The Yasuda Kinen

[Handy Harry]

Allan regrets keeping Express at home


ALAN AITKEN

Self Flit came through his first real test in Japan yesterday but trainer Ivan Allan is now living with his "greatest regret" for not making a two-pronged attack on Sunday's Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo.

"I really think I should have had Olympic Express here to run in this race too. On Monday morning, Olympic Express galloped 700 metres along the 1,800 metres chute at Sha Tin and went great, very fluent," he said. "The vet there says he is unsound but I can tell you he galloped fine and it is my greatest regret that he is not running in the Yasuda Kinen."

However, the trainer will have to content himself with lesser stablemate Self Flit as his representative in the Group One race Allan won in 2000 with Fairy King Prawn.

"Self Flit has had a solo barrier trial on the small track in the quarantine station and he performed very nicely. I was happy with him," Allan said yesterday. "He travelled over well enough to Japan, lost a few pounds in the trip but that's normal. He was off his feed for the first day or two but now is eating well and I hope that during the course of this week he will put his weight back on."

Self Flit and the American filly, Island Fashion, who suffered some travel sickness on arrival, are due to shift base today to Fuchu racecourse in Tokyo.

There they will round out preparations for Sunday's event and Allan said Self Flit would have a good workout tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, John Size has ruled out the Takarazuka Kinen in Japan with QE II Cup winner River Dancer. "He hasn't missed a day's work since July. It wouldn't be reasonable to now ask him to race overseas in top company," Size said yesterday.

But David Oughton-trained Cape Of Good Hope and Bowman's Crossing will fly out today for England, where they run at Ascot on June 15.

"They have finished their quarantine requirements and will arrive in London and go direct to Amanda Perrett's stables in Sussex," Oughton said. "The Queen Anne Stakes is starting to look a pretty tough assignment for Bowman's Crossing, as it looks like the two outstanding fillies Russian Rhythm and Six Perfections are going to run. But I believe Cape Of Good Hope could run pretty well in the King's Stand Stakes."

Oughton will leave for England after racing on Sunday and may not be back this season, depending on how the pair run.

"If Cape Of Good Hope does well in the King's Stand, there's a chance he could back up in the Group One on the Saturday or he might wait two weeks for the July Cup, which is also Group One," Oughton said.

"If he does stay on, I'll stay too. Otherwise I'll be back for the last day here."

[imaufo]

Flit won't let us down, says Allan


ALAN AITKEN

Trainer Ivan Allan will go into Sunday's Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo "cautiously optimistic" after Self Flit did everything asked of him in his all-weather gallop yesterday.

Allan, who won the Yasuda Kinen with Fairy King Prawn four years ago and took second with Oriental Express in 1999, said that Self Flit "will not disgrace Hong Kong".

The six-year-old was partnered by Michael de Beer, who has accompanied him throughout the trip, and they galloped 800 metres on the superb all-weather track in preparation for Sunday's race, which is worth more than $12 million.

"It was a nice gallop - just what I wanted to see," said Allan. "I think he ran about 48 seconds for the gallop, but he did it very nicely and he pulled up well afterwards. Self Flit's condition has improved since he arrived at the racecourse this week. He's bright and seems to be really enjoying it here."

Allan said he had debated his options regarding the gallop for Self Flit but elected for the all-weather because the turf was very firm.

"The turf track is very hard at the moment but hopefully it won't be as firm on Sunday as it was for the Derby meeting here last weekend," Allan said.

"I haven't seen enough of the form yet to really know the main opposition but it's hard to be confident. As we all know, the Japanese milers are very, very good. But I will say that Self Flit is very well, very fit and with a bit of luck in running, I reckon he can fill a place. He won't disgrace us."

Jockey Eddie Lai Wai-ming was due to arrive in Tokyo last night to partner Self Flit in the Yasuda Kinen and Allan plans to give Lai a look at the Fuchu track this morning.

"I just want to familiarise Eddie with the place, so I'll get him to jump Self Flit out of the gates solo and have a canter on the grass track," Allan said. "That will help his confidence rather than getting his first look at Fuchu in the race itself."

Although the Fuchu track traditionally favours horses coming down the straight wide out on Yasuda Kinen day, Allan said he would prefer Self Flit to be drawn handy.

"He's a front-running horse and it just suits his style better to be drawn in close," Allan said.

[imaufo]

Multiple Grade 1 winner Island Fashion will test her talents overseas as she is slated to start in the $1.6-million Yasuda Kinen Stakes at one mile on the turf at Tokyo racecourse on June 6.

"She will leave on May 26," trainer Marcelo Polanco said on Wednesday.

Island Fashion started the season with a victory in the Santa Monica Handicap (G1) on January 25 to earn her second consecutive Grade 1 win and third of her career. The four-year-old daughter of Petionville followed that up with a brave runner-up finish to Southern Image in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on March 6 before finishing fourth behind champion Azeri in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) on April 3.

Owned and bred by Everest Stables, Island Fashion does have one prior start over the turf, an eighth-place finish in the 2003 Matriarch Stakes (G1). Regular rider Kent Desormeaux will be aboard the gray or roan filly for the Yasuda Kinen.

