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.

Hanshin Racecourse – Track Analysis (Osaka Hai Day):

The Hanshin Racecourse is a venue of short stretches with yet long, sweeping turns. This week’s feature, the 2000m Osaka Hai, which was upgraded to G1 status in 2017, and the Akashi Tokubetsu have the starting gate positioned on the homestretch some 300m before the first turn, thus stall assignments cast only minimal bearings on the overall race shape. Also, with another 300m of back-straight before hitting another sweeping 600m bend (inner course), runners attempting a wide move would hardly lose any balance.

Heading for home, the field will race downhill until the 200m marker, where the turf tucks right back up all the way to the finish, it is quite challenging for speed horse up front. Furthermore, with only a 350m stretch run, deep closers will run out of real property if they don’t make their moves soon enough – preferably by mid-way through the final bend.

In last year’s Osaka Hai, LUCKY LILAC and CHRONO GENESIS, both prompting the early speed in perfect striking positions, swung for home menacingly, then rallied in tandem, head-long into the final 200m, to seal a one-two finish for Sunday Racing Co. Ltd., whereas DANON KINGLY, who tried to wire it all the way home, faded in his final strides, and barely held on for third.

For the rest of the day’s undercard, runners for the 1200m Yodoyabashi Stakes on turf will travel merely 200m before hitting the first turn, horses drawn wide need to save ground as soon as possible, or get hung out to dry. In contrast, with a 600m section of the backstretch to travel in the 1600m 3yo 1 win, even a bad draw is comparatively manageable.

On to the dirt strip, the 1400m 4yo and up 2 wins and Naruto Stakes, with a 400m stretch run before hitting the turn, outside-drawn runners can still find a cozy spot with ease – at least when comparing with the 1200m distance, also on turf. However, both the 1800m 4yo and up 2 wins and 2000m 4yo and up 1 win starts are on the homestretch; particularly at 1800m, with only a 200m scramble to the clubhouse turn, outside-drawn runners will again be parked wide if they fail to grab the rail in time.

With fair skies as of late, considerable rainfall on Sunday would present Hanshin with a sticky strip. Should the strips hold fast, forwardly-placed runners would still get the upper hand.

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