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 (Arima Kinen):

As an amply undulating course that features tight corners and short stretch runs, runners for the Arima Kinen contested over 2500m on turf on the clockwise Nakayama strip will, immediately after the break, roll downhill while bearing right for an extended 600m section. Again, due to the sharpness of this first corner, outside-drawn runners will either be parked wide, or forced to tuck back behind the pack and save ground. That being said, as a route race with presumably a softer early pace, runners still have plenty of time and space to position properly when they pass the grandstand for the first time.

Then, with one full lap still to go, and again the aforementioned 600m section by the side of the course, runners will roll downslope all the way until another abrupt up-hill run some 250m from home. While such undulations are challenging on the front-runners, as the final corner is quite sharp just before turning for home, deep closers may as well have to make their moves from out wide to avoid traffic. Also, with just a 300m stretch run to the finish, horses from off the pace need to start rolling through the turn, or leave themselves too much to do down the lane.

In the 2017 running of the this G1 prize, eventual winner KITASAN BLACK, when bestowed an easy lead up front, turned the contest into a mere possession by making every pole a winning one, while second-placed QUEENS RING drafted behind the early leaders in fifth position before her rally, and CHEVAL GRAND, tracing the overland route throughout, was just beaten for third in a photo-finish.

With intermittent rain at Nakayama that will extend through Sunday – now forecast as cloudy with showers – this year’s running of the Arima Kinen would be staged on soft goings, and track conditions could play a big part on the final race selections.

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