08/03/2020  Shatin  Race 9

HELENE CHARISMA began only fairly. WINNING DELIGHT began very awkwardly, shifted out and bumped the hindquarters of CHEFANO. From wide barriers, HIGH REV and GLORIOUS ARTIST were shifted across behind runners in the early stages. Passing the 1600 Metres, HAPPY DRAGON was steadied away from the heels of BEAUTY LEGACY when racing keenly. HAPPY DRAGON continued to travel keenly and was checked away from the heels of BEAUTY LEGACY after the 1000 Metres. After being steadied in the early stages to obtain cover, TIANCHI MONSTER was left racing wide and without cover after the 1100 Metres and then was taken wider still by BEAUTY LEGACY approaching the 700 Metres when that horse shifted out away from the heels of RELIABLE TEAM. Near the 100 Metres, WINNING DELIGHT, which was closing off the race, was shifted to the inside of HEZTHEWONFORUS after being awkwardly placed behind that horse. When attempting to improve into tight running between HEZTHEWONFORUS and CHEFANO at the 75 Metres, WINNING DELIGHT bumped the hindquarters of CHEFANO, resulting in that horse becoming unbalanced. CHEFANO and WINNING DELIGHT then raced in restricted room inside HEZTHEWONFORUS which shifted in marginally over the concluding stages. In the Straight, HELENE CHARISMA lay in under pressure. When questioned, Z Purton stated that he was instructed to obtain a trailing position on CHEFANO behind the leaders. He said he rode his mount along in the early stages to cross runners to his inside and after clearing ENRICHMENT near the 1600 Metre then steadied his mount to allow either RELIABLE TEAM or HEZTHEWONFORUS to cross his mount. He said when RELIABLE TEAM remained racing to the outside of CHEFANO, HEZTHEWONFORUS then improved around that horse at which stage he was content to allow HEZTHEWONFORUS to continue on into the lead and provide CHEFANO with cover. He said however that after HEZTHEWONFORUS crossed RELIABLE TEAM near the 1000 Metres, HEZTHEWONFORUS did not continue forward of CHEFANO sufficiently to cross his mount and having regard to the stage of the race when it became available for HEZTHEWONFORUS to cross CHEFANO, he believed it would be detrimental to the interests of CHEFANO to steady and allow that horse to cross and therefore he maintained his position inside HEZTHEWONFORUS. G van Niekerk reported that HIGH REV hung in in the early part of the Straight and was reluctant to shift to the outside of runners. He said after being shifted to the outside of HELENE CHARISMA near the 300 Metres, HIGH REV then continued to lay in under pressure and proved difficult to ride. When questioned regarding the performance of BEAUTY LEGACY, J Moreira stated that his mount once again proved very difficult to settle. He said right from the early stages BEAUTY LEGACY travelled too keenly and would not relax. He said BEAUTY LEGACY got its head up on a number of occasions along the Back Straight when awkwardly placed behind RELIABLE TEAM as a result of its racing manners. He said when TIANCHI MONSTER commenced to improve around BEAUTY LEGACY after the 800 Metres, he shifted BEAUTY LEGACY out and commenced to improve his position outside RELIABLE TEAM. He said rounding the Home Turn BEAUTY LEGACY came under pressure and then in the Straight gave ground. He added the performance of BEAUTY LEGACY was solely attributable to the horse’s failure to relax in the early and middle stages. A veterinary inspection of BEAUTY LEGACY immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. BEAUTY LEGACY, HELENE LEADINGSTAR and ENRICHMENT were sent for sampling.