JOHANNES BRAHMS

Ran a 1000m turf trial at Conghua on September 21st (3-1-1), showing both early speed and a strong finish, which was just right. In a 1050m dirt trial at Conghua on October 9th (3-1-1), he broke through in the bend, driving to the finish line. On August 31st (9-7-6), he caught up in the pack during a 1000m turf trial and collected well. Returning after a long layoff for his first run of the season, he ran poorly over 1400m on Sha Tin turf in June, trailing towards the end and showing a weakening finish, resulting in a heavy defeat. He has since made three barrier trial runs, showing slight improvement. As an upstarter in this race, he tried a straight-line race, being new to the distance, and due to time differences with the group, unfavorable circumstances, and poor draw, his finishing kick hasn't been prominent. The jockey-trainer combination is not ideal. Fortunately, his recent demeanor has been good, and with an 11-pound weight reduction in this race, there's also no clear opportunity.