View Full Version : Admire Moon wins in Dubai
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by K. T. Donovan
So many horses were given a strong chance in the $5-million Dubai Duty Free on Saturday, but the speculation that Japan’s Admire Moon could win if the pace was fast enough early came to fruition as he held off fast-closing Linngari while multiple Grade 1 winner Lava Man faded to last.
“He’s such a great horse, he goes out every time and is hard on himself,” jockey Corey Nakatani said of Lava Man. “He never just not runs, he has a big heart. But after four furlongs, he had enough and stopped.”
Lava Man and Iridescence sped to the front, with English Channel racing in midpack.
Moving three-wide with a half-mile to go, English Channel was being ridden hard by John Velazquez, while Iridiscence led the field into the straight.
Admire Moon, who loved the fast pace up front, burst through and grabbed a convincing lead with one furlong to run. From the outside, Linngari made a valiant effort to run him down, closing with each stride, but Admire Moon prevailed to win by a half-length, with the other half of the Japanese entry, Daiwa Major, finishing third another 4 1/4 lengths back in the 16-horse field. Lava Man tracked the pace until three furlongs out, then weakened.
Admire Moon, who was ridden by Yutaka Take, finished the 1,777 meters (8.97 furlongs) in 1:47.94.
“It was my dream to win in Dubai,” said owner Riichi Kondo through an interpreter. “For four months I have planned to have him come here, but I had no idea how happy I would be.”
Champion turf male Miesque’s Approval never fired under Eddie Castro and finished 15th, and English Channel faded to 12th.
“He didn’t run at all,” Velazquez said of Miesque’s Approval, who was fifth in the Canadian Turf Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream Park in his seasonal debut on February 3, his only start this year. “He never gave me any indication he was going to run.”
Trained by Hiroyoshi Matsuda, Admire Moon was coming off a neck victory over 2006 Melbourne Cup (Au-G1) runner-up Pop Rock in the Kyoto Kinen (Jpn-G2) on February 17 at Kyoto, his first start this year. He won three of seven starts last season, which was capped by a second-place finish to Pride in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1) at Sha Tin.
With Saturday’s win, his record improve to eight wins in 13 lifetime starts.
Bred by Northern Farm, Admire Moon is out of the Sunday Silence mare My Katies.
K. T. Donovan is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/international-news/2007/March/31/Japan-Admire-Moon-takes-Dubai-Duty-Free-Lava-Man-finishes-last.aspx
2007 News
April 1, 2007
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Dubai World Cup day - Admire Moon wins in Dubai!
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Admire Moon wins the Dubai Duty Free (G1) !
© Dubai Racing Club / Andrew WatkinsThe world’s richest and most international race meeting, the Dubai World Cup meeting, was held at Nad Al Sheba racecourse on March 31, and Japan was represented by 8 runners. With a runner in every race except the Purebred Arabian Dubai Kahayla Classic, the Japanese runners were expected to perform well, and they did just that.
Fusaichi Richard, Japan’s champion 2yo in 2005 by world champion miler Kurofune, missed the start before racing just behind the pace in the Group 2 US$1,000,000 Godolphin Mile. He battled on bravely to finish 6th, but jockey Christophe Soumillon was left lamenting the bad start, saying “He broke very badly from the gate, which cost him ground. Otherwise I think he might have been third or fourth.” The Californian trained 4yo Spring At Last won the race, ridden by Garrett Gomez, in the time of 1.36:16. Parole Board finished second and Mullins Bay third.
Victory Tetsuni was the next Japanese challenger to appear, in the Group 2 US$2,000,000 UAE Derby. His style of racing is to get back early and finish strongly, but this time he got way too far back and was a clear last in the early stages. Coming into the straight champion Japanese jockey Yutaka Take passed several horses on the rails before bringing him to the outside of the field to make his final charge. But this race was highlighted by the absolute dominance of Argentinean-bred horse Asiatic Boy. He sat outside the leaders early before shooting away in the final straight, and he won easily by 9 and a half lengths. Victory Tetsuni never got close to the winner, but did finish reasonably well in the final stages, reaching 5th position when they reached the winning post. Trainer Hideyuki Mori commented “I thought my horse might finish off the race a bit better than that, but the winner is just an amazing racehorse!” Asiatic Boy beat Jack Junior and Adil in a time of 1:48.82.
