plachon
25-01-2002, 17:54
Twenty-one years old and still going strong! The Japan Cup is the oldest international invitational race on the planet, the only one in which a horse from every continent has succeeded in winning at least once, but which is becoming more and more dominated by the host nation. No foreign horse has won the Japan Cup since Pilsudski (IRE, by Polish Precedent, USA), in 1997, gave British trainer Sir Michael Stoute his second success, following Singspiel's (IRE, by In The Wings, GB) victory the previous year. But despite the tremendous improvement shown by Japanese-bred or trained horses, the foreigners just keep on coming, an invitation to the Japan Cup, the second richest race in the world, being the ambition of many owners and trainers throughout the world.
It used to seem so easy. Put a halfway decent horse on a plane from Los Angeles, Newmarket, Paris, Sydney or Auckland, all expenses generously paid by the Japan Racing Association, and it only had to run more or less to it's best form to pick up a million dollars or so. With place money down to eighth!
Twenty-one years ago, Mairzy Doates (USA, by Nodouble, USA), ridden by Cash Asmussen, won the inaugural Japan Cup for the United States, beating Canada's Frost King (by Ruritania, USA), and fellow Americans The Very One (by One For All, USA) and P'Tite Tte. Japanese runners followed on ... Half Iced (USA, by Hatchet Man, USA), again for the United States, won the second edition, beating champions All Along (by Targowice, USA), April Run (by Run The Gantlet, both French trained) and Irish mare Stanerra (by Guillaume Tell, USA), the latter returning in 1983 to win, beating the first Japanese horse to make a place, Kyoei Promise (by Baldric, USA). But foreign superiority ended right there, as the following year, the first Japanese success was enregistered, that of Katsuragi Ace (by Boysie Boy, GB), who beat British horse Bedtime, with 3-year-old Symboli Rudolf (by Partholon, IRE) in third. Symboli Rudolf became, the following year, the first favorite to prevail.
Japanese horses had learned how to repel foreign invaders, and, though they had to give best again to French 3-year-old Le Glorieux (GB, by Cure The Blues, USA) in 1987, to American Pay The Butler (by Val De L'Orne, FR) in 1988, to New Zealander Horlicks (by Three Legs, GB) in 1989, to Australian Better Loosen Up (by Loosen Up, USA) in 1990, to American Golden Pheasant (by Caro, IRE) a year later, to German Lando (by Acatenango, GER) in 1995, and to the Stoute trainees in 1996 and 1997, Japanese horses have now won more Japan Cups (nine) than any other country. And they have shown themselves to be virtually unbeatable in the last four editions, won by El Condor Pasa (USA, by Kingmambo, USA), Special Week (by Sunday Silence, USA), T.M. Opera O (by Opera House, GB) and, leading a coalition of five Japanese representatives to completely whitewash the visitors, Jungle Pocket (by Tony Bin, IRE) this year.
So why do foreigners bother to come back?
Californian trainer Robert "Bobby" Frankel has traveled nine horses to Fuchu for the Japan Cup since his first attempt with P'Tite Tête, fourth behind Mairzy Doates in 1981, winning the prize with Pay The Butler six years later, and he wants to win it again.
"Sure I want to win it again, and I'll be back whenever I have an invited horse I think might be good enough. Why? For the money! The Japan Cup has huge prize money going down to eighth place, and all the connections' expenses are taken care of by the JRA. But also for the pleasure and the prestige that winning, or even being well-placed, procures. And the Fuchu racetrack is one of the best in the world."
Richard Mandella, another Californian regular, agrees entirely, saying, "The prize money is naturally a big factor, the purse plus the way the JRA takes care of all the expenses makes it a very enticing race and I really want to win it. It is a wonderful thing to have the opportunity to travel the world with a good horse and those of us who are in that position are extremely fortunate. We get the chance to learn about different cultures, meet people from many different countries, visit a country we would perhaps never otherwise have seen, and gain tremendous prestige if we succeed in making our presence felt on the track. Our hosts here in Japan show us tremendous hospitality and I always feel very privileged to be here. However, on the down side from a foreigner's point of view, the Japanese horses are now of such a high standard that I need to find another Kotashaan if I'm to have a hope of ever winning the Japan Cup."
Trainer Richard Mandella at the paddock of Japan Cup
It is interesting to note that while some trainers feel it is difficult to run a horse both in the Breeders' Cup and the Japan Cup, Kotashaan finished second at Tokyo (with a dubious ride, he should have won), coming off five straight wins, including the Breeders' Cup Classic. "True," admits Richard Mandella. "But he won the Classic at home, at Santa Anita, so it wasn't as if he'd had to travel to New York or Churchill Downs and back to Los Angeles before flying on to Japan. That was in his favor. The traveling factor is a hard one to beat, but it can be done."
