Luke Middlebrook's Bio

Luke has been a devout follower and form student of horse racing in Hong Kong and Singapore for over 10 years, during which time he became renowned as a leading analyst for Asian racing through various social media channels. In June 2016, Luke moved to Singapore to join the iRace Media as Chief Editor for the English edition, where he oversees all form-related and editorial content for horse racing in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Kranji Racecourse – Track Analysis (Kranji Mile Day):

Kranji Racecourse features two distinguished left-hand turns – the Short Course and the Long Course. For the Long Course, the track is at its truest, with all gallopers getting their chance of success given that there is a 500m final sprint to salute the judge.

Seven races of the Singapore Kranji Mile Day, which are set solely on the Long Course on the turf track, distances ranging from 1200m to 1800m, will be simulcast to Hong Kong.

The featured Singapore G1 Kranji Mile and one of the Class 4 Handicap races are over 1600m on turf. There is an 800m backstretch run before reaching the turn. Depending on their typical racing style, competitors will have enough room to either move towards the rail or seek cover. However, claiming that being drawn out wide is a disadvantage may not be a convincing excuse since there is ample room available to secure a favourable position.

There are three races run over 1200m, including a Novice, Class 1 Handicap and the Class 4 Handicap. Competitors only have a maximum of around 400m before reaching the turn. This exposes those starting from wide posts in a potentially risky situation, as riders may be forced to hustle their mounts for extra early speed right after the break.

The Class 3 Handicap over 1400m presents about 600m of the same section before the turn, with that extra 200m pivotal for those drawn widest to find cover early.

While for the 1800m Class 3 Handicap, a whole 1000m straight presents itself before a turn; ample opportunity to find a position in running before the race heats up.

A full field of 16 went to post in last year’s Kranji Mile. The going was officially rated as good, and it turned out to be an exhilarating renewal. LIM'S LIGHTNING, the eventual winner, drafting third and fourth early, before unleashing a powerful drive down the lane, and won the race at 1:33.25. For SACRED CROIX and MR MALEK, who stormed home from almost dead-last to check in second and third respectively, simply could not keep up early, and were much too late to the scene, again reinforcing how fast the race was run.

The Kranji Mile Day takes place in May, which is Singapore's inter-monsoon period (late March to May), signalling the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon season. During this period, the weather can be unpredictable, with thunderstorms, sometimes severe, occurring in the afternoon and early evening. Additionally, hot afternoons are frequent. If heavy rainfall occurs, a quick downgrade to a yielding track is anticipated. Consequently, it won't be surprising to see riders avoiding the inside rails and instead opting for the better ground towards the outer edges.

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