Island Fashion has won five of 13 career starts and has earned $1,487,970.

http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9736774%255E421,00.html

[imaufo]

28 May 2004

Wrapping up the spring group 1 season in Japan, the Yasuda Kinen offers a refreshing break from the 3-year-old classics and a return to old favourites. For 54 years it's been a stage for some of the best milers and sprinters to shine upon.

For the first time in two years, foreign competitors are participating in the 1,600-metre event over turf. Hong Kong's Self Flit and Island Fashion from the U.S. will join the line-up on June 6 at Tokyo Racecourse to vie for the 94 million yen winner's share. Self Flit is sure to enjoy popularity at the windows. His front-running style suits the Yasuda and Ivan Allan's familiarity with the venue (and the winner's circle) is sure to work to his advantage. The one question will be whether Self Flit can handle the run to the left, his first.

Twenty-six horses have been registered for the popular and highly competitive race, but only 16 from the home team will join the ranks for a full gate of 18. With the withdrawal earlier this week of champion miler Durandal, who would have likely gone to the gate the favourite, attention is now scattered across the board. Four or so local heavyweights, however, do stand out, including; Win Radius, Fine Motion, Lohengrin, and Telegnosis.

The lion's share of the attention is likely to go to Win Radius, a Sunday Silence 6-year-old just coming off a neck win of the Grade 2 Keio Cup (1,400 metres) at Tokyo. In February, Win Radius also captured the Tokyo Shimbun Hai, a Grade 3 race over 1,600 metres. A big-striding horse, Win Radius has found the Tokyo course much to his liking. The Yasuda will be his second Grade 1 challenge.

The two-time Grade 1 winning mare Fine Motion, by Danehill, will likely be neck and neck with Win Radious for favourite status in this year's Yasuda. After a six-race winning streak from her debut, including the two Grade 1 events, Fine Motion began to stumble in the placings. She won her last race, however, a Grade 2 over 1,600 metres in December and finished second in the Mile Championship last November. Over five months off the track, however, and Fine Motion is said to not yet be at her best. It remains to be seen whether trainer Yuji Ito can bring her up to peak condition in time for June 6.

Lohengrin, with a record of eight wins from 22 starts, placed third in last year's Yasuda Kinen. The 5-year-old son of Singspiel last raced on April 17 at Hanshin Racecourse, for a second-place finish over a mile. Lohengrin was third in the Hong Kong Mile last December, in which another entrant in this year's Yasuda -- Telegnosis -- finished seventh. A second-place finish in the Keio Cup showed that the 5-year-old son of Tony Bin, can still make it home in the money. Four for 19, Telegnosis captured the Grade 1 NHK Mile two years ago at Tokyo.

Tsurumaru Boy is also gaining a fair bit of attention this year. Though he has yet to win a top-level race, he has come close, with three second-place finishes. Many believe that the Yasuda distance, shorter than that Tsurumaru Boy is usually run at, will work to his advantage.

http://www.hkjc.com/english/news/news_200405287403.htm

[imaufo]

Racing colours (http://www.jra.go.jp/english/yasuda/040604.html)

[imaufo]

ALAN AITKEN

Ivan Allan's fragile confidence in Self Flit's ability to run a bold race for Hong Kong in tomorrow's Group One Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo has been at least fractured after drawing the outside barrier.

Self Flit (Eddie Lai Wai-ming) will jump from stall 18 in the big field - often an advantage on Yasuda Kinen day, but perhaps not this time.

"The track is so fast at the moment here, I think that the inside going will be the best this year," Allan said yesterday. "There are two or three who go forward in the race so perhaps with a good jump away, Eddie can go forward with them and get across, but it means we have to use him up a bit early. Nothing we can do, it's part of life.

"I'll just keep reminding Eddie that the first prize is US$1.5 million - maybe he'll produce something special for us with an incentive like that!"

Allan took Self Flit and Lai out for a look at the track yesterday with the Japan Racing Association allowing the horse and rider to use tomorrow's actual starting position. "They were very accommodating, no nonsense. We had the gates right where they will be on Sunday and Self Flit behaved like a gentleman in there," Allan said. "The horse is well enough, we have to hope for some luck."

The contest for favourite will likely be between two beaten runners from the last Hong Kong Mile, Lohengrin and Telegnosis, along with Win Radius, the mount of Australian, Damien Oliver, currently on contract with top trainer Kazuo Fujisawa.

Win Radius beat fast-finishing Telegnosis in the Keio Hai Spring Cup last start, the traditional 1,400 metre lead-up to the Yasuda Kinen.

Closer to home, Hong Kong Jockey Club officials met with trainers yesterday to discuss a renewed focus on improving efficiency in stables. Owners will pay a higher livery charge next season, but the executive director of racing, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, said the club was also hoping a "user pays" type of system might allow some lower ranking trainers to compete for owners on a cost basis.

Trainers will have greater flexibility in managing their stable requirements, especially with staff numbers and tasking.

"We want the system to be more flexible to the needs and styles of individual trainers, rather than have the same resources and costs in each yard," Engelbrecht-Bresges said.

[imaufo]

Japanese Yasuda Kinen tips (http://www.hkjc.com/english/news/news_200406047478.htm)

[imaufo]

Yasuda replay HKJC ( special week calling) (http://www.hkjc.com/english/replay/replay.asp?lang=e&race_date=06/06/2004&race_no=5&speed=500)