American ace jockey Jerry Bailey, winner of the Japan Cup with Pay The Butler, was in Tokyo again, this time, riding Timboroa (GB, by Salse, USA) (unplaced) in the Japan Cup and Lido Palace (CHI, by Rich Man's Gold, USA), a hotshot at 2:5.1 in the Japan Cup Dirt (finishing eighth). He told us:
American ace jockey Jerry Bailey
"I reckon the timing between the Dubai World Cup (GI) and the Japan Cup is just perfect, it gives horses time to go home and run in a few top events before setting off to Tokyo. But it's different for a horse geared-up for the Breeders' Cup, that's pretty tough if they have a hard race and then a long journey. But I would never put someone off from coming to the Japan Cup, which is a huge sporting event run on a really good track. However, these days, it's nearly easier to win the Breeders' Cup Turf than the Japan Cup, and the way Kurofune dominated the Japan Cup Dirt was awesome, so that's not going to an easy one to crack either. It is no good traveling to the Japan Cups with a Group II horse, not when you're up against rivals of such a high calibre."
Top French trainer Françis Doumen (second in the first Nakayama Grand Jump with Boca Boca [Mandalus, IRE]) started a horse for the first time on dirt, the enigmatic King of Tara (AUS, by Danehill, USA), in the Japan Cup Dirt. King of Tara threw the towel in before the final turn, but Françis Doumen will probably be back, with a better tempered horse. "I was thrilled to be invited as I have always wanted to try a horse in a dirt race. But I did not want to do it in America, where the tracks are so hard. Here the surface is so much better and I would really like to try again."
Sir Michael Stoute will also be back, though agreeing that it is extremely difficult for a foreign-trained 3-year-old to cope with the journey and a hard race (as Golan [IRE, by Spectrum, IRE] proved by being the best of the visitors but still only sixth). But Stoute's looking for a third success sometime in the future.
So let's just quote that great English gentleman based in the United States, Jonathan Sheppard, whose huge grey gelding With Anticipation (USA, by Relaunch, USA) was one of the front runners in the Japan Cup, before fading to finish ninth, and whose his steeplechaser Ninepins (by Niniski) was also ninth in the inaugural Nakayama International Grand Jump: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! Which we shall do! Everything about coming to race in a Japan Cup is wonderful, even though it's a hard task to beat the Japanese in what has become, on home ground, their own game. But if you have a horse good enough, you shouldn't hesitate to have a crack at it, it's well worth it."
Why bother? That's why.
It used to seem so easy. Put a halfway decent horse on a plane from Los Angeles, Newmarket, Paris, Sydney or Auckland, all expenses generously paid by the Japan Racing Association, and it only had to run more or less to it's best form to pick up a million dollars or so. With place money down to eighth!
Twenty-one years ago, Mairzy Doates (USA, by Nodouble, USA), ridden by Cash Asmussen, won the inaugural Japan Cup for the United States, beating Canada's Frost King (by Ruritania, USA), and fellow Americans The Very One (by One For All, USA) and P'Tite Tte. Japanese runners followed on ... Half Iced (USA, by Hatchet Man, USA), again for the United States, won the second edition, beating champions All Along (by Targowice, USA), April Run (by Run The Gantlet, both French trained) and Irish mare Stanerra (by Guillaume Tell, USA), the latter returning in 1983 to win, beating the first Japanese horse to make a place, Kyoei Promise (by Baldric, USA). But foreign superiority ended right there, as the following year, the first Japanese success was enregistered, that of Katsuragi Ace (by Boysie Boy, GB), who beat British horse Bedtime, with 3-year-old Symboli Rudolf (by Partholon, IRE) in third. Symboli Rudolf became, the following year, the first favorite to prevail.
Japanese horses had learned how to repel foreign invaders, and, though they had to give best again to French 3-year-old Le Glorieux (GB, by Cure The Blues, USA) in 1987, to American Pay The Butler (by Val De L'Orne, FR) in 1988, to New Zealander Horlicks (by Three Legs, GB) in 1989, to Australian Better Loosen Up (by Loosen Up, USA) in 1990, to American Golden Pheasant (by Caro, IRE) a year later, to German Lando (by Acatenango, GER) in 1995, and to the Stoute trainees in 1996 and 1997, Japanese horses have now won more Japan Cups (nine) than any other country. And they have shown themselves to be virtually unbeatable in the last four editions, won by El Condor Pasa (USA, by Kingmambo, USA), Special Week (by Sunday Silence, USA), T.M. Opera O (by Opera House, GB) and, leading a coalition of five Japanese representatives to completely whitewash the visitors, Jungle Pocket (by Tony Bin, IRE) this year.
