Tag: authority

All-Star Cast For Takarazuka Kinen

Hanshin Racecourse is the site of Sunday's fan-voted G1 Takarazuka Kinen over the metric 11-furlong trip, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland Race Course the first weekend of November. And with scarcely an exception, 18 of Japan's best middle-distance horses–with formlines from all over the world–are set to face the starter.

A logical case can be made for perhaps as many as nine runners Sunday afternoon, including reigning Horse of the Year Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who looks to bounce back from a lacklustre ninth as the $1.50 (1-2) favourite when making his 4-year-old debut in the G1 Osaka Hai at this venue back in April. In finishing four lengths adrift of the upset-minded Potager (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the Carrot Farm colourbearer was suffering the second defeat of his career, the first coming when pipped by this year's G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic hero Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the 2021 G1 Tokyo Yushun. Blinkers go on and his latest fast work–with the new equipment–made something of a statement.

“His preparation has gone well, and he's probably in better shape than he was for his last race,” said trainer Yuichi Shikato. “He has been more switched on wearing blinkers in training, and running in between two other horses. It was too bad about his last race, so I want to see the real Efforia this time, and hope that he can show what a talented horse he is and give his best showing in the race.”

 

 

 

Leaving votegetter Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) (by a shade less than 3000 votes over Efforia) made all when winning last year's G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) by five lengths and, since finishing fifth to Efforia in the G1 Arima Kinen in December, led throughout to win the G2 Nikkei Sho (2500m) in March and the 3200-metre G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) May 1, where he had the talented G2 Qatar Prix Foy hero Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) some seven lengths behind in second. Titleholder's pint-sized older half-sister Melody Lane (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) is one of three females in Sunday's test.

 

 

 

Two graduates of this year's Dubai World Cup program could make things tough up front for Titleholder. Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) was one of four winners for Christophe Lemaire on Saudi Cup night when leading them a merry chase in the G3 Neom Turf Cup over an extended 10 furlongs and set the pace in the Sheema before being overhauled late by Shahryar and the fast-finishing Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) took his rivals past every pole to annex the G2 Nakayama Kinen (1800m) by 2 1/2 lengths Feb. 27 and most recently shared the spoils with Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Dubai Turf. The 5-year-old is a bit of a question mark at Hanshin and over this distance.

Stay Foolish (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) is another with imposing Middle East form, having accounted for Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}) in the G3 Longines Red Sea Cup in Riyadh in February before repeating the dose–albeit from slightly off the speed–in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan Mar. 26.

Also not without a chance are the consistent Hishi Iguazu (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), second to Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in December's G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup and a running-on fourth in the Osaka Hai; and 2020 Filly Triple Crown heroine Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who was a respectable sixth to multiple champion Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) first off a 15-month absence in last month's G1 Victoria Mile.

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Business And Pleasure As Dubai Bounces Back

DUBAI, UAE–After an abandoned meeting in 2020 and a behind-closed-doors reprisal 12 months ago, the Dubai Racing Club will be itching to stage a back-to-normal Dubai World Cup on Saturday with an international cast of stars.

In fact, the week's activities are not quite as they would usually be as the race programme is enhanced by the inclusion of the first Dubai Breeze-up Sale at Meydan on Wednesday, hosted in association with Goffs. The 69 juveniles catalogued shipped in to Dubai last week with quite the fanfare, as branded horseboxes were filmed transporting the youngsters from the airport to Meydan's quarantine facility, where they have been familiarising themselves with their new surroundings over the last few days.

It may be the first sale of its kind in the Gulf, with a strong emphasis on American-bred horses – 37 of the 69 in the book bear the USA suffix – but there's a decidedly Irish feel to the consignor list, with all the major vendors one would expect to find at the European breeze-up sales. The background to the sale was explored in some depth by Nancy Sexton in a recent TDN feature and the final touches to the preparations were made in Monday morning's practice breeze in front of plenty of onlookers. Dress rehearsals over, come Tuesday at 7.45am the horses will step out in earnest. They will not, however, be pushed out in an attempt to clock a fast time, as is the norm at these sales whether or not they include official timing, but will instead be asked to perform a gentle two-furlong breeze.

