01/12/2019  Shatin  Race 10

ASSIMILATE began awkwardly and then was bumped by EVERYONE’S JOY which shifted in after being bumped by GREAT TREASURE. HAPPY FORCE shifted out at the start and bumped EZRA which was then shifted out and made contact with the hindquarters of ULTIMATE GLORY. Shortly after the start, FEARLESS FIRE and INVINCIBLE MISSILE lost ground when crowded for room between TANG FLEMING which shifted in marginally and MONEY BACK which got its head on the side and shifted out and then shifted out further after receiving contact on the hindquarters by FEARLESS FIRE. After this, FEARLESS FIRE (M F Poon) and INVINCIBLE MISSILE were steadied and shifted across behind runners in an endeavour to obtain cover. M F Poon reported that when shifting out away from the heels of MONEY BACK near the 1200 Metres, FEARLESS FIRE commenced to travel very keenly and was then left racing without cover and having regard to the manner in which the horse was travelling, he then allowed FEARLESS FIRE to improve its position around HONEST WAY after the 1000 Metres, however, FEARLESS FIRE continued to travel wide and without cover. Making the turn after the 700 Metres, ASSIMILATE got it head on the side and lay out and near the 650 Metres was momentarily awkwardly placed inside the heels of FALCON TURBO. Approaching the 200 Metres, ASSIMILATE was shifted out away from the heels of TANG FLEMING to continue improving. When questioned, H N Wong explained that he was asked to obtain a forward position on TANG FLEMING and sit outside the likely leader HAPPY FORCE. He said, from the outside barrier, he allowed his mount to improve gradually into a forward position and after the 1100 Metres commenced to proceed forward of HELLO BEAUTY to cross that horse. He said in order to cross HELLO BEAUTY, he had to allow his mount to stride forward and when crossing that horse near the 1000 Metres was left racing in advance of HAPPY FORCE which was racing on the rail. He said as it was apparent to him that HAPPY FORCE would continue to maintain the lead, he immediately commenced to steady his mount with a view to racing directly to that horse’s outside. He said however that TANG FLEMING travelled keenly in the lead and he would have had to break that horse’s stride in order to have it race on terms with HAPPY FORCE and therefore TANG FLEMING raced in advance of that horse and to its outside. When questioned regarding the disappointing performance of EZRA, S de Sousa stated that after being bumped at the start he rode his mount along in an endeavour to take up a midfield position. He said after the 1300 Metres he was left racing in a three wide position outside EVERYONE’S JOY and therefore he attempted to steady EZRA to take a trailing position behind that horse. He said passing the 1100 Metres he had to shift EZRA out away from the heels of EVERYONE’S JOY as that horse shifted out away from the heels of FALCON TURBO. He said after this he remained racing in a three wide position with ULTIMATE GLORY improving to his inside and he attempted to shift that horse onto the rail to obtain the one-off position. He added after racing tight outside ULTIMATE GLORY approaching the 900 Metres, he continued to race three wide as ULTIMATE GLORY maintained its position behind EVERYONE’S JOY. He said he was therefore obliged to come back further to obtain a trailing position behind ULTIMATE GLORY one horse off the rail. He added when racing back in the field EZRA did not travel well and after being placed under pressure rounding the Home Turn and in the Straight EZRA then finished off the race only one-paced. A veterinary inspection of EZRA immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. A veterinary inspection of INVINCIBLE MISSILE immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. EZRA, FOLLOW ME and ULTIMATE GLORY were sent for sampling.