10/02/2016  Shatin  Race 7

At declaration time, C Schofield was declared as the rider of both REAL GENEROUS and NATURAL FRIENDSHIP. It was established that C Schofield had a firm commitment to ride NATURAL FRIENDSHIP. As such, the Stewards permitted K Teetan to be substituted as the rider of REAL GENEROUS. For this declaration error, C Schofield was fined $2,000. After being loaded, MY FOLKS reared, sat down and got its right front leg into the adjoining stall. MY FOLKS was removed from the barriers and examined by the Veterinary Officer who said the horse had sustained an abrasion to the point of the right hip and was not suitable to race. Accordingly MY FOLKS was withdrawn by order of the Stewards. Before being allowed to race again, MY FOLKS will be required to perform satisfactorily in a barrier trial and be subjected to an official veterinary examination. REAL GENEROUS was slow to begin. NATURAL FRIENDSHIP began awkwardly. GLORY STAR began only fairly. UNIQUE JOYOUS began only fairly and then despite being ridden along failed to muster speed. From the outside barriers, ELECTRONIC PHOENIX and OUR GENERATION were shifted across behind runners in the early stages. Despite being aggressively ridden along in the early stages, DRAGON BACHELOR failed to muster speed. After the 1100 Metres, ELECTRONIC PHOENIX proved very difficult to settle and shifted out abruptly away from the heels of UNIQUE JOYOUS. ELECTRONIC PHOENIX then continued to prove difficult to settle for some distance after this and was consequently left racing wide and without cover when REAL GENEROUS improved to the inside of ELECTRONIC PHOENIX near the 1000 Metres. UNIQUE JOYOUS lost its left hind plate after the 1100 Metres. Passing the 650 Metres, IMPERIAL GALLANTRY proved very difficult to settle and got its head up when being checked away from the heels of HAPPY AND HEALTHY. IMPERIAL GALLANTRY then shifted out away from the heels of that horse and bumped DRAGON BACHELOR. HAPPY JOURNEY was not able to obtain clear running in the early part of the Straight. Over the final 100 Metres, IMPERIAL GALLANTRY shifted in under pressure and close to the finishing line raced tight outside HAPPY AND HEALTHY. Throughout the race, DRAGON BACHELOR travelled wide and without cover. A veterinary inspection of ELECTRONIC PHOENIX immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. A veterinary inspection of UNIQUE JOYOUS immediately following the race did not show any significant findings, however, the horse was unable to be scoped due to being fractious. IMPERIAL GALLANTRY and HAPPY AND HEALTHY were sent for sampling.