So why do foreigners bother to come back?
Californian trainer Robert "Bobby" Frankel has traveled nine horses to Fuchu for the Japan Cup since his first attempt with P'Tite Tête, fourth behind Mairzy Doates in 1981, winning the prize with Pay The Butler six years later, and he wants to win it again.
"Sure I want to win it again, and I'll be back whenever I have an invited horse I think might be good enough. Why? For the money! The Japan Cup has huge prize money going down to eighth place, and all the connections' expenses are taken care of by the JRA. But also for the pleasure and the prestige that winning, or even being well-placed, procures. And the Fuchu racetrack is one of the best in the world."
Richard Mandella, another Californian regular, agrees entirely, saying, "The prize money is naturally a big factor, the purse plus the way the JRA takes care of all the expenses makes it a very enticing race and I really want to win it. It is a wonderful thing to have the opportunity to travel the world with a good horse and those of us who are in that position are extremely fortunate. We get the chance to learn about different cultures, meet people from many different countries, visit a country we would perhaps never otherwise have seen, and gain tremendous prestige if we succeed in making our presence felt on the track. Our hosts here in Japan show us tremendous hospitality and I always feel very privileged to be here. However, on the down side from a foreigner's point of view, the Japanese horses are now of such a high standard that I need to find another Kotashaan if I'm to have a hope of ever winning the Japan Cup."
Trainer Richard Mandella at the paddock of Japan Cup
It is interesting to note that while some trainers feel it is difficult to run a horse both in the Breeders' Cup and the Japan Cup, Kotashaan finished second at Tokyo (with a dubious ride, he should have won), coming off five straight wins, including the Breeders' Cup Classic. "True," admits Richard Mandella. "But he won the Classic at home, at Santa Anita, so it wasn't as if he'd had to travel to New York or Churchill Downs and back to Los Angeles before flying on to Japan. That was in his favor. The traveling factor is a hard one to beat, but it can be done."
American ace jockey Jerry Bailey, winner of the Japan Cup with Pay The Butler, was in Tokyo again, this time, riding Timboroa (GB, by Salse, USA) (unplaced) in the Japan Cup and Lido Palace (CHI, by Rich Man's Gold, USA), a hotshot at 2:5.1 in the Japan Cup Dirt (finishing eighth). He told us:
American ace jockey Jerry Bailey
"I reckon the timing between the Dubai World Cup (GI) and the Japan Cup is just perfect, it gives horses time to go home and run in a few top events before setting off to Tokyo. But it's different for a horse geared-up for the Breeders' Cup, that's pretty tough if they have a hard race and then a long journey. But I would never put someone off from coming to the Japan Cup, which is a huge sporting event run on a really good track. However, these days, it's nearly easier to win the Breeders' Cup Turf than the Japan Cup, and the way Kurofune dominated the Japan Cup Dirt was awesome, so that's not going to an easy one to crack either. It is no good traveling to the Japan Cups with a Group II horse, not when you're up against rivals of such a high calibre."
Top French trainer Françis Doumen (second in the first Nakayama Grand Jump with Boca Boca [Mandalus, IRE]) started a horse for the first time on dirt, the enigmatic King of Tara (AUS, by Danehill, USA), in the Japan Cup Dirt. King of Tara threw the towel in before the final turn, but Françis Doumen will probably be back, with a better tempered horse. "I was thrilled to be invited as I have always wanted to try a horse in a dirt race. But I did not want to do it in America, where the tracks are so hard. Here the surface is so much better and I would really like to try again."
Sir Michael Stoute will also be back, though agreeing that it is extremely difficult for a foreign-trained 3-year-old to cope with the journey and a hard race (as Golan [IRE, by Spectrum, IRE] proved by being the best of the visitors but still only sixth). But Stoute's looking for a third success sometime in the future.
So let's just quote that great English gentleman based in the United States, Jonathan Sheppard, whose huge grey gelding With Anticipation (USA, by Relaunch, USA) was one of the front runners in the Japan Cup, before fading to finish ninth, and whose his steeplechaser Ninepins (by Niniski) was also ninth in the inaugural Nakayama International Grand Jump: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! Which we shall do! Everything about coming to race in a Japan Cup is wonderful, even though it's a hard task to beat the Japanese in what has become, on home ground, their own game. But if you have a horse good enough, you shouldn't hesitate to have a crack at it, it's well worth it."
Why bother? That's why.