As the sale co-ordinator Tom Taaffe of Goffs told TDN recently, “It's early in the year and a lot of these horses won't be running until November at the earliest. They'll have to be let down afterwards and acclimatise for a few months before going into pre-training. So there'll be no timing and no stride-pattern figures, it'll be all about allowing prospective purchasers to see that the horses can move well.”

Sounds very refreshing, especially with the mercury on the climb into the low 30s in Dubai.

And so to the main action: the 26th running of the $12 million Dubai World Cup. As has routinely been the case, first at Nad Al Sheba, now at Meydan, the race does have a properly global feel to it, with runners from the UAE being joined by rivals from America, Uruguay, Japan and France, with perhaps the most multi-national of them all being Grocer Jack, a German-bred, Saudi-owned 5-year-old trained in Britain.

Arguably the starriest in the line-up is the sensational Breeders' Cup Mile winner Life Is Good (Into Mischief). Since his near-exhibition round at Del Mar, the 4-year-old went on to trounce the Breeders' Cup Classic winner Knicks Go (Paynter) in the latter's swansong in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Life Is Good has looked a picture of composure under his English-born work rider Amelia Green in his easy exercises at Meydan in the countdown to Saturday. His trainer Todd Pletcher is set to arrive in Dubai on Tuesday and bids to become the tenth American-based trainer to lift the Dubai World Cup.

An American challenge with strength in depth is completed by Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), the winner of his only previous start at Meydan last month, dual Grade I-placed Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), and the recent G1 Saudi Cup runner-up and enemy of the spell-checker, Country Grammer (Tonalist).

The recent Saudi Cup drew a similarly international line-up and, despite the pride of the event's organisers at having been backed by some of the biggest names in world racing, it was nothing compared to the delirium of the local crowd when the race was won by the Riyadh-trained Emblem Road (Quality Road) to give a major lift to the Mitab Almulawah stable.

No doubt similar scenes would unfold at Meydan if Bhupat Seemar, who is set to become champion trainer in his first year with a licence at Zabeel Stables, could set the seal on a truly memorable season by winning the big one with Remorse (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).

“I'm very fortunate to be in this position, and in my first season it's great that we have a runner in the World Cup itself,” said Seemar, who took over from his uncle, Satish, in November. 

“You've got to be realistic. You're going in the world's biggest race with some of the top dirt horses in the world. Yes, we've improved from 80 to 111 but strange things do happen in races; the pace could collapse or something could happen. Remorse is such an honest horse and so far all he's done is improve, so hopefully we can keep him healthy for the race and get a good draw.”

Another hero of the most recent Breeders' Cup at Del Mar, Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), returns to action for the first time since his triumph in the Turf and leads a team of five runners on the night from the Charlie Appleby stable. The quintet includes the recent G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint winner Man Of Promise (Into Mischief), one of three for the trainer in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint. 

As progressive as Yibir was last season, he will face no easy task in a G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic line-up which features a fierce challenge from Japan, notably Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), recent winner of the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh, dual Hong Kong Vase winner Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), and last year's Japanese Derby and Oaks winners, Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}). These are just four of a 23-strong raiding party, the largest ever from Japan, as outlined recently in these pages.

Two years ago, with just six days to go to the Dubai World Cup, the event was cancelled along with all major sporting events as the Covid pandemic took its toll. The strict mask rules that remain in place locally are a reminder of those grim times, and the fact that the coronavirus is still a threat, but the world is pushing on with both business and pleasure, and in Dubai this week the racing world is able to gather once more to indulge in a spot of both.

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Japan Success Generations In The Making

The main event on Saudi Cup Day two weeks ago was all about the host nation, with the locally owned and trained Emblem Road (Quality Road) posting a remarkable upset in the world's richest horse race. Saudi Arabia has announced its presence on the global horse racing scene loud and clear, and the country-with its ever-increasing investment in racehorses and breeding stock globally–will continue to be heard from for years to come.

When the layers are peeled back on the third running of the Saudi Cup card, however, it was another nation who made the biggest statement. Japan swept the first four international races on the card and finished second and third in the G3 Saudi Derby. In other words, the only race in which Japan did not hit the board was the Saudi Cup.

