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’.

Randwick Racecourse – Track Analysis (Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day):

As the biggest venue in the eastern part of Sydney, the Randwick Racecourse features a rectangularly configured 2227m outer course, 28m wide with the homestretch reaching 410m that grades slightly uphill towards the finish. This course is slightly undulating, and together with the customary fast fractions in Australian racing, Randwick, of its ample track width and subtly uphill stretch runs, generally favours closers – unless a significant track bias pops up on a particular day.

For the trio of G1 events – the Australian Oaks, the Sydney Cup and the featured Queen Elizabeth Stakes – all deep routes over 2000m and beyond this weekend, stall assignments, in general, have minimal bearings on the competition. Also, with an extended 600m stretch run before hitting the first turn, fillies and mares for the 1600m G1 Coolmore Legacy Stakes (Queen of the Turf Stakes) have all the time they need to find their choice spots. Such is again a similar case from the 1200m barrier, where runners for the Percy Sykes Stakes, the Arrowfield 3yo Sprint (Royal Sovereign Stakes) and the Sapphire Stakes will all be sent on, then cruise over the 600m backstretch before hitting the first turn; that said, potential full fields would still imply a challenging task for runners breaking from out wide.

In the 2019 running of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Australian turf legend WINX, in her swan song performance, was tugged back early alongside eventual runners-up KLUGER, before swopping up on opposite sides of the pack while cut loose and homeward-bound. Swinging wide for her trademarked, scintillating move, the wonder mare, at wraps all through the stretch drive, did not even turn a hair to post her thirty-third straight score and signed off in style, whereas HARTNELL, laying in the box seat almost the whole way, held on for third.

Reviewing the races on Doncaster Mile Day at Randwick on 4th April, a heavy strip still played fair to runners both on and off the speed or the rail. With teasing rain in the Sydney area that will give way just in time for some sunny skies this Saturday, it remains interesting to see if the turf still pivots to the soft side.

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