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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.

Chukyo Racecourse – Track Analysis (Takamatsunomiya Kinen):

After a face-lift that awes the public with a whole new rendition of racing experience, Chukyo Racecourse, though in no position to match Tokyo Racecourse's grandeur, is still one of the major left-handed venues in the Japan Racing Association, especially since its re-opening. The Chukyo turf strip measures 1700m once round, with a homestretch that spans 412m from the top of it to the finish.

With its wicked corners and merely 300m for the field to scramble for the first turn, early positioning is tactically imperative – with usually an over-flowed field – in the featured 1200m Takamatsunomiya Kinen. That being said, should inside-drawn runners miss the first jump, horses breaking from out wide can drop towards the rail on a dime, and get those rail horses boxed in, as the field turns for home. In addition, the Chukyo homestretch, likewise to its Tokyo counterpart, runs up-hill towards the finish, and is quite challenging for front-runners that attempt to wire it all the way home. In general, a 1200m trip at Chukyo does favour forwardly-placed runners, or horses that stalk just off the pace.

In the 2020 running of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen on yielding turf, KURINO GAUDI, Ryuji Wada up, who put a nose in front under the wire, was actually drifting in throughout his late move, simply shutting off DIATONIC. After inquiry, the stewards at Chukyo put MOZU SUPERFLARE that led comfortably for most of the way, to the win spot, with GRAN ALEGRIA, who was flying home from way out and off the speed, awarded second, and DIATONIC, had to take up on the rail, effectively losing all his chances in deep-stretch, an unlucky third.

With sunny skies in the Nagoya area that would relinquish by mid-week, considerable rainfall by the weekend would present Chukyo with a sticky turf strip for this year's Takamatsunomiya Kinen. Should weather and track conditions oblige as such, horses that previously acted well on off-goings should be preferred.

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