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’.

Hanshin Racecourse – Track Analysis (Takarazuka Kinen Day):

To the northwest to Osaka, the Hanshin Racecourse is configured of three tracks: a turf oval enveloping a dirt track and a steeplechase course from outside in. Then on the turf oval, there is also a choice of either the inner bend or outer bend when the horses turn for home, resulting in a shorter 350m stretch run or a full 500m version to the finish respectively.

For the featured Takarazuka Kinen and 3yo and up 1 win, both over 2200m, fields will have an 800m stretch run before hitting the first turn, thus stall assignments rate only minimal. And with another 700m of back-straight before hitting another sweeping 600m bend (inner course), runners attempting a wide move would hardly lose any balance.

For the rest of the day’s undercard, horses for the 1400m Maiko Tokubetsu will, after an extended 400m run on the backside, whip around the inner bend likewise; should an over-subscribed field goes to the post, out-side drawn runners will have their work cut out for them. However, in the 1800m Kinosaki Tokubetsu – though breaking from the same spot – the outer bend will be in use. With a longer backstretch, and a more sweeping far turn, even a bad draw is comparatively more manageable. On to the dirt strip, 3yo Maiden for a 1200m contest, facing basically the same conditions as the Maiko Tokubetsu counterparts on turf, will take the only turn after travelling about 300m of the backside, and horses drawn wide need to save ground as soon as possible, or get hung out to dry. Similar circumstances apply to both the Hananomichi Stakes and the Ribbon Sho over 1800m: with a 300m run – this time on the homestretch – before hitting the clubhouse turn, and again, outside-drawn runners will be parked wide if they fail to grab the rail in time.

Disregarding distance, all runners will race downhill when turning for home – until the 200m marker – where the stretch tucks right back up all the way to the finish. Therefore, frontrunners will need more than a gargantuan trip to wire it home the whole way through. That being said, with particularly a short stretch run, measuring only 350m from the top of the lane to the finish, when the inner bend is in play, late closers may run out of real property if they don't make their moves by midway through the stretch.

In the 2019 running of this G1 prize, eventual winner LYS GRACIEUX, stalking for the bulk of the trip right behind the free-wheeling KISEKI, second-best on the day, was cut loose some 200m out and aired it home for a neat score, whereas SUAVE RICHARD, though racing prominently and in the clear the whole trip, could not make up the ground late, and only managed to hold on for third.

With fair skies as of late – yet menacing showers starting from Friday – and then some more heading into the weekend for the Osaka area, this year's edition of the Takarazuka Kinen Day may be staged on tricky goings. Should the strip hold fast, forwardly-placed runners would still get the upper hand, particularly on dirt; yet if track conditions go south, rail horses may simply struggle through the day.

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