March, 2022 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Japan: Horse Of The Year Efforia To Make 4-Year-Old Debut In Sunday’s Osaka Hai

This coming Sunday (April 3) sees the second big race in a consecutive run of four Grade 1s in Japan this spring, when the Osaka Hai will be run at Hanshin Racecourse, the first top-level race of the year at the Kansai track. The race is for 4-year-olds and up, and there will be a maximum field of 16 runners from the 18 nominations for the 2,000-meter (1 1/4-mile) contest, run over the inner turf course.

A few horses among the entries will be having their first run of the year in the middle-distance race, in a bid to further their careers in 2022, and among those, Efforia will certainly be the center of attention.

In the last ten years, only three first favorites in the race have rewarded their supporters, and the last one to win was Suave Richard back in 2018. Last year, Contrail was a heavy favorite to win the race, but could only manage third behind the filly Lei Papale. Also in the past decade, 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds have shared the spoils, taking out the race five times apiece. Record time for the Osaka Hai is held by Hiruno d'Amour, who won in a time of 1 minute 57.8 seconds in 2011. There's JPY200 million (in the region of USD2 million) prize money going to the winner this year.

The 66th running of the Osaka Hai will be Race 11 on the Hanshin card on Sunday, with a post time here in Japan of 15:40. Final declarations and the barrier draw will be available later in the week.

Here's a look at some of the runners expected to take on the race:

Efforia: All eyes will be on the 2021 JRA Horse of the Year and Best 3-Year-Old Colt, as he steps out for the first time as a 4-year-old. With three Grade 1s to his name last year, and such an unlucky second in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), the key will be for him to continue in the same impressive way as his performances as a 3-year-old. He seems the type that will only get stronger, and word from the stable is that everything's going smoothly with him.

“He came back to the stable from Northern Farm Tenei on March 4, and his weight was around 530kg. This has given us some leeway with his training, and while last time he did have a slight hoof issue, this isn't a problem now. He has been running with a good rhythm and all's well with him so far,” trainer Yuichi Shikato commented.

Efforia will have to be at his best in a race where overwhelming favorites have sometimes had a hard time.

Lei Papale: An impressive winner of the race last year, the 5-year-old mare by Deep Impact tuned up for another try this year, when finishing second last time in the Grade 2 Kinko Sho over 2,000 meters at Chukyo early in March. She was sixth in the Grade 1 Hong Kong Cup two starts ago on her trip overseas, but lost little in defeat in that race.

“I was quite pleased with her run in Hong Kong. Last time out in the Kinko Sho, it seemed like she had matured quite a bit as she headed into that race. The horses on the inside got a good start in going forward, but she soon got into a good rhythm. The jockey did well with her, so when she was able to finish second, I could take a lot from that race,” trainer Tomokazu Takano said.

Jack d'Or: The 4-year-old colt by Maurice is seemingly getting better with every race, and that could be seen last time when he started favorite and ran out an easy winner of the Grade 2 Kinko Sho. He has now won his last five races, and has led all the way in four of them. Trainer Kenichi Fujioka also thinks the horse has shown a lot of improvement.

“I have always felt he was a horse with ability, but at the time of the Principal Stakes he was a bit weak and didn't really show his best. After he returned from a break, he started to improve, and it's been particularly noticeable since last autumn,” said the trainer recently.

Fujioka has just two JRA Grade 1 wins since getting his license in 2001, and really deserves more at the highest level.

Akai Ito: Last year's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner has a 50 percent first three strike rate, and since her big win last year, she has finished 7th and 3rd in two races, the latest being the G2 Kinko Sho at Chukyo in March.

Assistant trainer Masaaki Shibata said: “She was returning from a spell last time, but it was a good prep race for this next one. In her last race, things were a bit different, in that she took up a more forward position in the run, and it showed us that she can be quite flexible in the way she runs, and that she's developed more mentally.”

Jockey Hideaki Miyuki has struck up a good partnership with the horse, and looks set to take the ride once more.

King of Koji: The 6-year-old by Lord Kanaloa is by no means an easy horse to train, but things came right for him last time when he won the G2 American Jockey Club Cup over 2,200 meters at Nakayama in January. He now has two Grade 2 victories to his name, and despite a mixed record at Hanshin, he certainly can't be overlooked.

