Happy Valley to tighten as rail moves to "B", officials say

The Hong Kong Jockey Club expects Happy Valley to run closer to standard times when racing returns tomorrow night with the rail in the B position, after slow track times at last week's season opener at the city track.

Stephen Higgins, the club's head of race-day operations, said after the meeting that the times – all of which were outside of ‘standrd times’ – followed an aggressive program of off-season work.

"Historically we start a little slower," Higgins said. "In the off season some sand core work was done and verti-drained across the profile."

The contrast with Sha Tin was stark, with a host of class records broken at the first two meetings and Ka Ying Rising lowering his own 1200m course record to 1:06.11 — believed to be the fastest time recorded for the distance on turf from a standing start – at the Sha Tin season opening. 

"People saw the first meeting and saw it was lightning quick, and the times on Wednesday surprised them," Higgins said. "I expect it will tighten up as we move across the profile with rail placements. From next week it will perform closer to standard.

"We are always trying to provide a consistent surface."

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