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Admire Moon and the connections
© Dubai Racing Club / Andrew WatkinsThe next race was the US$2,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen over 1200m. The Japanese entrants in this race were the Mori trained duo of Agnes Jedi and Seeking the Best, but both were expected to struggle in a race annually dominated by the US sprinters. Neither ever got into the race, and finished 10th and 11th respectively. Yutaka Take who rode Agnes Jedi said “He couldn’t go the pace of the others and it was a little disappointing”, while Yuichi Fukunaga on Seeking the Best said, “He struggled to keep up. I was riding away on mine when the winner was still on the bridle.” The race was once again dominated by the Americans, with the Lanfranco Dettori mount Kelly’s Landing holding off Friendly Island, and with Salaam Dubai finishing 3rd in a race time of 1:10:34.
The first turf event for the night was the US$5,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic, and the Japanese entrant in this race was the top Japanese middle distance performer Pop Rock. The expectations were high – not only from Japanese racing fans, but also from people who had witnessed his impressive effort to finish 2nd in the Melbourne Cup last year. However, Pop Rock badly missed the start and endured a tough run the whole way with French jockey Olivier Peslier not being able to find a suitable position during the race. He was no chance of winning with the run he had, but he still closed very well in the straight to finish 6th and was in no way disgraced. He is yet to break through at Grade 1 level, but he once again showed he is a world-class performer.
The race was won by New Zealand bred Vengeance of Rain, now raced in Hong Kong. He has shown in previous years that he was one of the best horses in the world, but this was the first time he had taken on world class horses outside Hong Kong. He won easily, sprinting away in the straight, beating the South African-trained Oracle West (2nd) and Youmzain (3rd) in a time of 2:31.03.
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Admire Moon owner Riichi Kondo (center),
trainer Hiroyoshi Matsuda (right),
and jockey Yutaka Take (left)
© Dubai Racing Club / Andrew WatkinsThe other major turf race of the night was the US$5,000,000 Group 1 Dubai Duty Free over 1777m. 2 Japanese horses traveled for this race – Admire Moon and Daiwa Major. Both are high level performers in Japan and were expected to dominate the race, and that is exactly what happened. Daiwa Major broke well and tried to take up his usual position on the pace, but from barrier 13, leading Japanese jockey Katsumi Ando could not cross several horses inside him and Daiwa Major was stuck 4 wide for the entire journey all but eliminating any chance the Sunday Silence stallion had of winning the race. He hit the lead easily at the top of the straight, but the early efforts quickly told and he was running on empty for the last furlong of the race.
Admire Moon, on the other hand, was given a perfect ride by Yutaka Take. He sat midfield with cover, and when the field entered the straight he quickly strode up to the leaders, and when Take asked for an effort he exploded away from the field. He was eased down near the line and Irish bred Linngari closed the margin in the finishing stages after tracking Admire Moon through the field, but it was a dominant win by Admire Moon in the end. Take said, “He performed quite brilliantly and he was confident coming into the race and was able to ride him accordingly. This horse is getting better with every race - he is definitely one of the best horses in the world and I would like to race him in Europe.” The win was Admire Moon’s first Grade 1 win, but he had already made an impression on international racing fans with his close 2nd behind Pride in the Hong Kong Cup last year. Daiwa Major bravely held on for 3rd, so it was a wonderful result for Japan, and once again showed the strength of their racing in middle to long distance turf events.
