interest in japanese racing?

[breezin']

Hello. I'm new to the forum and I was just wondering what kind of interest we have out there in Japanese racing? Any people in Japan who can't crack the Japanese papers or people outside of Japan who have the same problem, just amplified?
I don't see much activity on this board and was just wondering. It'd be nice to hear from you all.

[corkey boy]

Welcome Breezin ( !!!) ...thanks for joining in.
This forum is fairly new, but it is starting to take off in a big way. I dont know of any other Japanese forums about .Im pretty sure that this is the only one in English ... so this site will become the place to be seen and heard in the near future ( that is if it isnt already)
WE do have a contingent of happy Japanese campers here...Special Week is one of the Japanese gurus. what is your interest in Japanese racing? What do you think of the Japanese horses?

[Horny Harry]

Nice to have you here breezin. More the merrier!
Be interested to know what you like about Japan..i like the geish a girls myself...but do have a fondness for the two japanese horses Eishon Preston and Agnes Digital.

[breezin']

Thanks for your replies and your welcomes. There seems to be a lot of interest in Preston and Digital. I guess the Hong Kong wins did it, right? I'm a bit surprised Special Week has so many followers but I guess he would. He does hold the second in earnings spot I believe.
I was really glad to find this board. It spares me looking through the Japanese fan sites. Some of them can be really too much! And it's nice to talk about Japanese racing in English too.
What do I think of the Japanese horses? Always a hard question. I love 'em but that's just because they're horses. And because I'm in Japan, it's all I have. I'll pass on the geisha girls by the way.
I do hope we hear from more people. I think you're right about the board being the future place to be.
[ May 09, 2002: Message edited by: breezin' ]

[breezin']

Whoops! Now I see what you meant about Special Week being a guru. It's specialweek and that's someone on the board. OK. OK. I was picturing a bunch of people up in Hokkaido on Special Week's stud farm worshipping him or something. Now that's too much!!

[imaufo]

Hope to hear lots of you Breezin...how long you been in Japan for? Certainly a fascinating country and I am in love with the horses over there.
If you look under International, and the thread letstravel aroundabit, you will find quite a few Japanese reference sites, most of which you probably know already.
This Japanese section is really going to take off so its good that you can join in and be a part of it from the start. Would be fascinated to read any special news that you have from over there!

[specialweek]

Welcome breezin'.
I do hope you can offer some constant info for our followers of the Sport of Kings in the Land of the Empereor.
I look forward to your contributions
SW

[breezin']

Thanks imaufo and specialweek. I'll check out those sites. I've been in Japan for 20 years. Find it hard to believe myself.
specialweek, I was reading some of your reports. Your'e really up on the scene. Are you in Japan too?
Sure I'd be glad to help anyone out with info if I can get it. What kind of stuff are you all interested in?

[imaufo]

Breezin, you have been appointed "Chief Scout" of the Japanese racing forum ( Asia Division )
Anything good....news of the jockeys, horses, main events, tracks, controversy, gossip,anything weird and exciting or contoversial! How is the baby doing that was born to the princess? How good are the punters over there? How would you rate the jockeys? How are the Aussie riders doing?
What do you think the main differences are between horses racing in Japan and Australia /Hong Kong?

[breezin']

Oh no! What have I gotten myself into. And what has the baby got to do with the horses?! Just kidding. Aiko-chan is, by the way, getting cuter. They bring her out and show her off on TV quite a bit. Beats looking at just the parents. Better watch out. Shouldn't be saying such disrespectful stuff!
OK, I'll be on the lookout for stuff. You know, Desormeaux isn't coming it looks like. Don't know what happened there. I heard there was talk of Espinoza on the way but don't know if it's true. Lisa Mumby from New Zealand is over here now on a shortterm license. She had a couple wins but isn't getting the rides. Am I surprised? No, the racing world is still very male dominated.
You know I'm afraid I don't know that much about racing outside of Japan so it's hard to compare. If you ask me specific questions I can try to find out for you. I don't have the answers but I know where to get them, or at least can try.

[specialweek]

breezin',
Just curious are you based in Tokyo and do you work in some way in horse racing or is it just a labor of love?
I know some do not like to reveal their identities so I respect your right to keep that info private.
SW

[breezin']

Hello specialweek, though I'm usually the type to be very open I don't think I want to do that on a totally public and international board like this. Not trying to hide anything. I just like to know who I'm talking to, or rather, who I'm being read by. So, let's leave it at, that yes, I'm in Tokyo and yes, I would consider this more a labor of love or curiousity than anything else. By the way, you didn't say if you were in Japan yourself. I find it interesting that there is an interest in Japanese racing from people outside Japan.
[ May 10, 2002: Message edited by: breezin' ]

[specialweek]

breezin',
Yes I am in Tokyo and have been for 10 years.
I do radio reports on Japanese horses running overseas and have recently been to Dubai, March and HK in December last year.
Have been known to do some work for the JRA by calling a race or three(badly) and attend most Group races in the Tokyo area.
I have shares in a couple of horses in Aust. and have been involved in racing on/off for about 30yrs(started young)
SW

[breezin']

specialweek,
calling races? now that's something that has always impressed me. being able to see where each horse is or rather, who is where, is something i have a hard time doing. where are these races broadcast? i've never heard them. are they only broadcast at the track or what? and by the way, do you know of any good Net racing broadcast sites. i'd love to hear them.

