06/02/2021  Shatin  Race 6

CHUNG WAH SPIRIT was withdrawn on raceday morning by order of the Stewards acting on veterinary advice (lame left fore). Before being allowed to race again, CHUNG WAH SPIRIT will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. EL VALIENTE began awkwardly, shifted in and bumped GOLDIE FLANKER which became unbalanced and shifted out, resulting in EL VALIENTE being crowded for room inside OH BRAVO. WEALTHY EMPLOYEE was slow to begin. DEMONS ROCK got its head up on a number of occasions when being steadied to obtain cover shortly after the start and in doing so shifted out and bumped LADY FIRST. After this, despite being vigorously ridden along, LADY FIRST was slow to muster speed. From the outside barriers, SUN SUN FA FA and DOUBLE TAKE were shifted across behind runners in the early stages. Near the 1100 Metres, LADY FIRST was left racing wide and without cover. After the 500 Metres, OH BRAVO was momentarily crowded for room between SO AWESOME and GOLDIE FLANKER which shifted out. Near the 250 Metres, EL VALIENTE was momentarily crowded for room inside GOLDIE FLANKER which shifted in marginally. EL VALIENTE then continued to race tight inside GOLDIE FLANKER until passing the 200 Metres. Passing the 250 Metres, H N Wong (SUN SUN FA FA) dropped his right rein. Approaching the 100 Metres, GOLDIE FLANKER got its head on the side, shifted out and bumped the hindquarters of THE BEST HERO, resulting in both horses becoming unbalanced. When questioned regarding his riding of SO AWESOME, Z Purton stated that as with its most recent start, he was asked to ride SO AWESOME with cover and it was anticipated that this would be behind the leaders. He said he was also asked to obtain cover at the horse’s last start and after steadying his mount in the early stages, SO AWESOME was left racing wide and without cover and therefore he allowed the horse to improve to obtain the lead after the 800 Metres rather than continue to race wide and without cover. He said in today’s race he allowed SO AWESOME to begin well and then took a trailing position behind SKYEY SUPREME which it was anticipated would be one of the leaders of the race. He said after the 1400 Metres SO AWESOME got its head on the side and shifted out abruptly across the heels of SKYEY SUPREME which resulted in SO AWESOME being checked away from the heels of that horse and shifting out, causing DEAL MAKER to be hampered and taken wider. He said when racing behind SKYEY SUPREME after this, SO AWESOME continued to prove very difficult to settle and when SKYEY SUPREME improved into the lead, he then allowed DEAL MAKER to improve around SO AWESOME and obtain cover behind that horse in accordance with his instructions. He added SO AWESOME would not relax in the middle stages and repeatedly got its head up on a number of occasions when proving difficult to settle. He said because of the manner in which SO AWESOME over-raced in the early and middle stages, the horse was then not able to finish off the race strongly. Jockey Purton stated that after the race he recommended to Mr Y S Tsui, the trainer of SO AWESOME, to give consideration to either dropping the horse back in distance as a faster tempo race may allow it to settle better or allow his mount to stride forward if it is his intention to continue to race SO AWESOME at a similar distance. Mr Tsui confirmed that he had given similar instructions to Jockey Purton in its last start and again today. He said last start from barrier 7 it was anticipated that the horse may be required to race in about a midfield position to obtain cover, but after being left racing wide and without cover, he was satisfied with Jockey Purton’s decision to improve into the lead. He said from barrier 1 today he anticipated that SKYEY SUPREME and DEAL MAKER would lead and therefore this would afford SO AWESOME the opportunity to obtain a trailing position behind the leaders. He said, in his opinion, Jockey Purton had ridden SO AWESOME today in accordance with his instructions, however, the horse’s racing manners had not allowed it the opportunity to finish off the race. Mr Tsui stated that after discussing the matter with Jockey Purton after the race, at this early stage, he would give consideration to either dropping SO AWESOME back in distance or removing the blinkers from the horse if it was decided to continue to race the horse over a similar distance to today’s race. A veterinary inspection of SO AWESOME immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. SO AWESOME, SKYEY SUPREME and LADY FIRST were sent for sampling.