21/11/2021  Shatin  Race 2

ENCHANTING START shifted in on jumping and bumped THE JOLLY which was crowded for room outside EMERALD SPUR. GLORIFIED FIRE and CITY LEGEND bumped on jumping. ISLAND SURPRISE shifted out at the start, resulting in TURQUOISE ALPHA shifting out and bumping MOONLUCK. After this, ISLAND SURPRISE, TURQUOISE ALPHA and MOONLUCK were all steadied from wide barriers to obtain cover. In the early stages, from the outside barrier, GOOD BUDDY was also steadied to obtain cover. Approaching the 1100 Metres, GOOD BUDDY commenced to travel keenly and got its head up when being steadied away from the heels of SHENRON which itself was awkwardly placed behind YOUNG VICTORY. Approaching the 900 Metres, ENCHANTING START got its head on the side and lay in and then making the turn after the 900 Metres got its head up when awkwardly placed behind COMPULSORY. ENCHANTING START then shifted out, resulting in SHENRON being tightened for room inside PEAK TO PEAK. After this, ENCHANTING START continued to travel keenly and for some distance approaching and passing the 800 Metres was checked away from the heels of COMPULSORY. Approaching and passing the 900 Metres, THE JOLLY got its head up on a number of occasions when proving difficult to settle and awkwardly placed behind EMERALD SPUR and then made the turn after the 900 Metres awkwardly. Making the turn after the 900 Metres, MOONLUCK shifted out and bumped GOOD BUDDY. Rounding the Home Turn, COMPULSORY shifted out and bumped the hindquarters YOUNG VICTORY. COMPULSORY was then awkwardly placed inside the heels of YOUNG VICTORY passing the 400 Metres which shifted in when unbalanced. Near the 350 Metres, PEAK TO PEAK shifted in and inconvenienced SHENRON which then got its head on the side and shifted in away from PEAK TO PEAK. Near the 150 Metres, PEAK TO PEAK, which was giving ground, shifted out and bumped CITY LEGEND which was hampered. TURQUOISE ALPHA was unable to obtain clear running until the concluding stages and consequently was not able to be tested. Throughout the race, YOUNG VICTORY travelled wide and without cover. When questioned regarding his riding of PEAK TO PEAK in the early stages, C Y Ho stated that he was given similar instructions on how to ride PEAK TO PEAK today as he was given at its last start when the horse was successful. He said he was asked to begin positively on PEAK TO PEAK but to ensure that he obtained cover on the horse as PEAK TO PEAK had travelled keenly in some of its races previously. He said he was therefore told not to make too much use of his horse in the early stages but if possible obtain a position behind the leaders with cover. He said after PEAK TO PEAK began very well today, he noticed a number of horses drawn more favourably than PEAK TO PEAK being ridden along in the early stages, namely YOUNG VICTORY, COMPULSORY and ENCHANTING START. He said given the manner in which these horses were being ridden along, he was of the opinion that he would have had to ride PEAK TO PEAK along in the early stages to clear those runners which he believed was contrary to his instructions. He said even if he did ride his mount early, the possibility existed that PEAK TO PEAK would have to lead and if this did result, then PEAK TO PEAK would not be racing with cover which again he felt would be contrary to his instructions. He said in the early stages he was unaware that GLORIFIED FIRE, the eventual leader of the race, was being ridden to obtain a forward position as that horse did not begin as well as PEAK TO PEAK and therefore was not in his reckoning that it would be a horse that could possibly lead. He said shortly after the start he commenced to steady his mount to obtain a trailing position behind firstly YOUNG VICTORY and then behind horses which were better drawn than PEAK TO PEAK. He said he had hoped that PEAK TO PEAK would obtain a position with cover albeit he felt that this may be in a three wide position. He added when he was steadying PEAK TO PEAK in the early stages, YOUNG VICTORY was then not ridden along by its rider after the 1300 Metres which resulted in him not being able to restrain PEAK TO PEAK sufficiently to obtain cover behind that horse. He said this resulted in PEAK TO PEAK being left in a four wide position without cover after the 1100 Metres and travelling keenly when not able to race behind another runner. Mr F C Lor, trainer of PEAK TO PEAK, confirmed the instructions and said that he had impressed on Jockey Ho the need to obtain cover on PEAK TO PEAK because of the horse’s previous racing manners and the fact that it was able to race successfully last start when ridden with cover. He said although PEAK TO PEAK began very well today, in his opinion, Jockey Ho would have had to do at least some work on the horse to cross runners to his inside and this may have resulted in PEAK TO PEAK over-racing and having to lead which he believed would not have allowed the horse the opportunity to finish off the race. He added whilst PEAK TO PEAK was not able to enjoy a good run in the race as a result of being steadied in the early stages, he was comfortable with Jockey Ho’s decision not to press forward in the early stages given that he anticipated that there were no natural leaders in the race and that had PEAK TO PEAK been ridden forward to cross runners to its inside, this may have resulted in the horse having to lead. C Y Ho was told that his explanation would be reported, however, in the opinion of the Stewards, given that PEAK TO PEAK began very well and the likelihood that the race would be run at a moderate tempo, he should have allowed PEAK TO PEAK to stride forward without riding his mount along to obtain a position forward of the horses to his inside rather than restraining his mount which, given the likely compact nature of the field, would result in PEAK TO PEAK racing wide and possibly without cover. He was further told to ensure that he rides his mount in such a manner as to avoid covering unnecessary ground so as to provide them with the best opportunity to finish off the race. A veterinary inspection of PEAK TO PEAK immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. A veterinary inspection of GLORIFIED FIRE immediately following the race found that horse to be a "roarer” which had previously been reported. GOOD BUDDY and MOONLUCK were sent for sampling.