While Saudi Cup Day marked a breakout performance for Japan on the world stage, it was far from its first-the dust had still barely settled on Japan's two-win days at both the Breeders' Cup and Hong Kong International Meeting last year-and in fact, the crescendo has been rising for years. Japan's increasing frequency of success on racing's biggest days have gone hand-in-hand with the internationalization of its industry in recent decades, and indeed each of the nation's winners and placegetters on Saudi Cup Day boast pedigrees that have criss-crossed the continents for generations.

Undoubtedly the most major turning point in the history of Japanese breeding came when Zenya Yoshida–the father of current-day Japanese breeding doyens Teruya, Katsumi and Haruya Yoshida-purchased American Classic winner Sunday Silence to stand at stud at Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido, reportedly paying $7.5-million for 75% of the horse in 1991 (Yoshida had purchased 25% of Sunday Silence in training so was buying out his partners on the remainder). Sunday Silence, the 10-time champion sire in Japan, had his presence felt on Saudi Cup day not only through his best-known son Deep Impact (Jpn), whose son Kizuna (Jpn) sired the G3 1351 Turf Sprint winner Songline (Jpn), but also through another son, Stay Gold (Jpn), and his own son in turn Orfevre (Jpn).

Stay Gold (Jpn) was a member of Sunday Silence's third crop and was his sire's first major international winner, traveling to take the Dubai Sheema Classic and Hong Kong Vase. Stay Gold has sired 56 stakes winners and 10 Group 1 winners and Stay Foolish (Jpn), a member of Stay Gold's last full crop, joined his sire as an international winner with a victory in the 3000-metre G3 Red Sea Turf H., defeating the G1 Irish St Leger scorer Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}).

Another of Stay Gold's international winners-and, in fact, the second-richest racehorse in history-was Orfevre (Jpn), the Japanese Triple Crown and two-time G1 Arima Kinen scorer who is probably best known internationally for twice finishing second in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, including when he famously snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when hanging badly inside the final furlong while on the lead in 2012, once again dashing Japan's still unfulfilled Arc dreams.

Orfevre's Authority (Jpn) was already a triple group-race winner in Japan but he landed on the public radar in November when finishing second to Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Japan Cup, and he kicked off Japan's four-timer on Saudi Cup Day when justifying favouritism in the 2100-metre G3 Neom Turf Cup. Orfevre is also the sire of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Marche Lorraine (Jpn), who was sixth in her final start in the Saudi Cup.

Authority and Stay Foolish's victories bookended the filly Songline in the 1351 Turf Sprint, and she became the first stakes winner over 1200 metres for her exciting young sire Kizuna, a Japanese Derby-winning son of Deep Impact. Kizuna is another to have represented Japan admirably on the world stage: racing for the Maeda family, which regularly supplements its stock with American bloodlines, Kizuna traveled to France to beat the Derby winner Ruler Of The World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G2 Prix Niel and was fourth behind Treve (Fr) and Orfevre (Jpn) in the 2014 Arc.

Another sire story of the day belonged to Symboli Kris S, broodmare sire of both Authority and Songline. Symboli Kris S was bred in Kentucky by Takahiro Wada and like Sunday Silence descends from the Hail To Reason line, he through Roberto and Kris S. Symboli Kris S was exported to Japan for his racing career and was highly successful, winning two renewals each of the G1 Arima Kinen and G1 Tenno Sho Autumn before retiring to Shadai. The best of Symboli Kris S's five Group 1 winners thus far has been the G1 Japan Cup and Classic-winning Epiphaneia (Jpn) and he, incidentally, is a full-brother to Authority's dam Rosalind (Jpn). Epiphaneia and Rosalind are out of Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}) who, like Stay Gold, was a pioneering Japanese shipper, traveling to California to win the GI American Oaks by four lengths in 2005 after taking the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). Cesario has become an excellent producer; in addition to Epiphaneia and Rosalind, she is the dam of the 2015 champion 2-year-old colt Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}); Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), a Group 1 winner at two and a Classic winner, and two other Group 2-placed winners. Songline is a descendant of European champion filly Sonic Lady (Nureyev), and it is also the family of Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), who scored a hugely popular victory when winning the G1 Nassau S. at Glorious Goodwood in 2019 before staying on to train in Newmarket and traveling the world to run in Group 1s.

