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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.

Kranji Racecourse – Track Analysis (Kranji Mile Day):

Kranji Racecourse features two distinguished left-hand turns (the short course and the long course) curving back to the homestretch, with furthermore a polytrack laid inside the turf course. Featuring no particular undulations, just like Sha Tin, eight turf races for this upcoming Kranji Mile Day – carded only at 1200m, 1400m and 1600m – will be staged on the short course (B course), while the only polytrack contest is over 1700m.

As it measures just about 400m from the top of the homestretch to the finish, as long as the going is good or firm, runners sent to the front early, likewise to their polytrack counterparts, would usually get an edge; while deep closers do need more real estate on the long course to reel in their competition, as per usual at Kranji.

For the featured 1600m Kranji Mile, with a full 800m backstretch run before hitting the turn, runners will have adequate ground to either drop towards the rail or find cover. Then, to the rest of the day’s undercard, the two Class 4 Handicap, the Novice and the Kranji Stakes A, all over 1200m, will have a much shorter run-in, barely 400m at best, putting outside-drawn runners in a slightly less favourable position. The two Class 4 Handicap and the Class 3 Handicap over 1400m have about 600m of the same section before the turn, and a bad stall is still manageable. Moving on to the 1700m Class 4 Handicap on the polytrack, the starting gate is positioned just 200m off the clubhouse turn, thus horses drawing outside stalls need to break alertly and snatch the rail quick, or would be floated wide.

Last year’s Kranji Mile delayed till August due to the pandemic. A full field of 16 went post-ward with the turf listed as good. Post time favourite COUNTOFMONTECRISTO, though drafting behind the early leaders on the three path, and then cruised to the front while turning for home, faded late, and could only settle for third. While TOP KNIGHT surged in the final strides to snatch second, ARAMAAYO, who was also hounding COUNTOFMONTECRISTO all along, took command inside the final 200m to reign supreme.

With incessant precipitation that looks to tease through Saturday, Kranji would probably be stocked with a wet and sticky track on deck. Should the weather improves just in time, forwardly-placed runners would still continue to own the competition, particularly for sprints; yet if it is still a deluge on race day to soften the strip further, deep closers may turn the table.

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