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 (Commonwealth Cup Day):

Racing in a clockwise direction, Ascot is a triangular venue so well acclaimed of its enormous track width, featuring on top of which a 1600m home chute to accommodate for straight contests at up to a mile.

For the featured Commonwealth Cup and the Albany Stakes – both over 1200m – and the 1600m Sandringham Stakes (Handicap), all staged on the straight course, starting positions are numbered reversely back in, where high post numbers will break from the stands side. When it comes to full fields of 20 or more dueling for early lead on a firm track, this particular stands side, as per customary for one contest too many in this Royal meeting, is the better place to be; that said, a rainy day would easily see this strip play in reverse.

Meanwhile, top sophomore fillies for the Coronation Stakes – likewise to the colts contesting the St Jame’s Palace Stakes on King’s Stand Stakes Day – will navigate the 1594m trip over the “Old Mile" on the Round Course. Starting right at the fabled Sweeney’s Bottom, they will rumble gradually uphill through a 900m straight by the side of the course before taking the only right-handed turn – also with slight undulations, where the ground would, for a brief moment, suddenly break underneath these sophomore fillies – before reaching the top of the homestretch. Then again, with such being a triangular track featuring tight corners, horses floating wide in this section will lose considerable ground, and possibly balance. As for the 2392m trip staging both the King Edward VII Stakes and the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes (Handicap), horses will hit a dogleg, and then the first turn, shortly after the break; however, as per the more sedate pace customary to route races, stall assignments are strictly trivial.

In all, be it for straight dashes, or cruising around the full circuit, fields will have to fight for Ascot glory through that grueling 500m-plus homestretch, where another steep, surmounting ascent suddenly looms in large right before the finish. On top of all the ups and downs throughout this course, front-runners do need more than a herculean task to take the field all the way home.

In the 2018 running of the Commonwealth Cup contested on good to firm turf, EQTIDAAR, in touch while tracing the thick of the strip early, made headway at two furlongs out, took the lead inside the final furlong, and though slightly hanging towards the stand’s side, still managed to run on and reign supreme.

With sunny skies that will extend towards Friday – and therefore good to firm goings – on deck for the Commonwealth Cup Day this year, forwardly-placed runners may be much favoured.

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