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’.

Kyoto Racecourse – Track Analysis (Queen Elizabeth II Cup Day):

With no significant undulations, yet a sprawling venue with long stretches, the Kyoto Racecourse, comprising tracks to cater for turf, dirt and even steeplechases, has the 1900m turf strip – indubitably for flat racing – enveloping all other facilities. Other than a gentle incline at the 1200m marker, just before hitting the turn, and then rolling slightly downhill at the half-mile pole about 800m out, this course is leveled in general, and has a 400m stretch run from the top of the stretch to the finish.

For the featured 2200m Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the fillies and mares will have a full 500m run in before hitting the first turn; then racing for the 1000m marker, through the aforementioned undulations before turning for home. Again, with such a long stretch run, this trip still searches for the best horse that can handle a good, legit pace to take the field home – and unless the track gets exceptionally biased or idiosyncratic, stall assignments would cast minimal bearings on winning chances.

In the 2016 running of this G1 event, the eventual tierce – QUEENS RING, SING WITH JOY and MIKKI QUEEN – all drafted behind horses in mid-field early before making their moves while homeward-bound, with QUEENS RING timely reeling in SING WITH JOY at the sight of the winning post. Whereas one year back further, the 2015 edition then saw MARIALITE and NUOVO RECORD looping their competition from out wide and off the pace to finish one-two.

With continued precipitation in the Kyoto area that will extend to Sunday, this year’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup does rate a big chance to be staged on soft or heavy goings, a situation that would be godsend for deep closers; otherwise, runners drawing low numbers with good acceleration late in contention would still be favoured.

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