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’.

Kranji Racecourse – Track Analysis (Singapore Gold Cup Day):

Though being a level and spacious track, the Kranji Racecourse features two separate, left-handed far turns – the Short Course and the Long Course – which the former is in use for the Singapore Gold Cup Day this weekend.

For the featured SIN G1 2000m Singapore Gold Cup and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy, the first turn is set out just merely 200m after the break, thus outside-drawn runners, should they fail to save ground or sought for cover, would easily get floated wide into that turn. In the 2018 running of this SIN G1 event contested on yielding turf, while both were rail-skimming, ELITE INVINCIBLE, tracking just behind the leaders early, hit the front first at the top of the stretch, and held off CIRCUIT LAND resolutely to reign supreme, whereas MR CLINT, losing too much ground throughout the trip, was late to the scene, and though flying from out wide, could only settle for third.

Meanwhile, on the day’s undercard, the SIN G3 Saas Fee Stakes and Class 3 Handicap over 1200m, fields have a 400m stretch run before hitting the only turn, and outside-drawn runners, though somewhat getting the short straw, can still manage to find the rail or slot behind their competition. As for Class 4 handicappers going 1400m and 1600m, fields will travel 600-800m of the backside, thus even a wide stall is still way better than one in a 1200m sprint, whereas runners have all the time they need to position properly. That said, and provided a good to firm strip in play, Kranji does slightly favour horses that are sent forward early in general.

With incessant precipitation – and occasional thunderstorms – that looks to extend towards Sunday, Kranji would probably be stocked with a wet, sticky track on deck. Should the weather improves just in time, forwardly-placed runners would still continue to own the competition, especially for sprinting contests; yet if it is still a deluge on race day to soften the strip further, deep closers may turn the table.

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