21/09/2019  Shatin  Race 6

HAIR TRIGGER was withdrawn on 20.9.19 by order of the Stewards acting on veterinary advice (lame right fore). Before being allowed to race again, HAIR TRIGGER will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. ARDENODE shifted out at the start, resulting in SPACE being crowded for room inside WINNING METHOD. This resulted in SPACE becoming unbalanced and shifting in, causing ARDENODE to be crowded for room. KA YING MASTER and VALIANT DREAM bumped at the start. Passing the 450 Metres, ARDENODE was shifted in away from the heels of MASSIVE POCKET. Near the 250 Metres, MASSIVE POCKET shifted out after racing tight outside WINNING METHOD and was momentarily awkwardly placed inside the heels of GOKO. MASSIVE POCKET then raced in restricted room between GOKO and MR LUMIERES passing the 200 Metres when improving into tight running between those horses. Passing the 200 Metres, ARDENODE was awkwardly placed inside the heels of WINNING METHOD which shifted to the inside of MR LUMIERES. When questioned, A Sanna (ARDENODE) stated that the horse had been disappointing in the manner in which it had been weakening in its races. He said because of this he was asked to hold ARDENODE up for as long as possible in order that the horse could finish off the race better than it had been. He said after getting back in the field in the early stages due to an incident at the start, he commenced to allow ARDENODE to improve after the 600 Metres. He said he continued to urge ARDENODE forward and commenced to ride the horse along after the 400 Metres. He added after shifting away from the heels of WINNING METHOD passing the 200 Metres the horse then closed off better than it had been. When questioned regarding the performance of KA YING MASTER, M L Yeung stated that KA YING MASTER did not appear to him to handle the faster tempo stepping up in grade to Class 3. He said today’s race was run at a faster tempo than at its previous two starts which resulted in KA YING MASTER, which was again ridden in a forward position today, coming under pressure after the 500 Metres. He said whereas previously KA YING MASTER had travelled strongly into the race, today the horse was under significant pressure and then did not finish off the race as it had in its previous races. He added whilst KA YING MASTER made a number of abnormal breathing noises over the final 200 Metres, it was no worse than at its previous starts. A veterinary inspection of KA YING MASTER immediately following the race found that horse to be a "roarer” which had previously been reported. A veterinary inspection of E MASTER immediately following the race including an endoscopic examination showed a substantial amount of blood in the horse's trachea. Before being allowed to race again, E MASTER will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. WINNING METHOD, MASSIVE POCKET and GOKO were sent for sampling.