tight between LET US WIN which lay in under pressure and SMART CHARADE which also shifted ground. In this incident, SMART CHARADE was directed in to relieve the tightening to RED ELYSEES, resulting in PO CHING TREASURE, which had been unable to obtain clear running, having to be steadied away from the heels of SMART CHARADE. ELECTRIC LIGHTNING lost its left front plate after the race. When questioned regarding the performance of SMART CHARADE, H N Wong stated that he was asked to ride the horse in behind the speed if possible. He said it was anticipated that SMART CHARADE may, from barrier 3, be able to obtain a position in front of midfield. He said he was aware that PO CHING TREASURE, which was drawn immediately inside SMART CHARADE, had often not been able to obtain a forward position despite being ridden along and that on occasions when the horse had been able to take up a prominent position, it had taken the horse some time to do so. He said SMART CHARADE began very well and PO CHING TREASURE, despite being hard ridden in the early stages, was not mustering speed to the inside of SMART CHARADE. He said he was reluctant to allow PO CHING TREASURE the opportunity to continue to attempt to improve its position inside SMART CHARADE as he was concerned that if this took some time, that would allow other runners to improve their position behind PO CHING TREASURE which may have resulted in SMART CHARADE being left racing wide. He said he therefore allowed SMART CHARADE to cross PO CHING TREASURE which he was able to do without having to make too much use of the horse. He added after clearing PO CHING TREASURE, SMART CHARADE was positioned to the outside of PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT. He said he immediately commenced to steady his mount in order to allow other runners to improve their position forward of SMART CHARADE which would have provided SMART CHARADE with cover. He said in assessing the race it was hoped that LET US WIN or GOOD DAYS, from wider barriers, would be ridden along to obtain the lead, however, when neither of these horses was able to go forward, it resulted in SMART CHARADE having to race outside the lead in the early stages. He added after the 1300 Metres he continued to steady his mount in the hope that THE FULL BLOOM would improve its position either outside the lead or into the lead which would have resulted in SMART CHARADE racing somewhere closer to where it had been anticipated that the horse would be able to be positioned. He said however that when THE FULL BLOOM did not continue forward, this resulted in SMART CHARADE racing in a more forward position than had been expected and without cover. He said SMART CHARADE travelled keenly outside the leader PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT and did not relax as he had hoped. He said SMART CHARADE came under heavy pressure in the early part of the Straight and then gave ground, particularly over the final 200 Metres. He said whilst SMART CHARADE was disappointing, he felt that the circumstances of the race had not been to the horse’s advantage. A veterinary inspection of SMART CHARADE immediately following the race including an endoscopic examination showed a substantial amount of blood in the horse's trachea. The performance of SMART CHARADE, a favourite for today’s race, was considered unacceptable. Before being allowed to race again, SMART CHARADE will be required to perform to the satisfaction of the Stewards in a barrier trial and be subjected to an official veterinary examination. When questioned, Apprentice C Wong stated that he was asked, from barrier 8, to ride positively on THE FULL BLOOM in the early stages and obtain a position behind the speed with cover if possible. He said it was felt that today’s race would not be run at a fast tempo which would provide THE FULL BLOOM with the opportunity to obtain a forward position without having to be ridden along. He said in accordance with his instructions he allowed THE FULL BLOOM to assume a forward position in the early stages and after travelling a short distance steadied his mount in order to find cover behind the leaders, PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT and SMART CHARADE. He said ELECTRIC LIGHTNING maintained its position to the inside of THE FULL BLOOM in the early stages in a three wide position which allowed RED ELYSEES the opportunity to maintain its position to the inside of ELECTRIC LIGHTNING. He said because of this he was not able to obtain a position with cover behind SMART CHARADE and consequently raced three wide and without cover throughout the race. He added because of this THE FULL BLOOM was then not able to finish off the race. A veterinary inspection of THE FULL BLOOM immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. When questioned, M Chadwick stated that, as is usual, he was asked to ride PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT where it was comfortable as the horse had previously shown a tendency to prove difficult to settle when ridden along. He said it had been hoped that, from barrier 1, PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT would be able to obtain cover behind the leader, however, it was open to him to lead the race if it meant that he would not have to unnecessarily restrain the horse. He said PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT began well and he was able to obtain the lead on the horse without having to make any use of it. He said in the early and middle stages he attempted to steady the tempo as he was aware that the race was being run quicker than what he had hoped, however, he was reluctant to place more pressure on PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT given its previous racing history. He said this resulted in the race being run at a quicker tempo than had been anticipated and consequently PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT was then not able to finish off the race and weakened. A veterinary inspection of PRESIDENTPARAMOUNT immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. A veterinary inspection of PO CHING TREASURE immediately following the race did not show any significant findings, however, the horse was unable to be scoped due to being fractious. SMART CHARADE, GREAT TREASURE and FULL OF CHANCES were sent for sampling. <12/9/2018 9 September 2018 Sha Tin Racemeeting – Race 7 (25)> The Stewards tonight questioned K Teetan regarding his riding of ELECTRIC LIGHTNING in the middle stages in this race. K Teetan stated that after being in a three wide position behind THE FULL BLOOM, he was able to shift in behind RED ELYSEES approaching the 1000 Metres in a two wide position. He said he was content to follow RED ELYSEES as that horse was trailing SMART CHARADE, the favourite for the race. He said he continued to follow RED ELYSEES as THE FULL BLOOM, which was racing to the outside of RED ELYSEES, had been three wide and without cover throughout the race and he felt that following RED ELYSEES and SMART CHARADE, which he both considered to be good chances in the race, would be in ELECTRIC LIGHTNING’s best interests as he expected THE FULL BLOOM not be able to quicken as well as those horses due to having been forced to race wide and without cover. He said for this reason he elected not to shift out from behind RED ELYSEES to follow THE FULL BLOOM after the 600 Metres which allowed LET US WIN to improve its position around ELECTRIC LIGHTNING. He said at the entrance to the Straight he immediately shifted ELECTRIC LIGHTNING to the inside of RED ELYSEES to improve between that horse and PO CHING TREASURE, however, when that run closed, he was required to shift ELECTRIC LIGHTNING to the outside of runners near the 300 Metres to obtain clear running. K Teetan agreed with the Stewards that, in retrospect, he should have shifted out to follow THE FULL BLOOM which would have provided ELECTRIC LIGHTNING the opportunity of shifting directly to the outside of that horse rounding the Home Turn and in the early part of the Straight and obtaining clear running. He was advised to ensure that he positions his horses so as to obtain clear running wherever circumstances permit so that there can be no room for query regarding his riding.