(Rod Gallegos is a veteran presenter and commentator with Sky Racing and Sky Sports Radio.)

For the life of me I can't fathom the reason for the ACCC intervention in the merger of the Australian Jockey Club and Sydney Turf Club.

After the intrigue and tug-of-war among the members of the respective clubs it seemed that the matter had been settled and it was onwards and upwards.

As they say in the business world, synergies are the shortcut to financial viability.

However, for some reason the ACCC has become involved and instead of the proposed super club becoming a reality as of January 1 - the dawn of a new year and a new era - the ACCC investigation has delayed the marriage until some time in February.

Hopefully the hiatus will be brief.

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The emergence of the red rocket - chestnut filly Karuta Queen - as a top chance for next year's Magic Millions may be another of those romance-of-the-turf tales that keep this business going.

Her trainer, Neville Layt, a proud graduate of that famous university of hard knocks, may be considered a veteran at the age of 67 but he regularly shows off the spry exuberance of youth.

With every win of Karuta Queen - she now boasts three in a row - 'Nifty' Neville produces an extra spring in his step.

Bought for only $30,000, which is a bargain basement price on today's thoroughbred values, the Queanbeyan flying machine has earned a tad more than a quarter of a million dollars and if she rises to the top in the Magic Millions she will have cracked the magical millionairess status in double quick time.

*****

This week the racing spotlight will be focused on Hong Kong for the mega-rich international carnival at Sha Tin.

The four feature races - Hong Kong Cup (2000m), Hong Kong Mile (1600m), Hong Kong Vase (2400m) and Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) - boast a staggering combined prize money total of $8.5 million in Australia currency.

Oddly, apart from expat Australian jockeys and Nash Rawiller, an invitee for the international jockeys' series, the only Australian equine interest is Ortensia in the Sprint.

But she is a worthy representative even though she hasn't won a race for more than 12 months. Her latest win was in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth during November last year.

Luckily she emerged unhurt from a track work incident early in the week when spooked by a cat she dumped her rider and bolted.

The cat must have been black!

*****

Of course, there is tremendous interest in French-trained, Australian-owned Melbourne Cup winner Americain in the Hong Kong Vase.

Jockey Gerald Mosse is oozing confidence particularly with his statement that Americain would be better suited right-handed (clock-wise) at Sha Tin than the left-handed Flemington course.

Considering the authority of his Melbourne Cup triumph the opposition must be shaking in their shoes.

Mind you, Sha Tin is 1900 metres in circumference and it just may not suit a stayer of his standing. Most of his wins have been over 2900 metres or further.

Even though he won the 2400 metre Geelong Cup in the lead up to the Melbourne Cup now he has to revert from the metric two miles to a mile-and-a-half.

If I was a bookie I would lay him and he's bound to come up short in Australia. So if you can find the First 4 without him there would be a nice return in store, particularly with a Victorian TAB $22,676 First 4 jackpot on the Vase.