15/11/2017  Happy Valley  Race 3

As the start was effected, WORLD CITY lifted its front feet off the ground and consequently was slow to begin. KWAICHUNG BROTHERS began only fairly. From wide barriers, CHATER THUNDER, GALLANT RETURN and KIWI SUNRISE were all shifted across behind runners in the early stages. Making the turn near the 1050 Metres, RADIANT TREASURE got its head up and lay out when proving difficult to settle. Near the 850 Metres, CHATER THUNDER was momentarily awkwardly placed close to the heels of NICE FANDANGO. In the middle stages, RADIANT TREASURE proved very difficult to settle and again got its head up when being checked away from the heels of CHATER THUNDER. GALLANT RETURN, which was following RADIANT TREASURE, was awkwardly placed behind that horse in consequence. Approaching the 100 Metres, PLANET STAR was shifted out away from BOND ELEGANCE after laying in towards the heels of that horse. When questioned regarding his riding of GALLANT RETURN over the concluding stages, Z Purton stated that he placed the horse under full pressure rounding the Home Turn and it responded well to his riding in the early part of the Straight. He said he commenced to use the whip on the horse at about the 150 Metres and GALLANT RETURN continued to finish off the race but, in his opinion, only at the same rate that it had been closing off the race earlier in the Straight. He said as GALLANT RETURN was at its top, he put the whip away close to the finishing line but continued to push that horse out hands and heels all the way to the end of the race. Having regard to the fact that GALLANT RETURN finished 4th, the Stewards took no further action other than to advise Jockey Purton that he must ensure that he rides his mounts out strongly all the way to the end of the race where circumstances permit. At the time of declaration, C Schofield notified a probable overweight of 1 lb in respect of KWAICHUNG BROTHERS’ allocated weight of 114 lbs. C Schofield then weighed out 2 lbs overweight and on return to scale was found to have weighed in at 117 lbs. As Jockey Schofield weighed in 2 lbs over the weight notified at the time of declaration, he was fined the sum of $7,000. A veterinary inspection of KWAICHUNG BROTHERS immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. PLANET STAR, PHANTOM FALCON and BOND ELEGANCE were sent for sampling.