Leung Ho Yin, Simon's Bio
Simon is a well respected full-time thoroughbred racing commentator specializing in overseas international racing. Bringing with him a wealth of racing knowledge, Simon is the host and race caller for the overseas simulcast programme since 2008/09 season. He is currently the presenter on several racing television programmes including, ‘Racing Horizon’ and ‘Horse Racing – Results’.

Tokyo Racecourse – Track Analysis (Japan Cup):

On top of its sprawling track width, and an approximately 525m stretch run, the Tokyo Racecourse also features its own sweeping turns, and deep closers with explosive late speed would as well pounce home boldly from out wide. That being said, with a challenging uphill drive some 400m to 300m out before the finish – front-runners at Tokyo have to shake off their pursuing competition at the top of the lane, or find it an insuperable task to wire it home. Overall, this is still a fair track with no particular penchant towards any running style, while closers only get a slight edge on the way that a typical race is strategically run in Japan.

In the 2016 running of the Japan Cup contested on good goings, eventual winner KITASAN BLACK literally took his competition off their feet by staying up front from gate to finish, whereas both SOUNDS OF EARTH and CHEVAL GRAND, tugging far back early while losing ground throughout the trip, stormed home late to finish second and third respectively.

When the turf strip was listed as firm on both days for back-to-back live racing at Tokyo on 18th and 19th November, track bias was at its minimum, and winners came from anywhere on the racetrack. With continued precipitation through this week that would recede just in time for sunny skies in the Tokyo area on Sunday, this year's edition of the Japan Cup should still be staged on good turf, and that would be a huge boost for the late closers.

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