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’.

Nakayama Racecourse – Track Analysis (Sprinters Stakes Day):

As a radically undulating course that features tight corners and short stretch runs, starters for the 1200m Sprinters Stakes will, immediately after the break, tumble downhill while bearing right for an extended 600m section over the clockwise Nakayama strip. Again, due to the sharpness of this first corner, outside-drawn runners will either be floated wide, or forced to tuck back and save ground. Coupled with an abbreviated stretch run, forwardly-placed horses that can snatch the rail early, or tracking two, three deep at most, certainly get a tactical edge.

Then, with the competition descending all the way until another punishing up-hill run with about 250m to go, front-runners do have their work cut out for them. That being said, as the final corner is quite sharp just before turning for home, deep closers may as well have to launch their bid from out wide, or simply get stuck in traffic with nowhere to go. Also, with merely 300m from the top of the stretch to the finish, horses from off the pace need to start rolling from mid-way through the turn, or they would leave themselves too much real estate to cover down the lane.

In all, a perfect 1200m turf trip at Nakayama would be racing second through fifth early – within striking distance – then ready to pounce in the final stages. Of one particular note, through the past ten editions of this G1 prize, only one single winner – that being STRAIGHT GIRL, the 2015 champion – could break from barrier one through three, and still manage to strike home first. 

In the 2017 running of this G1 contest, when the turf was listed as firm, RED FALX, spotting the field early from far back, looped his competition from out wide to reign supreme, whereas LET’S GO DONKI, sneaking up on the rail from mid-pack, and the free-wheeling ONCE IN A MOON, checked in second and third respectively.

For the rest of the undercard, the 1600m field on turf will travel through a 300m backstretch before tracing the exact 1200m trip towards the finish, and closers from out wide would again have a slight edge. Meanwhile, runners for the 1200m dirt sprint do have a full 400m run on the backside before taking the only turn, which is a big plus for the front-runners; whereas a full 1800m trip, also on dirt, features a 300m drive for the runners through the homestretch for the first time before reaching the clubhouse turn, and with more tepid early fractions in two-turn routes, out-side drawn runners still stand a fighting chance.

With continuous precipitation at Nakayama that will carry on through Sunday, this year’s running of the Sprinters Stakes Day would likely be contested over off goings; therefore, last-minute track conditions do pose significant bearings on race selections.

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