Japan Cups

[imaufo]

2006 News


http://japanracing.jp/_news2006/061117-03.html

November 17, 2006
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Japan Cup Dirt - the top dirt horses in Japan line up


Preview


http://japanracing.jp/_news2006/images/061117-04.jpg

2005 Japan Cup DirtThe Grade 1 Japan Cup Dirt will be run on Saturday 25th November over 2100m at the internationally renowned Tokyo racecourse.

The Japan Cup was established in 2000 in the wake of opening up barriers between the JRA and NAR racing circuits within Japan in 1995. Horses that were doing well in the JRA/NAR races, such as Lively Mount and Hokuto Vega, began to travel overseas, and it was felt that a "Japan Cup" for dirt horses was necessary. Of the 6 runnings to date, only one has been won by a foreign trained horse with Fleetstreet Dancer winning in 2003, although the number of foreign participants in this race is always less than the turf Japan Cup - unfortunately this year, there are no foreign entries.

The 2100m Tokyo dirt course begins in the home straight. There is a 250m run to the first turn which curves for over 400m before the run down the back straight, which is also approximately 400m. The last curving turn is more than 450m long and leads into the final straight of 501m, the first 300m of which is uphill.

There are no foreign horses this year, but the field includes most of Japan's top middle distance dirt performers. One of the horses likely to be popular is Seeking the Dia. This horse has been terribly consistent throughout his career, and boasts an amazing 8 (!) Grade 1 placings, without a single victory. He has never performed well outside Japan (in Europe and Singapore), but he was a brilliant juvenile on turf before switching to dirt where he is almost always in the finish. He was just beaten by Kane Hekili in a thrilling finish to this race last year, and will obviously be looking to go one better this year.

Another horse sure to have supporters is the 8yo stallion Time Paradox who won this race back in 2004. He looked like he may be coming to the end of his long career with some ordinary performances this year, but an inspired ride by jockey Yasunari Iwata saw him take off early and hold off Seeking the Dia in the JRA/NAR Grade 1 JCB Classic last start. After winning the race in 2004, he wasn't far away last year when finishing 4th, and now that he is back in form, it seems that he has to be given a very good chance here over one of his favorite courses.

Vermilion looked to be a very promising dirt prospect at the end of his 3yo year, but not all has gone to plan since. After finishing 5th in the Grade 1 February Stakes in February this year as a 4yo, he won an NAR Grade 2 by 6 lengths in March. He was then disappointing as odds-on favorite in the Grade 2 Tokai Stakes over 2500m in May and has been spelling ever since. He will tackling this race first up which is a query, but he does seem to have plenty of ability.

Hard Crystal won the Tokai Stakes in May and has been running well since. He finished 4th behind Time Paradox and Seeking the Dia in the JBC Classic last start as second favorite, and although he doesn't have a great record at this track, his recent form is much better than it was when he raced here earlier in his career, so he needs to be respected here.

Sunrise Bacchus finished on well in the Grade 3 Musashino Stakes at this track (1600m) last start, so looks in good form for this. He was first up that day, so should be improved, and last year he was not far away from the winner when finishing 5th in this race.

Fusaichi Richard is an interesting runner - a 3yo by champion dirt horse Kurofune who himself won this race in 2001. He was champion 2yo of Japan last year after winning the Grade 1 Asahi Hai on turf, before being a little disappointing in the 3yo classics - although this year the 3yos do look like a vintage crop. He failed at his first attempt on dirt last start as an odds on favorite in the Musashino Stakes last start, but he didn't seem to have much galloping room caught inside runners, and it would not surprise to see a reversal of form here.

Alfajores is another interesting runner in the race, returning here to dirt racing after two very ordinary turf performances. He ran well in two Grade 2 races earlier this year, and has won twice over this course, albeit in easier races.

[imaufo]

Japan Cup - the clash everyone has been waiting for!

http://japanracing.jp/_news2006/061117-02.html

Preview


http://japanracing.jp/_news2006/images/061117-01.jpg

2005 Japan CupThe Grade 1 Japan Cup will be run on Sunday 26th November over 2400m at the internationally renowned Tokyo racecourse. The Japan Cup was established in 1981 in the wake of a push to try and raise the level of Japanese-bred horses during the late 1970s. 8 foreign horses were invited for the inaugural running of the Cup, 2 horses from each of four countries - United States, Canada, India and Turkey. The winner of the race, Mairzy Doates, was from the US and he smashed the Japanese record for the 2400m distance in beating a Canadian representative, Frost King, with the other US entry, The Very One, back in 3rd place.

From the 2nd running of the Japan Cup, invitees from Europe and Oceania were included, and the race quickly built up a reputation as the Olympics of horseracing. In recent years, the Japanese horses have been very hard to beat on their home turf in this race, but the early runnings of the race were very different. Katsuragi Ace won for Japan for the first time in 1984 when he led all the way to win as an outsider, before one of Japan's best ever horses, Symboli Rudolf won in 1985 as favorite. The Japanese were then winless for 6 years before Symboli Rudolf's best son, Tokai Teio won an epic renewal of the race in 1992, holding off the Australian galloper Naturalism. Last year, the Luca Cumani trained Alkaased narrowly beat one of the favorites for this year's race, Heart's Cry in a world record 2400m time of 2.22.1. Overall, 14 foreign trained horses have won the Cup in the past, compared to Japan's 11 victories.

