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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.

Hanshin Racecourse – Track Analysis (Takarazuka Kinen Day):

To the northwest to Osaka, the Hanshin Racecourse is configured of three tracks: a turf oval enveloping a dirt track and a steeplechase course from outside in. Then on the turf oval, there is also a choice of either the inner bend or outer bend when the horses turn for home, resulting in a shorter 350m stretch run or a full 500m version to the finish respectively.

For the featured Takarazuka Kinen, and 3yo and up 1 win, both over 2200m, fields will have a 500m stretch run before hitting the first turn, thus stall assignments rate only minimal. And with another 400m of back-straight before hitting another sweeping 600m bend (inner course), runners attempting a wide move would hardly lose any balance.

For the rest of the day’s undercard, horses for the 1400m Maiko Tokubetsu will, after an extended 400m run on the backside, whip around the inner bend; should a big field goes to the post, out-side drawn runners will have their work cut out for them. However, in the 1800m Kinosaki Tokubetsu – though breaking from the same spot – the outer bend will be in play. With both a longer backstretch, and a more sweeping far turn, even a bad draw is comparatively more manageable.

On to the dirt strip, the 1200m Hananomichi Stakes will map a similar trip as 1400m on turf, where the first turn does pop up some 300m off the break, putting the outside-drawn runners in a challenging position. Then, for the 3yo and up 1 win over 1400m, where the starting gate is positioned 200m further back, and thus a 500m backstretch run before the first turn, a bad post seems all the more forgiving. Yet for the 1800m Ribbon Sho, as there is merely 300m – this time on the homestretch – before hitting the clubhouse turn, outside-drawn runners will again be parked wide if they fail to grab the rail in time.

Disregarding distance, all runners will race downhill when turning for home – until the 200m marker – where the stretch tucks right back up all the way to the finish. Therefore, frontrunners will need more than a gargantuan trip to wire it home the whole way through. That being said, with particularly a short stretch run, measuring only 350m from the top of the lane to the finish, when the inner bend is in play, late closers may run out of real property if they don't make their moves by midway through the stretch.

Despite the “Good” goings as officially listed in the 2020 running of the Takarazuka Kinen, showers just before race time had invariably softened the turf, as eventual winner CHRONO GENESIS, racing mid-pack early while in the clear, cruised her way up to the first flight mid-way through the far turn, and simply put the field away in deep stretch to score by open lengths, whereas second-placed KISEKI, hounding the winner tight almost the entire trip, could not match on his late speed, and MOZU BELLO, gaining ground late, barely held on for third.

With fair skies as of late, yet inclement weather from Friday on for the Osaka area, this year's edition of the Takarazuka Kinen Day may be staged on tricky goings. Should the strip hold fast, forwardly-placed runners would still get the edge, particularly on dirt; yet if track conditions go south, rail horses may struggle all day long.

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