“Last time was his third race back after an injury, but his breathing was fine, and it was a good performance overall. He can be temperamental, and his behavior at the gate can be of some concern, but last time these things were not a problem,” trainer Shogo Yasuda said.

Potager: Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi looks like being well represented in the Osaka Hai, and he's a master of getting a horse just right for a big race. This 5-year-old by Deep Impact finished sixth to Efforia in last year's G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), and warmed up for his run here in the G2 Kinko Sho last time.

The trainer stated: “The winner of the Kinko Sho is a strong horse, and the horses that finished second and third are both Grade 1 winners. Potager did well to come from the back at the end of the race, but the winner couldn't be stopped. My horse is always genuine and gives it his best.”

African Gold: The 7-year-old by Stay Gold proved that he's still a force to be reckoned with after his runaway win in the G2 Kyoto Kinen at Hanshin in February, taking many by surprise with his odds at over 50/1. Bred at Darley Japan KK, he's fully entitled to have a go at this race with his win last time, his first victory since 2019.

“He went straight to the front in his last run and found a good rhythm, and with his last five furlongs run in 57.5 seconds, the other horses weren't able to catch up from behind. He has had a short break at the farm, and has come back to the stable with this race as his target,” trainer Masato Nishizono said.

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Champion O’Shea Bags A Memorable First

There was much cause for Irish celebration at Meydan on Saturday night when A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) and Ronan Whelan shot to glory in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint for Ado McGuinness. But a victory that meant just as much for one Irish jockey was that of Switzerland (Speightstown) in the other major sprint on the card, the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, which provided Tadhg O'Shea with his first Group 1 winner at the age of 40.

O'Shea has not, however, been devoid of success throughout the last two decades. Very much the opposite in fact. Much of that time has been spent in the UAE, where he is the most successful jockey of all time and has been champion on nine occasions.

“It's my 20th season in Dubai and I'm hopefully on the cusp of sealing a tenth championship as I'm eight in front with two meetings to go,” says O'Shea.

Those meetings take place on Thursday and Friday, and however many more wins the jockey adds to his tally of 65 for the season, none will come close to his major success on Saturday for Bhupat Seemar.

He continues, “To ride a Group 1 winner on Dubai World Cup night was special. I haven't ridden a Group 1 winner on the Thoroughbreds and I turned 40 in February. I don't get too many chances in Group 1s so I was thinking maybe I'd missed the boat on that one, so it was very, very special and a huge performance by the horse on the night. He was beautifully prepared by Bhupat and the team at Zabeel Stables.”

The victory also sealed an impressive start to the training career of Seemar, who took over the licence from his uncle, Satish Seemar, at the start of the season.

“It's amazing,” says O'Shea. “Bhupat has been in Dubai for as long as I have and he's been assistant to his uncle for the last 19 years, so to be champion trainer in the first season with his name on the licence is quite something. I rode his first stakes winner on a horse called Tuz and now to ride him a Group 1 winner in his first year, it's been one of those pinch-yourself seasons.”

He adds, “I've never ridden as many winners here in a season, and for Bhupat, too, it's just been one of those years when everything clicked. We had the rub of the green throughout and the horses stayed extremely healthy and well and held their form from the drop of the flag until World Cup night. It's like a dream really and I don't want to wake up.”

The stable's good night at Meydan on Saturday also saw Summer Is Tomorrow (Summer Front) run second in the G2 UAE Derby behind Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach The Crown {Jpn}). O'Shea had even more reason to be pleased with that good run as he was responsible for buying the colt at last year's Arqana Breeze-up Sale for £120,000.

“He ran a huge race,” says the rider. “He's won twice for us this season, including at the carnival, and now he's been second in the UAE Derby. I'll be totally honest, I didn't think he'd stay the distance. I bought him for the Burke family at Arqana, which was held at Doncaster last year because of Covid. I was more active at the sales because a lot of owners and Bhupat couldn't travel because of Covid restrictions, but it worked out well.”