[specialweek]

breezin',
Sorry for the slow response.
I call some live to tape for overseas owners and sometimes post race. As any caller will tell you it is not something you can do every now and then but when I get it right I am happy.
As I said earlier I do call badly by International standards but if you want to hear the best log onto HK Jockey Club site on racedays and especially weekends you can hear David Rapahael or try Radiosport 927 in Victoria Australia to hear many of the callers throughout the country.
Unfortunately there is no facility in Japan to hear English calls of races but HK has two runners nominated for the Yasuda Kinen on June 2nd so David may be coming over to call this one for HKJC. You may be able to listen to it thru media player off the HKJC site.

[hobbes]

From: InJapan2 Sent: 8/29/2002 12:21 PM
I'll try not to make it a Sunline debate.
Let's go with the Japan vs. Australian racing theme.
Firstly, I am not saying the level of Sydney racing is low - by any means.
What I am saying is that does Sydney need all their decent races to be classified as Group 1s? What I like about Japanese racing (and there are many things that I don't like as much as Australian racing - like the appalling standard of jockeys etc.), is that they are clear on their classifications of Group races.
Only a great horse wins a Group 1 race. The reason this happens is because there are so few - and all the top horses time their preparation to peak at the time of these races. So, for a top class older male horse who is competitive over 2000M, there are only five Group 1s in the whole of Japan for them every year. A couple of years ago, a horse called TM Opera O won them all.
There are two in spring : the Emperor's Cup (Spring) over 3200M, and then the Takarazuka Kinen over 2200M at the beginning of summer. For horses who would like a lead up race there are several Group 2s and Group 3s. Group 1s are all WFA and Group 2s are all basically WFA with slight adjustments to weights for good performers.
For the autumn, there are three: the Emperor's Cup (Autumn) over 2000M, the Japan Cup over 2400M, and the Arima Kinen over 2500M. These are the usual distances but this year the first two will be held at the same track as the last one (due to construction at Tokyo racecourse).
Every decent older horse aims at at least one of these races. The winning horse is obviously the best horses - except for hard luck stories, but they get their chance again. So, we basically know who the best horses are in Japan.
There is the same concept for other age groups, and distancce horses. There is one triple crown for 3yos - not seven or how ever many there are in Australia. There is one sprint Group 1 in Spring and one sprint Group 1 in Autumn. There is one mile Group 1 in Spring and one mile Group 1 in Autumn. There is one older mare race Group 1 each year. That's about it (oh there's some jumping too - but that's the main gist of it).
Now, I am not saying that the horses that win the Group 2 races cannot be champions. TM Opera O won several during his various lead-ups. Then he went on to win the Group 1s - his main aim. A race like the Warwick Stakes, I would consider a lead-up race. No horse in the class of San Domenico, Tulloch , Sky High (2) Kingston Town (3) Filante, Lonhro, Super Impose (3) AND Sunline, would have been aimed at that race (I don't think). It would have been a planned step leading up to a main goal, like the Cox Plate. So my question to Australian racing is - why rate the lead up race the same as the main goal? Actually, I am not sure if the Warwick Stakes is a Group 1 or not, but I am pretty sure something like the All Aged Stakes that Sunline wins every year, as a "warming-down" after her main aim the Doncaster, is rated as a Group 1 race.
A Group 1 race should be the pinnacle of a horse's career. It should be something that Northerly flies all the way from Perth to race in , or Sunline flies all the way from NZ. Lonhro lost the Warwick Stakes on the weekend. Who Cares? He may not have got as much prizemoney as the owners would have liked, but he wasn't being aimed at this race, it was just better to run him and try and grab some money, rather than trying to get him fitter back at John Hawkes's place. Because Defier won that, does not mean that he is a better horse. If Defier beats him in the Cox Plate, then we know that Defier is a great horse.
I am not saying reduce the prizemoney, or anything, just wouldn't it be easier to assess great horses, if they were encouraged to race against other great horses? If I owned Sunline in Australasia, I would be doing the same things as the connections I guess. I would try and pick up as many Group races as possible, preferably without bumping into other horses doing the same thing in other parts of the region. All I am saying is that in Japan, this cannot be done. If an older mare wins a Group 1 in Japan - she is a great mare - maybe a champion. If she wins wore than one she is really top class. Sunline has won 13 or so, but there are still people saying she's not that great - I wonder why?
Now, what I said in the post that you have posted again here, is that if you take out all the "rubbish races" (sorry that brought out the emotion I guess - I will say "lead-up" or "supplementary" races) that she still won 3 or 4 true Group 1s. That makes her a very special horse. "Champion" is something special, and for mine, she is not one - but she was undoubtedly the best horse in Australasia for a year or two. In my book she lost that title last year when she lost the Cox Plate - no matter how many other "supplementary" races she won.
Anyway, sorry to rave on, but I just wanted to clarify myself. I need a drink, I think.