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 (British Champions Day):

Spreading in a triangular configuration while racing anti-clockwise, the world-renowned Round Course at the course of Ascot is further augmented with a 1600m Straight Mile Course coming in as a chute to re-join the home stretch of the course proper.

For the featured 1993m Champion Stakes, and the 2392m British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, fields will swing right-handed with an incline shortly after the break. From there on in, it is one stout, steady climb up the Old Mile, through an acute and dipping right-handed corner – just before turning for home – that particularly works against runners rallying from out wide, who may lose both ground and balance at the same time while picking up momentum.

In contrast, the barrier for the 3190m British Champions Long Distance Cup is placed some 350m before the finish line, and fields have to file by 500m of the homestretch, right in front of the grandstand for the first time, before disputing another full lap to complete this trip. Together with the usual pedestrian fractions early on in such a grueling marathon, even a bad stall does not really hurt any runner's winning chances.

Back on the Straight Mile Course, where the 1200m British Champions Sprint Stakes, the 1600m Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, and the Balmoral Handicap Stakes will all be staged – while observing the straight contests on the British Champions Day last year – fields usually clog the middle parts of the track, though particular runners, in general, do enjoy a fresher patch of turf along the grandstand side.

In any case and any race, be it on the Straight Mile or the Round Course, runners still have to be ready to pounce full-out for a 560m cavalry charge down the homestretch. With another sudden ascent shortly before the judge that takes the challenge up another notch at Ascot, a front-runner certainly has to pull off a herculean effort while trying to win it every step of the way.

In the 2017 edition of the featured Champion Stakes, when the strip was listed as soft, eventual winner CRACKSMAN, hugging the rail while in touch with the lead the whole way, promptly took command at the top of the stretch, turned on the after-burners and romped home by daylight, while second-placed POET'S WORD, despite his tracking CRACKSMAN throughout contention, could never catch the winner, and HIGHLAND REEL, who lost too much ground probing for firmer turf on the overland route, checked in for a belated third.

With cloudy skies and occasional showers that will persist through Saturday in the London area, good or good to soft turf will be on deck at Ascot for this year's editions of the British Champions Day, and final track listing still rates to be a big factor on race-day selections.

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