He adds, “He breezed extremely well and he took to the sand over here like a duck to water. I suppose it does help a little bit, when you're looking at their action at the breeze-ups, to have ridden for a long time out here. That horse really grabbed for the ground and he had a knee action when he breezed. With all those things put together I recommended him to the Burke family and happily he has paid for himself though the season, culminating with a huge second in the UAE Derby on World Cup night.”

The stable will now be the beneficiary of a number of lots from the inaugural Goffs Dubai Breeze-up Sale, held on the Thursday evening before the World Cup.

“Goffs did a great job and it was fantastic that the Maktoum family organised to have the breeze-up sale in Dubai,” O'Shea says. “Bhupat ended up with seven horses from the sale with very good pedigrees. They are the next winners in waiting, hopefully, and it's hugely exciting for the horse population in Dubai. Most of the horses we get over here have started their careers elsewhere in Ireland, or the UK, or France, so it's nice for some of the trainers over here to start off with a blank canvas and to be able to give them time to acclimatise. I think the sale went down very well and I'm sure the results will come in the upcoming season.”

He continues, “It's a great week when everyone ships in and the sale has added an extra spice to it as there's people that you see at the sale that wouldn't have been here normally for World Cup week. There was a huge gathering and I think the timing was great.”

After racing in the UAE concludes this week, O'Shea, a native of Dromahane, Co Cork, heads to Qatar for the end of their season before making his annual summer trip home to Ireland.

“In years gone by I used to come back and try to ride in Ireland or the UK but I found it was a bit difficult,” he says frankly. “The lads who are there all year round, sometimes it's a struggle for them to get rides so I am under no illusion that I can get off a plane and be somewhere for two months and try to get rides. I concentrate on what's working and that's over here. I get home in the summer for seven or eight weeks. I used to call Dubai my second home but I spend longer here now than I do anywhere else.”

The first anniversary of the death of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum passed last week, and O'Shea reflects on how much he owes to his support in the early days of his career.

“I was very fortunate that back in 2001 there were four of us fighting out the Irish champion apprentice title, and with about six weeks left in the season we were notified through our trainers that Sheikh Hamdan had kindly sponsored an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai for whoever was champion that year to work for four of his trainers,” he recalls.

“Thankfully that was me, and he did the same next year and luckily I won it again. So that's how it all started. It's amazing the path you take in life but I've been coming even since and I rode a lot of winners for the late Sheikh Hamdan and his family, and have continued to do so for his wider family. It has been a hugely successful place for me and my family, and without Sheikh Hamdan's initial invitation I might never have come here.”

With Covid having forced the abandonment of the Dubai World Cup in 2020, and then led to few people being in attendance last year, O'Shea was thrilled to have been able to record his biggest winner in front of a bumper crowd.

He says, “As big and as mesmerising as Meydan is to look at it was great to see so many people back in the stands. We love the crowd and the supporters, they mean everything, and it was a little bit dreary through Covid times with no crowd.

“Switzerland was the only UAE winner on the night so the local crowd really got behind him. They are great supporters, and they erupted when he walked back in.”

He continues, “The only low point of the night was my horse in the Godolphin Mile, Al Nefud (GB), who was a warm favourite, but he never felt right to me and I ended up pulling him up and it turns out that he fractured his pelvis. Thankfully he's comfortable and he will recover. But the rest of the horses all ran with great credit, finishing second and fourth in the Derby and then Switzerland winning, and we were so proud of Remorse running sixth in the World Cup. It was a great night.”

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Oxted Returns in The Duke Of York

Group 1-winning sprinter Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) will make his six-year-old bow in the G2 Duke Of York Clipper Logistics S. on May 11. The Roger Teal-trained gelding was second in the event a year ago, but improved to take the 2021 G1 King's Stand S. Oxted has been away from the racecourse due to injury since finishing third in the G1 July Cup. After getting a bone chip removed, he is back in training with a clean bill of health.

“He's back in full work and we're just stepping up his work now,” Teal said. “He did a nice piece last week. I'm very happy with him and have made an entry for the York race. That's probably where we're going to be headed, then from York to Ascot.

