16/10/2022  Shatin  Race 6

BOOM ALLIANCE shifted in at the start and bumped LOOKING COOL which became unbalanced. ROMANTIC COMBO and TOTAL POWER were badly crowded for room on jumping between MOONLIGHT VISTA and HIT THE SHOT, both of which shifted ground. COPARTNER ELITES shifted in on jumping and bumped S J TOURBILLON. After this, from a wide barrier, S J TOURBILLON was shifted across behind runners. Also from a wide barrier, NORDIC SKY was shifted across behind runners in the early stages. In the early stages, COPARTNER ELITES was left racing wide and without cover and approaching the 1200 Metres was allowed to improve to obtain a position closer to the rail. Approaching the 1400 Metres, ROMANTIC COMBO was awkwardly placed close to the heels of WOODFIRE BRO. After the 1400 Metres, MOONLIGHT VISTA got its head up when being steadied away from the heels of HIT THE SHOT (A Badel) which shifted in when not properly clear. A Badel was reprimanded. After being crossed by HIT THE SHOT, MOONLIGHT VISTA was awkwardly placed behind that horse after the 1300 Metres. INTREPID WINNER, which was following MOONLIGHT VISTA, was inconvenienced in consequence. Making the turn after the 900 Metres, PRECISE EXPRESS was steadied away from the heels of INTREPID WINNER. In the early part of the Straight, LOOKING COOL got its head on the side and lay in and was reluctant to improve to the outside of WOODFIRE BRO. Throughout the race, WOODFIRE BRO travelled wide and without cover and in the Straight lay in under pressure. When questioned, S De Sousa stated that he was asked to position PRECISE EXPRESS in about midfield today if possible from barrier 5, however, he was given explicit instructions not to ride his mount along to do so as PRECISE EXPRESS has previously proved difficult to settle and because of this was not able to finish the race off. He said PRECISE EXPRESS did not begin as well as INTREPID WINNER which was drawn to its inside and he believed that he would have had to ride his mount along to clear that horse and because of his instructions he elected to obtain cover behind INTREPID WINNER. He said when doing this TOTAL POWER was able to improve its position to be racing behind INTREPID WINNER near the 1500 Metres which resulted in PRECISE EXPRESS having to race in a three wide position. He added that when TOTAL POWER shifted across to race behind ENTRUSTED after the 1200 Metres, he was able to shift PRECISE EXPRESS across to race one horse off the rail. He said because of the circumstances of the race in the early and middle stages and his riding instructions, this resulted in PRECISE EXPRESS racing further back in the field today than had been intended. A veterinary inspection of ENTRUSTED and BOOM ALLIANCE immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. LOOKING COOL, S J TOURBILLON and WOODFIRE BRO were sent for sampling.