Tag: Japan

Ghaiyyath Heads Field Of Six For Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes

The mighty Ghaiyyath heads a field of six runners for the Irish Champion Stakes on the opening day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown on Saturday afternoon.

Godolphin's star 5-year-old became the highest-rated horse in the world when adding the Juddmonte International at York last month to earlier top-level wins in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket and Sandown's Coral-Eclipse.

Charlie Appleby told godolphin.com: “It was a routine piece of work (on Wednesday) to check his well-being, and he has come through it without a worry.

“It was not strong work, more a breeze, which is normal procedure three days before a race. He's telling us that he's ready now for another big race.

“We are really looking forward to the weekend. He travels to Ireland at the peak of his career, unbeaten in four starts this year, three of them Grade 1s, two of which were officially rated the best performances globally in 2020.”

The Irish Champion Stakes offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Longines Turf in November at Keeneland.

The main opposition to Appleby's charge will come from two Aidan O'Brien-trained runners, Magical, winner of the Irish Champion Stakes last year and the mount of Seamie Heffernan, and the Ryan Moore-ridden Japan. Magical is bidding to become the first horse to win the race twice after the O'Brien-trained Dylan Thomas in 2006 and 2007.

Jean-Claude Rouget is back for further Irish Champion Stakes success. He won with Almanzor in 2016 and runs Sottsass, the mount of Colin Keane, and the field is completed by the Jessica Harrington-trained Leo De Fury and one more from Ballydoyle, Armory.

Classic winners Fancy Blue, trained by Donnacha O'Brien and his father Aidan's Peaceful, lead the way in the Group 1 Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron Stakes. Eleven runners will line up for the first of the weekend's six Group 1 races with Albigna and Valeria Messalina representing Jessica Harrington, Joseph O'Brien's Argentinian-import Wilds Dreams takes her chance while Johnny Murtagh runs both Champers Elysees and Know It All as he searches for a first top-level training success.

Speaking this morning, Donnacha O'Brien, who has his first Longines Irish Champions Weekend runners this weekend, said: “It's a great weekend, the biggest in Irish racing and I'm excited about having horses to run.

“Fancy Blue starts out on her autumn campaign in the Matron Stakes and while the trip might not be ideal, she does have good form over a mile and she ran well in the Irish Guineas over this distance.”

There are ten runners for the Group 2 KMPG Champions Juvenile Stakes with the Harrington-trained Cadillac leading the way along with course and distance winner Fernando Vichi, and Ides Of August, trained by Donnacha O'Brien and Ger Lyons respectively.

Another Group 2 on the stellar card is the Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile and here ten runners will go to post with British raiders Century Dream, Escobar and Safe Voyage taking on the likes of Royal Dornoch, Lancaster House and Ancient Spirit.

The Group 3 Paddy Power 'Is It 2021 Yet?' Stakes has a field of 13 with Joseph O'Brien's pair Buckhurst and Patrick Sarsfield taking on Irish Derby runner-up Tiger Moth, trained by Aidan O'Brien, Johnny Murtagh's Red Kelly and the Paddy Twomey-trained Bolivar.

Racing begins with the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes where 13 runners line out, among them Joseph O'Brien's course and distance winner Earth Strike and the recent Punchestown scorer New Emerald Bay, another for Johnny Murtagh.

A maximum field of 18 runners, including last year's runner-up Buildmeupbuttercup, are set for the Irish Stallion Farms 'Petingo' Handicap while there's also 18 declared for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Sovereign Path' Handicap with Damien English's Geological and Lord Rapscallion for Nikita Kane and Murtagh likely leading contenders.

Tim Husbands, Leopardstown CEO said: “Declarations for Day 1 of Longines Irish Champions Weekend confirm that the quality of runner associated with this prestigious weekend will be of the same exceptional standard as previous years. We are delighted to welcome our International entries but also our native runners where the depth of talent is unrivalled. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all owners, trainers, jockeys and sponsors for their valued participation and contribution to Longines Irish Champions Weekend.”

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Notable US-Bred Runners in Japan: Sept. 13, 2020

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Nakayama Racecourses:

 Sunday, September 13, 2020
5th-NKY, ¥13,400,000 ($126k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600mT
AMERICAN PEACE (c, 2 Tapit–La Cloche, by Ghostzapper), a $325K Keeneland September acquisition, is the latest produce from his Grade III-winning dam, a $2.4m Fasig-Tipton purchase by this breeder who is responsible for American Peace’s full-sister Bellevais, also a Grade III winner on turf. Second dam Memories of Silver (Silver Hawk) was a two-time winner at the highest level, and her MGISW daughter Winter Memories (El Prado {Ire}) is the dam of the MSW & MGSP ‘TDN Rising Star’ Winter Sunset (Tapit). This is also the family of fellow GSW ‘Rising Star’ Hawkish (Artie Schiller). The colt’s Tiznow half-brother is consigned as hip 1035 at KEESEP next week. B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY)

 

 

MELIODAS (c, 2, Uncle Mo–Fifty Foot Woman, by Giant’s Causeway) was also knocked down for $325K at KEESEP last fall and is out of a full-sister to GSW Excited, the dam of SW & MGSP Thrilled (Uncle Mo); and SW Wait Til Dawn. The May foal’s stakes-winning second dam Path of Thunder (Thunder Gulch) was a full-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff upsetter Spain and a half to MGSW Puerto Banus (Supremo) and GSW Fantastic Spain (Fantastic Fellow). A Curlin half-sister to Meliodas is set to sell as hip 162 during Sunday’s opening session at KEESEP. B-Fred W Hertrich III & John D Fielding (KY)

