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’.

Tokyo Racecourse – Track Analysis (Japan Cup):

On top of its sprawling track width, and an approximately 525m stretch run, the Tokyo Racecourse also features its own sweeping turns, and deep closers with explosive late speed would as well pounce home boldly from out wide. That being said, with a challenging uphill drive some 400m to 300m out before the finish – front-runners at Tokyo have to shake off their pursuing competition at the top of the lane, or find it an insuperable task to wire it home. Overall, this is still a fair track with no particular penchant towards any running style, while closers only get a slight edge on the way that a typical race is strategically run in Japan.

In the 2017 running of the Japan Cup contested on good goings, the eventual quinella of CHEVAL GRAND and REY DE ORO were laying mid-pack with ground-saving trips before making their moves down the lane, whereas former Japanese champion KITASAN BLACK, who almost stole this race with his free-wheeling lead up front, was caught right at the shadow of the wire, and could only settle for third on the day.

When the going was listed as firm for live racing on 18th November, the turf strip at Tokyo evidently favoured speed horses on the front-end, or laying close to it. With continuous sunshine in the Tokyo area that will extend through Sunday, this year's edition of the Japan Cup should still be staged on good to firm turf, and that would be a huge boost for the more prominently-placed runners breaking from middle or inside stalls.

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