30/04/2023  Shatin  Race 1

WONDER YEARS was slow to begin. GO GO SIXTEEN was taken out on jumping by REACH GOAL which shifted out. BORN THE SAME DAY jumped awkwardly and was then shifted across behind runners in the early stages. From the outside barriers, VINCY, SUNNY BABY and KOWLOON GREAT were also shifted across behind runners in the early stages. TURQUOISE ALPHA raced keenly in the middle stages. Entering the Back Straight near the 1300 Metres, WONDER YEARS commenced a forward move and near the 850 Metres was taken wider when GO GO SIXTEEN shifted out to improve. Near the 250 Metres, REACH GOAL was shifted to the inside of GO GO SIXTEEN to obtain clear running and as a result HAPPY WON was taken in slightly. Over the concluding stages, REACH GOAL then lay out under pressure. Close to the finish, L Hewitson (SUNNY BABY) could not fully ride his mount to the finish when GO GO SIXTEEN shifted out slightly. When questioned, L Hewitson stated that from a wide barrier he was instructed to ride SUNNY BABY conservatively in the early stages to find cover. He added that this resulted in SUNNY BABY settling towards the rear of the field and after following VINCY making the Home Turn was able to obtain clear running on straightening when it shifted to the inside of VINCY. After the race, Z Purton (KOWLOON GREAT) reported that his mount was unsuited by racing back in the field in a slowly run event and as a result found it difficult to make up ground in the Straight. A veterinary inspection of KOWLOON GREAT immediately following the race which included an endoscopic examination showed a substantial amount of blood in the horse’s trachea. Before being allowed to race again, KOWLOON GREAT will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. When questioned regarding the disappointing performance of ENSURED, H Bowman stated that his mount travelled comfortably throughout the early and middle stages but failed to respond to his riding when placed under pressure in the Straight. A veterinary inspection of ENSURED immediately following the race which included an endoscopic examination showed a substantial amount of blood in the horse’s trachea. Before being allowed to race again, ENSURED will be subjected to an official veterinary examination. When questioned regarding YEABOI racing in the lead, Trainer C H Yip reported that K Teetan was given the option to lead as it had shown speed in its most recent barrier trials. A veterinary inspection of SUPER HONG KONG, SUNNY BABY and HAPPY WON immediately following the race did not show any significant findings. SUNNY BABY, PACKING HURRICANE and REACH GOAL were sent for sampling.