“I think he's worthy of trying to retain his crown in the King's Stand. I would have preferred to run him at Haydock [in the G2 Temple S.], but the timings don't really work out so he's likely to go to York first.”

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Fourth Annual Telethon To Benefit Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Scheduled For April 10

TVG, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), Keeneland and Santa Anita will team with Hall of Fame jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild and other prominent racing personalities to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) on Sunday, April 10, for the fourth annual telethon to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).

The event will be broadcast on both TVG and FS2 in collaboration with NYRA and FOX Sports.

After missing 2020 due to the pandemic, the popular event returned in 2021 and raised $339,672. Once again, the horse racing industry will unite in support of jockeys who have suffered serious on-track injuries. Fan favorite jockeys of today and years past will be on hand live at call centers in California from Santa Anita and at Keeneland in Kentucky from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET as their schedule permits. Throughout the day, TVG and America's Day At The Races will be connecting with personalities and horsemen who have been involved with the PDJF's work.

“We sincerely appreciate the continued support of TVG, NYRA, 1/ST Racing and Keeneland in helping to raise critical funds for the PDJF and also raise awareness of its mission. With no guaranteed funding from the industry, this event is the major fundraiser for the organization which provides monthly monetary assistance to approximately 60 riders who have sustained catastrophic on-track injuries. Active and retired riders will be answering the phones to take donations while giving racing fans across the country the unique opportunity to speak and interact with their favorite jockeys,” said Jockeys' Guild President and CEO Terry Meyocks.

Among the jockeys participating in the event include retired stars Alex Solis, Chris McCarron, Don Brumfield, Ramon Dominguez, Laffit Pincay, Sandy Hawley, Mike Manganello, Shane Sellers, Donna Brothers and Steve Cauthen. They will be joined by Mike Smith, John Velazquez, Julian Leparoux, Corey Lanerie, Joe Bravo and Tyler Gaffalione alongside other prominent jockeys riding at Keeneland and Santa Anita that day.

“On behalf of the PDJF and our recipients, we are very appreciative for TVG providing this platform and hosting this annual telethon,” said Nancy LaSala, PDJF President. “The combined donations from the three telethons hosted in 2018, 2019 and 2021 has raised over three quarters of a million dollars for the PDJF. We were grateful to have the opportunity to host the telethon in October 2021 after close to a 30-month gap due to the pandemic and we are excited to be returning to the originally scheduled month of April to have this event.”

Callers who donate via the telethon will be entered in a drawing to win a pair of reserved tickets for Friday and Saturday at the 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland, donated by the Breeders' Cup and valued at $1200 each. The event will be held November 4 and 5. In addition to the Breeders' Cup tickets, there will be several other items available to win in a sweepstakes which will take place each hour of the telethon.

“This event is a meaningful one for the industry and for all of us at TVG,” said Kevin Grigsby, TVG executive producer. “We are proud to collaborate with the Guild and our friends at Santa Anita, Keeneland, NYRA and FOX Sports to support the PDJF and its critical mission to provide care and resources to injured riders. Every day, at tracks across the country, jockeys undertake incredible risk and, in addition to important funding, we hope this telethon helps raise awareness and appreciation for everything they do.”

“It is a privilege to support the PDJF by broadcasting this year's telethon to a national audience on America's Day at the Races,” said Eric Donovan, NYRA Senior Director of TV Broadcast Operations. “The PDJF exists to improve the lives of jockeys who have dedicated so much to the sport, and we encourage racing fans to tune in on April 10 and consider a donation to the PDJF.”

The PDJF is a registered 501(c)3 charity that provides financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered on-track injuries. Since its foundation in 2006, PDJF has disbursed over $11 million to support disabled jockeys, the organization is 100% reliant on charitable donations.

When: Sunday, April 10th, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET

Where: TVG, TVG.com, Fox Sports 2

Who: Solis, Chris McCarron, Don Brumfield, Ramon Dominguez, Laffit Pincay, Sandy Hawley, Mike Manganello, Shane Sellers, Donna Brothers and Steve Cauthen. Mike Smith, John Velazquez, Julian Leparoux, Corey Lanerie, Joe Bravo and Tyler Gaffalione

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