11th-CKO, Centaur S.-G2, ¥112.8m ($1.06m), 3yo/up, 1200mT
MR MELODY (h, 5, Scat Daddy–Trusty Lady, by Deputy Minister) returns to his best game in this prep for the Oct. 4. G1 Sprinters’ S. Winner of the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) in 2019 (see below, gate 3), the bay was sixth in the JBC Classic on dirt last November and has just one start since, an unplaced effort in the G1 Yasuda Kinen over Tokyo’s metric mile June 7. A half-brother to GSP Trendy Lady (Unbridled’s Song), Mr Melody was RNAd for $75K as a KEENOV weanling, fetched $100K as a KEESEP yearling the following fall and was purchased by his current connections for $400K out of the 2017 OBS April Sale. B-Bell Tower Thoroughbreds (KY)

 

 

SHIVAJI (h, 5, First Samurai–Indian Bay, by Indian Charlie) won four of 13 starts on dirt to begin his career and though he has registered just one victory–a most improbable one at that– from five turf tries (video, gate 8), he has run with credit, including a close fifth to the fleet Mozu Superflare (Speightstown) in this year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen. Produced by a daughter of GSW Buy the Barrel (E Dubai), Shivaji was a $90K KEESEP grad turned $540K OBSAPR breezer. His full-sister is cataloged as hip 1818 at this year’s KEESEP sale. B-Hinkle Farms (KY)

 

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Gleneagles Colt Strikes at Group Level in Japan

Second choice on the board at 3-1, Shock Action earned his first black-type badge in the G3 Niigata Nisai S. at Niigata on Sunday. Positioned in the center of the track in fifth for the backstretch run, he began to inch into contention on the bend despite still racing wide. In a contested third 600 metres out, he motored up toward the leaders inside the final quarter mile, seized command a furlong from home and won going away by 1 3/4 lengths. Blue Symphony closed to take second, a half-length better than Phrase d’Armes in third.

Third in a Hanshin newcomer affair on July 18, Shock Action handled good ground to take his second start over course-and-distance on Aug. 8.

Pedigree Notes

He is the seventh black-type winner and third group winner for his sire, who won four times at the highest level including both the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas and the Irish equivalent. The first foal from his dual Italian listed-winning dam who would run third in the G3 Premio Elena E Sergio Cumani, Schock Action has a yearling half-brother by Australia and a half-sister by Intello (Ger) born on Mar. 24. Reset in Blue is a half-sister to Italian GSW & G1SP Romantic Wave (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), as well as SW Dematil (Ire) (Orpen).

Sunday, Niigata, Japan
NIIGATA NISAI S.-G3, ¥59,150,000 (US$561,442/£420,500/€471,573), Niigata, 8-30, 2yo, 1600mT, 1:34.60, fm.
1–SHOCK ACTION (IRE), 119, c, 2, Gleneagles (Ire)
                1st Dam: Reset In Blue (Ire) (MSW & GSP-Ity, $162,553),
                                by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
                2nd Dam: Eurirs (Fr), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
                3rd Dam: Anna Grassi (Ity), by Bound for Honour
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (65,000gns Wlg ’18
TATNOV). O-Godolphin; B-Scuderia Effevi Srl & Dioscuri Srl
(Jpn); T-Ryuji Okubo; J-Keita Tosaki. ¥31,385,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-0-1. *7th SW for his sire (by Galileo {Ire}). Click for
   the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
   A+++. *Triple Plus*.
2–Blue Symphony (Jpn), 119, c, 2, Screen Hero (Jpn)–
Bluestone (Jpn), by Commands (Aus). O-Godolphin; B-Darley
Japan Farm (Jpn); ¥12,110,000.
3–Phrase d’Armes (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Kizuna (Jpn)–Coup de Grace
(Jpn), by White Muzzle (GB). O-Katsumi Yoshida; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); ¥7,855,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 4. Odds: 3.30, 2.90, 3.50.
Also Ran: Fervore (Jpn), Chevalier Rose (Jpn), Seiun Deimos (Jpn), Lord Max (Jpn), Blue Bird (Jpn), Havasu (Jpn), Giuramento (Jpn), Tiger Lily (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart or video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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Notable US-Bred Runners in Japan: August 30, 2020

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are a pair of American-bred horses each making its career in separate races Sunday at Kokura Racecourse:

Sunday, August 30, 2020
4th-KOK, ¥9,680,000 ($91k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200mT
SEIUN MORI (c, 3, Speightstown–Bryan’s Jewel, by Rockport Harbor) is the second foal to make the races from his dam, odds-on winner of the 2013 GIII Obeah S. and later sold for $580K with this foal in utero at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale in 2016. Seiun Mori fetched $225K as a KEESEP yearling in 2018, while his year-younger half-brother–now named Aviano (Medaglia d’Oro) and up to three furlongs at Belmont Park–was purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners for $775K at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga last summer. Timber Town consigns Seiun Mori’s yearling full-brother as hip 518 next month at Keeneland. B-Timber Town Stable & Jane Winegardner (KY)

5th-KOK, ¥13,400,000 ($126k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT
KOEI BRAVE (c, 2, Run Away and Hide–Officer Allie, by Officer), a $40,000 acquisition out of the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita fall yearling sale, was one of just 10 horses to breeze an eighth of a mile in :9 4/5 and was hammered down for $170K at this year’s OBS March Sale. The California-bred is the most expensive juvenile for his now-expatriated sire since Kaleem Shah paid $325K for future GSW & GISP juvenile Run Away at Barretts in 2017. B-Jack & Barbara Owens (CA)

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