VIVA TASTE

Ran a dirt trial 1200m on March 31st (dirt trial 1200m: starting position 8-8-6), started a bit slow, maintained pace throughout the run, and trailed slightly in the straight. Seven weeks ago, he performed disappointingly over a long distance on Happy Valley turf; he was slow to jump out, stayed towards the rear with an even pace throughout, and finished poorly. A recent trial showed no improvement in form. For this race run on dirt over 1800m, the time was acceptable within the group and the draw is not bad. The jockey/horse combination seems suitable. Although he needs to carry an extra 16 pounds this time and the race conditions are not ideal, his late kick is slightly inferior, he can still be considered a dark horse.