16/02/2020  Shatin  Race 2

VOYAGE STAR shifted out at the start and bumped KA YING EXCELLENT. BABY STORM shifted out at the start and bumped DOUBLE TAKE. From the outside barriers, BABY STORM and DOUBLE TAKE were then shifted across behind runners in the early stages. SPARKLING LIFE shifted out at the start and bumped JADE PHOENIX. Approaching the 350 Metres, ALL TIMES GRATEFUL shifted in and made contact with BRILLIANT. BRILLIANT then had difficulty obtaining clear running from near the 250 Metres until after the 200 Metres at which stage it shifted to the inside of KA YING EXCELLENT. After this, BRILLIANT became unbalanced when improving into tight running between KA YING EXCELLENT and RESOLUTE which also became unbalanced after being brushed by BRILLIANT. For the majority of the race, BEST SMILE travelled wide and without cover. When questioned, J Moreira stated that it was intended for JADE PHOENIX to be ridden in a forward position. He said his mount began only fairly and both SPARKLING LIFE and PING HAI BRAVO which were drawn either side of JADE PHOENIX began better. He said he would have had to make a lot of use of JADE PHOENIX in the early stages in an attempt to clear SPARKLING LIFE which was drawn to his inside and which was being hard ridden to obtain a prominent position and therefore he was not able to obtain as forward a position in the early stages as he anticipated. He said he then had to ride his mount along in the early stages as JADE PHOENIX, due to its inexperience, was racing greenly and was reluctant to maintain its position. He said after riding JADE PHOENIX along after the 1000 Metres, the horse was reluctant to continue to race between ALL TIMES GRATEFUL and THE RUNNER and therefore he positioned JADE PHOENIX behind ALL TIMES GRATEFUL which was much further back in the field than had been intended. He said he had to continue to ride his mount along approaching and passing the 800 Metres to remain racing behind ALL TIMES GRATEFUL and then after shifting to the outside of THE RUNNER approaching the 500 Metres, JADE PHOENIX made the Home Turn awkwardly. He added, given the manner in which JADE PHOENIX raced today, he recommended to connections that they consider applying head gear to the horse in its future starts in an attempt to have it concentrate in its races better than it did today. When questioned, J Spencer stated that after shifting his mount behind runners from an outside barrier, he had to ride BABY STORM for some distance approaching and passing the 1000 Metres in order to have it improve its position. He said BABY STORM travelled only fairly in the early and middle stages and it was not until rounding the Home Turn that the horse commenced to improve into the race. He said after shifting in away from the heels of BRILLIANT at the entrance to the Straight, BABY STORM was then held up for clear running until after the 300 Metres. He said after shifting BABY STORM to the outside of BRILLIANT passing the 250 Metres, BABY STORM then closed off the race strongly when vigorously ridden hands and heels all the way to the end of the race. He added as BABY STORM was finishing off the race well, he did not believe it was necessary to use the whip as he did not think BABY STORM would close off any stronger. He said he suggested to connections, given the manner in which BABY STORM travelled in the early and middle stages, that the horse would be suited in races over a longer distance. A veterinary inspection of BEST SMILE immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. A veterinary inspection of SPARKLING LIFE immediately following the race including an endoscopic examination showed a substantial amount of mucus in the horse’s trachea and also found the horse to have sustained a minor laceration to the right hind stifle. JADE PHOENIX, PING HAI BRAVO and JUDY’S STAR were sent for sampling.