The 2400m Tokyo course begins in the home straight. There is a 400m run to the first turn which curves for over 550m before the run down the back straight of about 400m. The last curving turn is more than 400m long and leads into the final straight of 525m, the first 225 of which is uphill.


This year's Japan Cup field will be small, but whatever it lacks in quantity it looks set to more than compensate with quality. Joining the Japanese entrants (there are only 10 nominations, and only 8 have declared they will be running) are two foreign entrants - Ouija Board from the UK and Freedonia from France. Ouija Board finished 5th in this race last year after probably being too close to the ferocious pace, and has continued to prove a wonderful benchmark for horses over the globe this year. Only this week she was named Europe's Horse of the Year at the 2006 Cartier Racing Awards, for the second time! Freedonia will be huge odds in Japan, but she has shown she is competitive at Group 1 level overseas, finishing 2nd in the Turf Classic Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park last month over this trip.

Of course, all eyes will be on Deep Impact in the Japan Cup. He will once again start a short favorite, but it will be interesting to see if the Arc controversy has had any major effect on his millions of Japanese fans. Although it was a shock for them to see him beaten in France (he has since been officially disqualified), he was beaten less than a length, away from home, by two of the best horses in the world, and it is terribly hard to imagine that a fit Deep Impact could be beaten by any horse over the 2400m Tokyo course.

Heart's Cry is one of only 3 horses in the world to have beaten Deep Impact, when he held off the champion's determined charge from the back of the field in the 2005 Grade 1 Arima Kinen. That is the only time the two horses have clashed, and it would not be surprising if a significant number of Japanese racing fans gamble that he can repeat the dose in the Japan Cup. Since going with a nose of winning this race last year, French jockey Christophe Lemaire has been able to change the race tactics of Heart's Cry, who previously needed to be ridden from the tail of the field. He caught Yutaka Take (Deep Impact's jockey) by surprise last year in the Arima Kinen when he sat just behind the leaders, but this time - especially with the small field - very few people would be surprised if he was very close to the lead.


Meisho Samson won the first two legs of the 3yo classic Triple Crown in Japan this year, the Grade 1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and the Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). This is his first time racing against the older horses, so it is a little hard to line up the different form lines. On times, and based on the brilliant performance of the 3yo Admire Moon (who Meisho Samson beat easily in both classics they contested together) in the Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) late last month, there seems little doubt that Meisho Samson will be competitive against the older horses. He was beaten into 4th last start in the 3000m Grade 1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), the last leg of the Triple Crown, but he looked as though the 3000m may have possibly been too far for him, and he does have a tendency to improve with racing.

Dream Passport is another top 3yo. He is yet to miss a place in 11 outings, the last 5 of which have been Grade 1 and Grade 2 races. He finished 2nd in the Satsuki Sho, 3rd in the Japanese Derby (when he was the only horse making any real ground at the finish) and 2nd in the Kikuka Sho. Many fans feel that he has the most ability of this year's 3yo crop, but so far he has had trouble breaking through to win at Grade 1 level. An interesting side note about Dream Passport is that he has had a jockey change every single race, and it appears that Melbourne Cup winning jockey Yasunari Iwata may be on board for the first time in the Japan Cup.

Cosmo Bulk: Fairytale galloper who won the $3 Million Singapore Airlines International Cup in may this year. Is officially registered with the NAR (National Association of Racing) which is run by local governments - and began his career racing for much less prizemoney than is available in the JRA (his 2nd career win earned him just 200,000 yen - less than US$2,000!). His domestic career so far has seen him win one JRA Grade 3 and two JRA Grade 2 races, as well as 2nd placings in two of the most prestigious JRA Grade 1 races - the Satsuki Sho (2000 Guineas equivalent) and the Japan Cup, in 2004. He showed he was back to form with a close up 4th behind Heart's Cry, Deep Impact and Lincoln in the Arima Kinen last December and then was successful in Singapore this year, but failed behind Deep Impact in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen in June. He seemed to have his chance in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) last start, but is sure to have supporters here again.

Swift Current is a 5yo Sunday Silence stallion who has burst onto the Grade 1 stage in Japan this year. After finishing 2nd in a Grade 2 2500m race in January, he was given a rest until the summer and he has been performing very well every since. He showed that he could be at competitive at Grade 1 level last start, when he finished strongly along the inside to finish 2nd behind Daiwa Major, but realistically this does look much more difficult. He is also nominated for the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase in December, so there is a possibility he may head there directly.

Fusaichi Pandora put in a bad run in the Grade 1 Oka Sho (1000 Guineas equivalent over 1600m), but was consistent after that against the top 3yo fillies in the classics behind Kawakami Princess in particular. That form looks good as Kawakami Princess seems to be a very special filly, even though she was relegated to 12th place in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup earlier this month. That regulation allowed Fusaichi Pandora to pick up her first Group victory, and while she does look promising, there are some very good horses in this field!

[Seabiscuit]

Why is a horse that failed a drug test being allowed to run in the Japan Cup? Isn't it like human sports where they ban you for 2 years or something if you fail a drug test?

[imaufo]

I guess they can if the horse is found guilty?