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, ‘Banker’, ‘Racing Horizon’ and ‘Horse Racing – Results’.

Hanshin Racecourse – Track Analysis (Osaka Hai Day):

Hanshin Racecourse, with its short stretches and protracted bends, while heading for home, this tricky turf course will be tumbling downhill until the 200m marker, where it tucks right back up all the way to the finish, thus frontrunners will need more than a gargantuan trip to wire it home the whole way through. That being said, with this same stretch run measuring only 350m from the top of the lane to the finish, late closers may run out of ground if they don't make their moves by midway through the stretch.

For the 2000m Osaka Hai – upgraded to Group 1 status since 2017 – will have a 400m stretch run before hitting the first turn, thus stall assignments rate only minimal. And with 700m of back-straight before hitting another sweeping 600m bend, even runners attempting a wide move would hardly lose any balance.

In the 2017 running of this Group 1 prize, KITASAN BLACK, laying just off the early speed, took the lead at the top of the stretch – and never relinquished it, with second-best STAPHANOS chasing him all the way home, while YAMAKATSU ACE closed from out wide to check in for third.

For the rest of day’s undercard, starters for the 1200m 4yo and up allowance on turf would have only an abbreviated 200m stretch run before hitting the only turn in the race, and outside-drawn runners would likely be floated wide if they don’t drop to the rail soon enough; yet for the 2400m Midosuji Stakes – much similar to the featured event – starters have likewise over 400m of stretch to travel, and together with more tepid early fractions, stall assignments would bear minimal implications. Onto the dirt oval, the 1200m 4yo and up allowance – much like their turf counterparts over the same distance – also travel merely 200m of stretch before hitting the turn, and outside-drawn runners would again be taking the short straw, while such disadvantage would only be mildly neutralized for the 1400m Naruto Stakes, with a 400m stretch run to the turn. Overall and in general, horses that dictate or lay close to the early speed, presumably dealing with less kick-backs, usually dominate the competition on dirt.

With fair skies – and minimal chance of rain – that should extend towards the weekend in the Osaka area, this year's edition of the Osaka Hai will be staged on fast and firm goings - a big factor that will be playing for the forwardly-placed runners when it comes to race selections.

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