The main and final event of the evening was the richest race in the world – the US$6,000,000 Group 1 Dubai World Cup, and Japan was represented by outsider Vermilion. Interest in the race had been focused on 2006’s US horse of the Year Invasor, and the unbeaten Discreet Cat, and Invasor showed that he is indeed one of the best dirt horses in the world with a strong effort to win the race. Discreet Cat settled at the tail of the field from the inside barrier, and never made any impression to finish last suggesting that all is not right with the horse. It was Premium Tap that produced the best from Invasor, leading into the straight and fighting hard to keep the lead, but Invasor was just too tough and strong and gradually wore down the leader and raced away in the final stages. Japanese entrant Vermilion sat 3rd or 4th on the rails throughout the race with an impeccable ride from Christophe Lemaire. Although he was not good enough to trouble the placegetters in straight, he fought on bravely to finish 4th in one of the world’s biggest races, so all connections were happy with the result. Christophe Lemaire said “He has run very well. The dirt surface here is very different from Japan and when the others quickened he couldn’t go with them but he galloped on very well. To be absolutely realistic he is probably just a little bit below the calibre of the horses that finished in front of him.” Invasor beat Premium Tap with Hong Kong miler (and winner of the 2006 Yasuda Kinen in Japan) Bullish Luck finishing very well for 3rd, in a time of 1:59.97.
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* Please visit the following website for more information.
Dubai World Cup website: http://www.dubaiworldcup.com/
Showdown at Sha Tin
http://www.racingandsports.com.au/racing/rsNewsArt.asp?NID=103394
Saturday, 28 April 2007:
On the racing calendar it is squeezed in between the Dubai World Cup and next week's Kentucky Derby.
But Sunday's $HK14 million ($A2.15 million) Group One QEII Cup (2000m) could well assume considerable significance as the provider of the highest-rated turf horse in the world.
Unless a couple of Aussies get in the road.
Japanese galloper Admire Moon, the winner last month of the Dubai Duty Free, is the even-money favourite to win the QEII Cup, a result that would certainly improve his already lofty international rating of 125.
Only one horse, the Arc de Triomphe winner Rail Link, is rated more highly among the world's grass-track runners and victory would most likely see Admire Moon pass the French galloper when the next ratings are released.
Admire Moon's Dubai win was preceded by an excellent second to Pride in the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin last December, an effort that suggests he will handle the opposite way of going and the track.
Admire Moon's dominance of the betting is threatened only by the former Australian galloper Vengeance Of Rain, a horse who became the hero of Hong Kong after his win in the Dubai Sheema Classic.
Vengeance Of Rain won the QEII Cup two years ago and is rated a 7-4 chance by overseas bookmakers.
The son of Zabeel and Blue Diamond Stakes winner Danelagh is clearly Hong Kong's best horse.
But that position could be challenged by Vital King, to be ridden by Hong Kong-based Melbourne jockey Brett Prebble.
Vital King scored a last-gasp win in the Hong Kong Derby at his last start, a victory that took his rating to 113, a figure which represents a 23-pound improvement in his rating this year.
The four-year-old by Almutawakel is trained by New Zealander Paul O'Sullivan who is second in the Hong Kong trainers' championship.
In the major support event, the Group One Champion's Mile, Sydney three-year-old Casino Prince is rated only an outside chance but trainer Anthony Cummings is delighted with the colt's progress since arriving in Hong Kong.
While Cummings acknowledges that Casino Prince's main mission this preparation was the Doncaster Handicap in which he finished seventh to Haradasun, he is more than hopeful of improvement in the $HK8 million ($A1.23 million) race.
"The Doncaster was the race we had set him for, but he got a track he didn't handle that day," Cummings said.
"He didn't go at all on that surface, so I'm hoping his peak is still in him."
Prebble will again be aboard Bullish Luck, as he was last start when the eight-year-old finished third in the Dubai World Cup.
AAP
ADMIRE MOON blew up the quality field of G1/Takarazuka Kinen
25th Jun 07
Admire Moon, the graduate of Japan Racing Horse Associations July Select Sale, took the G1/Takarazuka Kinen, the equivalent of King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Japan,taken place on June 24th at Hanshin Racecourse.
