Leung Ho Yin, Simon's Bio
Simon is a well respected full-time thoroughbred racing commentator specializing in pedigree and overseas international racing. He is currently the presenter on several racing television programmes including, ‘Horse Racing – Results’, ‘Simulcast Preview'’ and Simulcast oversea races.

Kyoto Racecourse – Track Analysis (Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) Day):

With no noteworthy undulations, yet a sprawling venue with extended stretch runs, the Kyoto Racecourse, featuring various tracks to cater for turf, dirt and even steeplechases, has an outer turf strip – unquestionably for flat racing – that envelops all other facilities. Its homestretch has two configurations, subject to fields coming in through the far turn from the inner (roughly 320m) or outer course (roughly 400m). Other than a gentle uphill run at the 1200m marker, just before hitting the turn, and then rolling slightly downhill from about 800m out, this course is generally leveled.

For the featured 3000m Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), runners will travel about 200m of the backside before streaming into the far turn on the outer course, and fly by the grandstand for the first time before hitting the clubhouse turn. Then returning to the 3000m start, they will race this time through the full 400m version of the backside, and heading into the far turn once again, before racing for home. Again, with such a long stretch run, this trip still finds the best horse that can both handle a legit pace and take the field home; unless the track gets uncharacteristically biased on the day, stall assignments usually cast minimal bearings on winning chances.

Meanwhile, on the day’s undercard, both the 1600m 3yo and up 1 win and the 2200m Narutaki Tokubetsu on turf, will likewise use the outer course, and outside-drawn runners have a full 500m stretch to position well before hitting the first turn; in contrast, with a much tighter inner course in play, starters for the 1200m Katsuragawa Stakes have merely 200m of ground to find a good spot before the first turn, and a bad draw certainly hurts, especially in big fields. On to the dirt oval, fields for the Nadeshiko Sho and the Kibune Stakes, both over 1400m, and the 1900m 3yo and up 2 wins, will all travel a 350m stretch before bearing right-handed; yet again, stall assignments are just a trivial play for these trips.

In the 2019 running of this final jewel of the Japanese Triple Crown contested on firm turf, WORLD PREMIERE, Yutaka Take up, was within the leader’s reach while saving ground, then pounced for home right at the top of the lane, and held off SATONO LUX, ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, to reign supreme, while VELOX, with Yuga Kawada in the saddle, prompted the speed right ahead of WORLD PREMIERE for much of the race, but was out-gamed in the closing stages, and could only check in third.

Despite occasional showers through Thursday and Friday, sunny skies will return timely for the weekend in the Kyoto area, and this year’s running of the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) Day would still be contested on a good goings; therefore, runners that draw well, save ground and bid late are still to be favoured.

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