09/01/2022  Shatin  Race 3

When parading behind the barriers, BEAUTY MISSION momentarily became fractious, resulting in its rider, C Y Ho, being dislodged. In this incident, C Y Ho sustained a cut to his right index finger which required medical attention and the start being delayed. RACING FIGHTER shifted out at the start and bumped the hindquarters of ARMOUR EAGLE which then became unbalanced, shifted out and brushed TEAM SPIRIT which in turn shifted out and inconvenienced COMPASSION SPIRIT. From a wide barrier, BEAUTY MISSION was shifted across behind runners in the early stages. In the early stages, DOUBLE SIX POP, from the outside barrier, travelled keenly when being steadied to obtain cover. When being steadied to obtain cover passing the 900 Metres, HANDSOME TWELVE was awkwardly placed close to the heels of GALLANT EXPRESS (V Borges) which shifted in when not fully clear. V Borges was advised to exercise more care when shifting ground. Approaching the 900 Metres, ARMOUR EAGLE got its head on the side and lay in when awkwardly placed behind TEAM SPIRIT. COMPASSION SPIRIT, which was following ARMOUR EAGLE, was shifted in away from the heels of that horse, resulting in DOUBLE SIX POP being momentarily inconvenienced. Passing the 800 Metres, DOUBLE SIX POP got its head up when being steadied away from the heels of RACING FIGHTER when continuing to prove difficult to settle. DOUBLE SIX POP then continued to be awkwardly placed behind RACING FIGHTER for some distance. After the 400 Metres, COMPASSION SPIRIT was shifted out away from the heels of DOUBLE SIX POP which, when held up for clear running, shifted out. Passing the 100 Metres, DOUBLE SIX POP was directed out away from the heels of CALIFORNIA SKY which shifted out. Also passing the 100 Metres, COMPASSION SPIRIT was shifted out away from the heels of HANDSOME TWELVE which shifted out. Then over the concluding stages, COMPASSION SPIRIT raced in restricted room between HANDSOME TWELVE and BEAUTY MISSION. Throughout the race, GALLANT EXPRESS travelled wide and without cover. When questioned, J Moreira (ARMOUR EAGLE) stated that after being held up for clear running in the early part of the Straight, he directed ARMOUR EAGLE to the inside of TEAM SPIRIT approaching the 300 Metres with a view to improving into tight running between that horse and CALIFORNIA SKY. He said as he was attempting to improve into this run passing the 300 Metres, ARMOUR EAGLE lay in towards the heels of CALIFORNIA SKY which approaching the 250 Metres shifted out. He said although the run between CALIFORNIA SKY and TEAM SPIRIT was the run that he was pursuing, as ARMOUR EAGLE was laying in and the run was developing inside CALIFORNIA SKY, he elected to allow ARMOUR EAGLE to continue to shift in towards the rail and improve into clear running inside CALIFORNIA SKY. He said in order to continue to attempt to improve into the run to the outside of CALIFORNIA SKY and inside TEAM SPIRIT, he would have had to direct ARMOUR EAGLE out and he felt that it was best not to fight against ARMOUR EAGLE and rather to allow the horse’s momentum to take it to the rail and to the inside of CALIFORNIA SKY. He added that whilst ARMOUR EAGLE was momentarily inconvenienced passing the 150 Metres when CALIFORNIA SKY shifted in other than at this time he was able to obtain clear running all the way to the end of the race. ARMOUR EAGLE, TEAM SPIRIT and GALLANT EXPRESS were sent for sampling.