This year's G1/Takarazuka Kinen is widely recognized as the best field in its 48 years'history,which included two Derby winners, Meisho Samson who won the Japan Derby in 2006,and Vodka,a three-year-old filly who captured this year's Derby for the first time as a filly in 64 years, Shadow Gate and Cosmo Bulk, the one-two finishers in G1/Singapore International Cup in May, Pop Rock, the second finisher in the G1/Melbourne Cup last November, Daiwa Major, the winner of four G1s including G1/Yasuda Kinen last time out, Kawakami Princess, the Japanese Oaks winner in 2006,and Admire Moon, the winner of G1/Dubai Duty Free in March at Nad Al Sheba.
As Vodka, the 5 to 2 betting favorite, could not handle the cutting ground of the day, the final stage of race created the ding-dong battle between Meisho Samson, the 32 to 10 second favorite, and Admire Moon, the 57 to 10 third choice by the punters, and Admire Moon was brave enough to precede Meisho Samson for half a length at the wire.
Admire Moon by End Sweep was bred by Northern Racing and sold to Mr.Riichi Kondo at the 2003 JRHA Select Sale for 16,000,000yen, approximately $133,000. Admire Moon has now earned 933,950.000yen, which is more than 50 times of his purchased price.
http://www.jrha.or.jp/eng/html/updated_news/index.html#25th%20Jun%2007
Driftwood
16-12-2007, 18:11
Anyone interested in Asian/World Racing should read 'On the Racing Road' by Nicholas Godfrey.
Admire Moon takes out top honour
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Admire Moon has been selected as the Japan Racing Association’s horse of the year for 2007, while a Florida-bred Bernstein colt named after American owner Ken Ramsey has been tabbed as Japan’s leading two-year-old male.
Winner of the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1), Takarazuka Kinen (Jpn-G1), and Japan Cup (Jpn-G1) in his final season, Admire Moon received 178 out of 289 possible votes for horse of the year and an overwhelming 249 votes for best older male.
Hiroyoshi Matsuda trained the five-year-old End Sweep horse for Riichi Kondo and, later, Darley Japan Farm Co. Ltd.
Goshawk Ken was picked as Japan’s best two-year-old male on the strength of his victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes on December 9 at Nakayama racecourse.
Owner Yoshio Fujita named the colt after Ramsey, who recently sold the colt’s dam, the Grand Slam mare Allthewaybaby, privately to the Yoshida family for $500,000. Ramsey bought the mare for $32,000 in foal to Northern Afleet in the 2005 Ocala Breeders’ Sale Co.’s fall mixed sale.
Daiwa Scarlet, winner of the Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas) and Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (Jpn-G1), finished second in horse of the year voting and garnered best three-year-old filly honors and best horse by a homebred sire.
Vodka received a special award for becoming the first filly in 64 years to win the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). A special award also was presented to Meisho Samson, the fourth horse in JRA history to win the Tenno Sho (Spring) (Jpn-G1) and Tenno Sho (Autumn) (Jpn-G1) in the same year.
Daiwa Major, a half brother to Daiwa Scarlet, won best sprinter or miler for the second year in a row. Other award winners were Tall Poppy (best two-year-old filly), Asakusa Kings (best three-year-old male), Vermilion (best dirt horse), Koiuta (best older female), and Merci A Time (best steeplechase horse).
Kazuo Fujisawa, Hideaki Fujiwara, and Hiroyoshi Matsuda received trainer awards for victories, winning percentage, and earnings, respectively.
Jockey Yutaka Take picked up awards for wins and earnings and a special recognition for surpassing Yukio Okabe’s all-time record of 2,943 career wins and then reaching the milestone of 3,000 wins. Katsumi Ando was honored for leading win percentage, and Makoto Nishitani was selected as best steeplechase jockey.
By Jeff Lowe of Thoroughbred Times
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