Recap by phillip woo

Firming favourite Simply Fluke held off Travel Datuk after rushing to the lead 150m out after making his run four back and one off the fence from a wide gate. The writing had been on the wall and it took a stable change to earn that elusive win. Travel Datuk came on well near the inside to finish a close second travelling better than midfield. He's as honest as the day is long without winning. Punted late Wood On Fire ran on nicely despite laying in under pressure to finish a close third after a wide with cover run beyond midfield. He's a winner waiting to happen with placings in his past three starts. Destine Jewellery just failed to figure in the placings after travelling effectively one-out, oneback. He can break through at any moment. Millennium Falcon made up heaps of ground down the outside after a patient ride second from the rear. It was an encouraging run on debut here and he appears to have a nice future as a sprinter/miler going forward.

Racing Incident Report

Race Four: (558) - WAN TSUI HANDICAP - Class 4 - 1200Meters

WOOD ON FIRE, which was fractious in the barriers, lifted its front feet off the ground as the start was effected and consequently began only fairly.

MILLENNIUM FALCON and AMAZING were badly crowded for room on jumping between FIRE BALL which shifted in and BULLISH BROTHER which shifted out abruptly.

This resulted in MILLENNIUM FALCON and AMAZING losing ground.

From the outside barrier, SIMPLY FLUKE was steadied shortly after the start and shifted across behind runners to obtain a position closer to the rail.

At the entrance to the Straight, DESTINE JEWELLERY was awkwardly placed close to the heels of COMPASSION STAR.

Passing the 75 Metres, AMAZING was awkwardly placed inside the heels of WOOD ON FIRE which shifted in marginally.

Then close to the finishing line, AMAZING was steadied when crowded for room between DESTINE JEWELLERY and WOOD ON FIRE (M Chadwick) which shifted in under pressure.

M Chadwick was severely reprimanded and told that in similar circumstances he would be expected to make every endeavour to keep his mount on a straight course.

Over the concluding stages, ONE STEP AHEAD raced tight inside GUNNAR which lay in under pressure and consequently was not able to be ridden out to the end of the race.

Throughout the race, COMPASSION STAR travelled wide and without cover.

The Stewards questioned K C Leung regarding his riding of MOMENTUM GALAXY, particularly over the last 600 Metres.

He said he was instructed to obtain a midfield position if possible on MOMENTUM GALAXY but not to ride his mount along to do so as MOMENTUM GALAXY had a strong finish.

He said the connections did not want the horse ridden along in the early stages which may result in it over-racing and then not finishing off its race.

He said after beginning well from an inside barrier MOMENTUM GALAXY was able to obtain a midfield position and whilst it was available for him after the 900 Metres to be closer behind TRAVEL DATUK, he did not ride his mount along at this time to make up ground as he felt that MOMENTUM GALAXY had travelled well enough to be able to obtain this position by the 600 Metre turn.

He said after the 700 Metres the pace of the race slackened and this resulted in MOMENTUM GALAXY improving its position to be racing inside the heels of SIMPLY FLUKE.

He said it was his intention to shift out at this time to follow SIMPLY FLUKE as he believed that that horse would be a good chance in the race, however, to have done this he would have had to steady his mount as MOMENTUM GALAXY was racing about a length behind and inside SIMPLY FLUKE.

He said approaching the 500 Metres he observed SIMPLY FLUKE shifting out from behind DESTINE JEWELLERY into a three wide position and as he commenced to shift to the outside of TRAVEL DATUK to follow SIMPLY FLUKE out after the 500 Metres, AMAZING improved quickly to be racing to the outside of the heels of MOMENTUM GALAXY and he received a call from the rider of that horse alerting him to the fact that AMAZING was racing outside the heels of MOMENTUM GALAXY.

He said for this reason he was not able to shift one horse off the rail and was not able to shift out shift out further to follow SIMPLY FLUKE which resulted in him following DESTINE JEWELLERY rounding the Home Turn.

He said at this time AMAZING was able to improve its position to establish itself to the outside of MOMENTUM GALAXY which allowed AMAZING the opportunity to follow SIMPLY FLUKE through.

He said at the entrance to the Straight he attempted to improve between FIRE BALL and DESTINE JEWELLERY, however, FIRE BALL was giving ground and therefore he shifted to the inside of that horse to follow TRAVEL DATUK.

He said he was not able to shift further to the inside of that horse as ONE STEP AHEAD was racing inside MOMENTUM GALAXY and therefore he was held up for clear running behind TRAVEL DATUK approaching and passing the 200 Metres.

He added approaching the 150 Metres he commenced to shift to the outside of TRAVEL DATUK, however, that horse shifted out and as BULLISH BROTHER, which was racing outside TRAVEL DATUK, had come under pressure, he shifted back to the inside with a view to improving inside TRAVEL DATUK.

He said as he did this, GUNNAR, which was racing in advance of MOMENTUM GALAXY, and to the inside of TRAVEL DATUK, came under pressure and therefore he shifted to the outside of GUNNAR to continue to follow TRAVEL DATUK.

He said because of these factors he was not able to obtain clear running in the Straight and MOMENTUM GALAXY was not able to be properly tested.

K C Leung was told that his riding of MOMENTUM GALAXY from approaching the 500 Metres until near the 450 Metres had come under notice in that, in the opinion of the Stewards, there was an opportunity for him to shift out from behind TRAVEL DATUK and improve into the position vacated by SIMPLY FLUKE as a result of that horse shifting out which would have prevented AMAZING from being able to improve its position to the outside of MOMENTUM GALAXY and which would have allowed MOMENTUM GALAXY the opportunity to continue to follow SIMPLY FLUKE, the favourite for the race, forward rounding the Home Turn.

He was told that his riding of MOMENTUM GALAXY came close to breaching a significant Rule of Racing and therefore he was severely reprimanded for his riding of MOMENTUM GALAXY at the relevant stage of the race and advised that he must ensure that he is alert to opportunities so as to take up advantageous positions as they develop during a race.

A veterinary inspection of FIRE BALL immediately following the race did not show any significant findings.

SIMPLY FLUKE and TRAVEL DATUK were sent for sampling.