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 (Diamond Jubilee Stakes Day):

Racing in a clockwise direction, the world-renowned Ascot Racecourse at south-west of London, is a triangular venue so distinguished of its enormous track width, featuring on top of which a 1600m home chute to accommodate straight contests at up to a mile.

For the 1200m featured Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Silver Wokingham Stakes (Handicap), Coventry Stakes and Wokingham Stakes (Handicap), and the 1000m Queen Mary Stakes, fields will take the straight course, and starting positions are numbered reversely back in, where high post numbers will break from the stands side. When it comes to over-subscribed fields disputing the early lead on a firm track, and for one contest too many in this Royal meeting through the years, this particular stands side is the better place to be; that being said, a rainy day would easily see this strip play in reverse. Meanwhile, the 1594m or the ’Old Mile’, runners will dispute over respectively in the Coronation Stakes and the St James’s Palace Stakes, has about a 900m downhill drive before hitting the only bend – yet quite a sharp bend in its own right – where horses attempting a wide move might get hung out to dry. Then in the 4330m Queen Alexandra Stakes, a usually overflowed field likewise will travel a 1600m-plus stretch before reaching the first turn; yet again, thanks to a more sedate pace as per usual in deep routes, horses drawn badly, unless racing wide on purpose, still have plenty of time to position well or search of cover.

In all, be it 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, sapping ascent suddenly looms in large right before the finish. On top of all the undulations throughout this course, front-runners do need more than a gargantuan effort to take the field all the way home.

In the 2019 running of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes contested on good to firm turf, eventual winner BLUE POINT was laying just off KACHY’s early lead before taking command by the 200m marker, and resolutely held off a strong challenge from the on-rushing DREAM OF DREAMS to seal a precious King’s Stand Stakes – Diamond Jubilee Stakes double, coast-to-coast, within just five days of the Royal meeting.

With rain teasing the London area as of late, plus consecutive days of racing at Ascot, how the turf would play out going into the Diamond Jubilee Stakes Day is still anybody’s hunch, despite a possible return of sunny weather on Saturday. Should the strip gets firm in time, horses hugging the far side rail may get back into the game on the round course; nevertheless, when it comes to the straight course, final track condition declared is still tantamount.

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