Dancing Prince (Jpn) (Pas De Trois {Jpn}), Japan's fourth winner on Saudi Cup Day in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, brings together influences of Mr. Prospector, Halo and Northern Dancer through their Japanese imported sons End Sweep, Sunday Silence and Northern Taste, respectively. The 7-year-old Dancing Prince, who won the G3 Capella S. on Dec. 12, is the most successful horse sired by the multiple Group 3-winning turf sprinter Pas de Trois, whose sire Swept Overboard won the GI Ancient Title S. in 2001 and the GI Met Mile in 2002. Swept Overboard was sold to stand in Japan upon the conclusion of his racing career and his best runner is Omega Perfume (Jpn), who won four straight renewals of the Tokyo Daishoten, a local Group 1, including the most recent renewal in December. Swept Overboard's sire and grandsire, End Sweep and Forty Niner, were both champion first-season sires in America before being sold to stand in Japan.

Dancing Prince is out of a mare by Bubble Gum Fellow (Jpn), a champion 2-year-old from Sunday Silence's first crop. His second dam, Sawayaka Princess (Northern Taste), produced the G1 Mile Championship winner Durandal (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). Japan was also third and fourth in the Dirt Sprint with Chain Of Love (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and defending winner Copano Kicking (Spring At Last).

When it comes to passion for horse racing, it would be tough to top the Japanese. There is an incredible betting culture and fandom surrounding the sport in Japan, and international success seems to directly fuel not only increased global participation, but also the spend on bloodstock: just days removed from the nation's Breeders' Cup double with Marche Lorraine and Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Japanese breeders headed to the Kentucky breeding stock sales and purchased 13 seven-figure mares, including the Classic-winning filly Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) for $4.7-million and four additional mares that topped $3-million.

Now, Japan is poised to bring an unprecedented squad to Dubai World Cup night that currently numbers 24. Authority and Stay Foolish are on the lists, respectively, for the G1 Sheema Classic and G2 Gold Cup. Sekifu (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), who was runner-up in the G3 Saudi Derby, is pencilled in for the G2 UAE Derby. Among those set to join Authority in the Sheema Classic are Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the back-to-back winner of the G1 Hong Kong Vase, and last year's G1 Tokyo Yushun and G1 Yushun Himba scorers Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}). Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}), who was bred in Germany but is campaigned in Japan by Sunday Racing and beat Songline in last year's G1 NHK Mile Cup, is among those earmarked for the G1 Dubai Turf, while Vin De Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was runner-up in the 1800 metre event last year, is set to return. Copano Kicking and Chain Of Love lead the Japanese squad for the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. Japanese dirt star Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) will line up for the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup.

Those are just a handful of the runners that could give Japan another night to remember in Dubai later this month. And regardless of the outcomes at Meydan, it is an odds-on bet that the global racing community will continue to see the effects of Japan's incredible investment in and commitment to its racing and breeding programme.

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First Strike To Japan On Saudi Cup Card

Fresh off major showings at the Breeders' Cup and Hong Kong International races, Japan brought a formidable squad to Riyadh for the Saudi Cup card on Saturday, and the nation lodged first blow with Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) leading every step of the way to take the G3 Neom Turf Cup.

The winner of a pair of Group 2s going a mile and a half and 2500 metres in 2020 as a 3-year-old, Authority was upped to two miles during the first part of his campaign last year. He was a neck second in the G3 Diamond S. at Tokyo before finishing down the field in the G1 Tenno Sho Spring, and was subsequently dropped back to 2500 metres to defend his title in the G2 Copa Republica Argentina. He came on the international radar, however, with his second-place finish to superstar Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year's Japan Cup, and was making his first start since on Saturday and his first international run.

