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.

Ascot Racecourse – Track Analysis (Prince of Wales’s Stakes Day)

Racing in a clockwise direction, the world-renowned Ascot Racecourse at south-west of London, is a triangular venue so distinguished of its enormous track width, featuring on top of which a 1600m home chute to accommodate straight contests at up to a mile.

For the featured 2003m Prince of Wales’s Stakes, runners will dip right-handed into the turn promptly after the break; still, thanks to a more sedate pace as customary in deep routes, horses breaking from out wide still have plenty of time to position neatly. In this G1 contest last year, the turf is listed as good, winner LORD NORTH, held up in the rear early, was pushed along at the top of the stretch, switched to the clear by the 200m marker, took command from there on in, and kept on strongly to prevail, whereas ADDEYBB, who took the fight to the leaders, hit the front briefly without quickening, was only the second-best, and BARNEY ROY, likewise taken a keen hold early, made his move at 600m out, but surged late in the final stage, and could only settle for third.

To the rest of the day’s undercard, both the 1000m Queen Mary Stakes and Windsor Castle Stakes, and both the 1610m Duke of Cambridge Stakes and Royal Hunt Cup (Handicap) will all be staged on the straight course, and starting positions are numbered reversely back in, where high post numbers will break from the stands side. When it comes to over-subscribed fields of 20 or more disputing the early lead on a firm track, this particular stands side, so usual for one contest too many in this Royal meeting, is the better place to be; that said, a rainy day would easily see this strip play in reverse. Back to the round course, runners for the 2841m Queen’s Vase will hit the first turn almost immediately after the start; yet again, thanks to a more pedestrian early pace, a bad stall is still manageable. Then, the 1598m Kensington Palace Stakes (Handicap), duplicating the exact St James’s Palace Stakes trip on the Old Mile Course, will see runners negotiating a strip of 900m before taking the only turn – and a wicked one for sure, just before setting sail for home – and horses getting “hung out to dry” will have a hard time finding their way back into contention.

In all, be it straight dashes, or cruising around the full circuit, fields will have to fight for Ascot glory through that gruelling 500m-plus homestretch, where another steep, sapping ascent suddenly looms in large right before the finish. On top of all the undulations throughout this course, front-runners do need more than a gargantuan effort to take the field all the way home.

With London basking in sun as of late, through the weekend and towards Wednesday, a firm strip may be on deck; should the goings oblige as such, forwardly-placed runners are still favoured, particularly in sprinting contests.

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