01/03/2023  Happy Valley  Race 2

SCHOLARLY KING jumped only fairly. HK DRAGON was slow to begin. CIRCUIT ELITE and ROBOT WARRIOR bumped at the start. CIRCUIT ELITE was then inclined to lay in and away from CHARMING STEED, resulting in CIRCUIT ELITE and ROBOT WARRIOR making contact for some distance after the start. PEAK TO PEAK jumped awkwardly and from the outside barrier was shifted across behind runners in the early stages. EXUBERANT was inclined to lay out in the early stages and as a result for some distance after the 1200 Metres was awkwardly placed inside CORDYCEPS ONE. Making the Home Turn, HAPPY JAI JAI shifted out to improve to the outside of SIXTH GENERATION and in doing so made contact with CIRCUIT ELITE, resulting in CIRCUIT ELITE being placed in restricted room between CORDYCEPS ONE and HAPPY JAI JAI and bumping with both horses. CHARMING STEED lay in over the final 150 Metres when under pressure. CIRCUIT ELITE raced wide and without cover for the majority of the event. The performance of SCHOLARLY KING, which finished tailed out, was considered unacceptable. Before being allowed to race again, SCHOLARLY KING will be required to perform to the satisfaction of the Stewards in a barrier trial and be subjected to an official veterinary examination. When questioned regarding PEAK TO PEAK settling back in the field, M F Poon advised that he was given instructions from the wide barrier to ride the horse conservatively. He said Trainer F C Lor had advised that, in his opinion, he would have been obliged to make too much use of PEAK TO PEAK to hold a forward position from the outside barrier and this was the reason as to why he was asked to ride PEAK TO PEAK conservatively in the early stages. After the race, S De Sousa confirmed that his instructions were to go forward on SIXTH GENERATION, but if possible to obtain cover. He said from a wide barrier he rode his mount forward to comply with his instructions but when unable to obtain cover, he was obliged to continue to ride SIXTH GENERATION forward to cross runners to his inside and as a result SIXTH GENERATION improved to lead near the 1200 Metres. He added that throughout the middle stages he was able to set a moderate tempo whereby SIXTH GENERATION relaxed in front, but when asked for an effort in the Straight responded only fairly to his urgings. A veterinary inspection of SIXTH GENERATION immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. A veterinary inspection of EXUBERANT and ROBOT WARRIOR immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. SIXTH GENERATION, HK DRAGON and CORDYCEPS ONE were sent for sampling.