29/04/2018  Shatin  Race 10

Both CITRON SPIRIT and PENANG HALL bounded in the air at the start and lost a considerable amount of ground. PENANG HALL then landed very awkwardly and shifted in abruptly and in doing so made heavy contact with CITRON SPIRIT, causing its rider, Apprentice H N Wong, to become badly unbalanced. This resulted in both PENANG HALL and CITRON SPIRIT losing further ground. Having regard to PENANG HALL’s recent record in respect of its barrier manners, the Stewards ruled that that horse must barrier trial satisfactorily before being allowed to race again. Before being allowed to race again, CITRON SPIRIT will be required to perform satisfactorily in a stalls test. LAST KINGDOM was crowded for room on jumping between EASY GO EASY WIN which shifted out and MY ALLY which as the start was effected lifted its front feet off the ground and began awkwardly. This resulted in LAST KINGDOM and MY ALLY bumping. LAST KINGDOM then raced in restricted room between MY ALLY and EASY GO EASY WIN. After this, LAST KINGDOM was shifted across behind runners to obtain cover. Also from a wide barrier, BABA MAMA was shifted across behind runners in the early stages. After the 1400 Metres, MY ALLY commenced to prove very difficult to settle and when racing wide and without cover was allowed to stride forward to race outside the lead near the 1000 Metres. After the 1300 Metres, EASY GO EASY WIN travelled keenly when steadied to allow CIRCUIT HASSLER to cross. After the 1000 Metres, SIMPLY BRILLIANT was left racing wide and without cover. Passing the 700 Metres, PATRIOT HERO became unbalanced when racing keenly and being checked away from the heels of EASY GO EASY WIN. This resulted in PATRIOT HERO losing ground. DOCTOR GEOFF was unable to obtain clear running until approaching the 300 Metres. J Moreira will be questioned regarding the disappointing performance of EASY GO EASY WIN prior to the Sha Tin racemeeting on Wednesday, 2 May 2018. A veterinary inspection of EASY GO EASY WIN immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. DOCTOR GEOFF, RISE HIGH and CIRCUIT HASSLER were sent for sampling. <2/5/2018 29 April 2018 Sha Tin Racemeeting – Race 10 (612)> The Stewards tonight afforded J Moreira the opportunity to explain the disappointing performance of EASY GO EASY WIN. J Moreira stated that he had to ride EASY GO EASY WIN for a short distance in the early stages to obtain a forward position and overcome barrier 9. He said after being ridden along, EASY GO EASY WIN then got its head up and travelled keenly for some distance approaching and passing the 1300 Metres as he allowed CIRCUIT HASSLER to cross in the hope that this would provide cover for EASY GO EASY WIN. He said after that horse crossed to the rail he continued to steady EASY GO EASY WIN to allow MY ALLY to improve to his outside and he was then able to obtain cover behind that horse near the 1000 Metres. He added he felt that EASY GO EASY WIN having to be ridden along and travelling too keenly in the early and middle stages had resulted in the horse not being able to finish off the race as he expected. He said he had to shift out from behind MY ALLY at the 600 Metres as SIMPLY BRILLIANT was improving to his outside and he did not want to be caught in a pocket behind MY ALLY. He said EASY GO EASY WIN gave him a limited response when placed under pressure in the early part of the Straight, however, at the 200 Metres the horse’s run ended and it was then disappointing in the manner in which it failed to finish off the race.