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’.

Ascot Racecourse – Track Analysis (Commonwealth Cup Day):

Racing in a clockwise direction, the world-renowned Ascot Racecourse at south-west of London, is a triangular venue so distinguished of its enormous track width, featuring on top of which a 1600m home chute to accommodate straight contests at up to a mile.

For both the 1200m featured Commonwealth Cup and Albany Stakes, and both the 1000m Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes (Handicap) and the Norfolk Stakes, fields will take the straight course, and starting positions are numbered reversely back in, where high post numbers will break from the stands side. When it comes to over-subscribed fields disputing the early lead on a firm track, and for one contest too many in this Royal meeting through the years, this particular stands side is the better place to be; that being said, a rainy day would easily see this strip play in reverse. Meanwhile, runners battling respectively in the Hardwicke Stakes and the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap) – both over 2392m – and the 2831m Queen’s Vase for sophomore stayers, will hit the first turn promptly after the break. Still, thanks to a more sedate pace as per usual in deep routes, then again a long straight by the side of the course afterwards, horses drawn wide still have plenty of time to position well.

In all, be it straight dashes, or cruising around the full circuit, fields will have to fight for Ascot glory through that grueling 500m-plus homestretch, where another steep, sapping ascent suddenly looms in large right before the finish. On top of all the undulations throughout this course, front-runners do need more than a gargantuan effort to take the field all the way home.

When a good to soft strip was on deck for the 2019 running of the Commonwealth Cup, eventual winner ADVERTISE broke a step slow, but managed to rush quickly back up to join the fray, then bee-lined along the far side rail, and popped up on the front-end headlong into the final 100m for an easy score, whereas FOREVER IN DREAMS, hounded the early pace, faded slightly in mid-stretch, yet re-rallied to overhaul the late-charging HELLO YOUMZAIN, who was third-best on the day, to check in second.

With rain teasing the London area as of late, plus consecutive days of racing at Ascot, a slow track may still be on deck for the Commonwealth Cup Day this year – despite a possible return of sunny weather on Friday. Should that be the case, runners sticking to the far side may be inhibited on less favourable goings.

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