Breaking on top and encouraged to stay there by Christophe Lemaire, Authority soon found himself in an easy canter on the lead as last year's G1 Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) raced wide in midpack from his wide gate with the Aga Khan's Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) one path to his inside and America's Channel Cat (English Channel) behind them. Authority arrived at the top of the stretch traveling best and was never in danger, extending his lead to up to three lengths and ultimately hitting the line a length and a half clear of a mildly rallying pack that was led by Kaspar (Ger) (Pivotal {GB}), a former German runner now trained locally. Ebaiyra got up for third in her first start for trainer Francis Graffard following the retirement of Alain de Royer Dupre. There was drama further back as Channel Cat was squeezed between a tiring Pyledriver and a closing Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and came down, but both he and jockey Joel Rosario were deemed ok after the incident.

“I had the best horse in the race,” said Lemaire. “I settled the pace the way I wanted, without any pressure. Then he used his long acceleration and did the same he used to do in Japan. He was very comfortable and at the end his strength made the difference. I knew he could stay the trip very well. The ground is firm, which we wanted. The plan was to go to the front and it worked out. I knew he would be very relaxed. At about 2000 metres I let him go; he did very well.

“The Japan Cup is one of the best races in the world; my horse was beaten by a Triple Crown horse in Contrail. The level in Japan is very high so it gave me a lot of confidence running second that day.”

Trainer Tetsuya Kimura said after winning with his first overseas runner: “To win a race like this is unbelievable. It was a great ride from Christophe Lemaire from the front. It is the highlight of my career. We started thinking about this race when he finished second in the Japan Cup. He likes racing left-handed, so that was one of the reasons for coming here. All going well, he will go to Dubai next month for the Sheema Classic. I would like to thank the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia for giving us the opportunity to come here.”

Jockey Martin Dwyer said of Pyledriver, who eventually finished 11th of 13 finishers, “The draw hammered me–my only hope was there was so much pace in the race on paper and I hoped it would give me a chance to get inside, but it didn't, they went slow and I was trapped deep with no cover. I had no petrol left but it was no fault of the horse. We live to fight another day.”

Pedigree Notes

Authority comes from one of the top families in Japan as of late. His dam, Rosalind (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), is out of the GI American Oaks and Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}), and therefore Rosalind is a full-sister to G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) and Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia (Jpn), who has started his stud career remarkably well as the sire of three Group 1 winners from his first three crops including the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown winner Daring Tact (Jpn). Epiphaneia and Rosalind's siblings also include the champion 3-year-old and Classic-winning Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and champion 2-year-old Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). Authority is one of 15 group winners for Orfevre, formerly a very popular runner in Japan and winner of the Japanese Triple Crown and two G1 Arima Kinens and twice runner-up in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
NEOM TURF CUP PRESENTED BY JAHEZ-G3, $1,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-26, 4yo/up, 2100mT, 2:06.72, gd.
1-AUTHORITY (JPN), 126, h, 5, by Orfevre (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Rosalind (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S
                2nd Dam: Cesario (Jpn), by Special Week (Jpn)
                3rd Dam: Kirov Premiere (GB), by Sadler's Wells
O-Silk Racing Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuya Kimura;
J-C Lemaire; $900,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Jpn,
12-6-2-1, $4,126,374 . Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2-Kaspar (Ger), 126, h, 5, Pivotal (GB)-Kastila (Ger), by
Sternkoenig (Ire). O-Yousef Mohammed A Alturaif; B-Gestut
Rottgen; T-Mohammed Alhirabi; J-Riccardo Ferreira; $300,000.
3-Ebaiyra, 121, m, 5, Distorted Humor-Ebiyza (Ire), by Rock Of
Gibraltar (Ire). O-H H The Aga Khan; B-S.A. Aga Khan;
T-F-H Graffard; J-Christophe Soumillon; $150,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NO. Also Ran: Harrovian (GB), Grocer Jack (Ger), Flying Visit (Ire), Arctic Sound (GB), Passion And Glory (Ire), La Casa Tarifa (Ire), Solid Stone (Ire), Pyledriver (GB), Zuran Zuran (Arg), Eudaimonia (Fr). DNF: Channel Cat.
Click for the Racing Post chart and VIDEO.  Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

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