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 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.

The Singapore G2 Singapore Guineas over 1600m will be the only simulcasted race staged over Kranji’s Short Course. Runners will still be afforded a long run on the back straight to find their positions, with the Short Course starting point 200m further back than the Long Course starting point for the same distance.

There are three races run over 1200m, including two Class 4 Handicap and the Novice. 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.

A field of 12 went to post in last year’s G1 Kranji Mile. The going was officially rated as good, and the race was run at a fast tempo. LIM’S KOSCIUSZKO, who came out on top, performed exceptionally well from an on-pace position. However, the second and third-place finishers, CYCLONE and MR MALEK, respectively, flashed home from the rearward pack, only 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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