Japanese racing

A World Cup meeting needs world-class runners plus a global spread of results. This much and more was delivered by the 27th Dubai World Cup and supporting races at Meydan on Saturday. With 26 runners on the night, it was always a given that Japan would feature prominently and, in an exhibition of excellence that we are now becoming accustomed to, they led all comers, just as they had in Riyadh last month. The performance of Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) alone was pretty dramatic, coming from tailed off to...

Yuichi Fukunaga, one of the most decorated jockeys in Japanese racing history, paid an emotional tribute to his fans ahead of his retirement rides at the Saudi Cup. The 46-year-old had his final rides on the Japan Racing Association (JRA) circuit at Tokyo Racecourse earlier this month but will close the chapter on his storied career when he partners Remake (Jpn) (Lani) in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint presented by Sports Boulevard and Ecoro Ares (Unified) in the G3 Saudi Derby presented by Boutique Group on Saturday. The veteran rider...

Yakushima (GB), the first and only runner in Japan for his 2022 European, British and Irish Champion Sire, became the sixth stakes winner for Havana Grey with a speedy score in the Listed Crocus S. at Tokyo on Saturday. Third choice in the field at 3-1, the Godolphin colourbearer was part of the early pace discussion and shadowed From Dusk (Bolt d'Oro) and Smooth Velvet (Jpn) (Discreet Cat) through splits of :23.50 for the quarter and :47.30 for the half mile. He remained in shouting distance of the leaders and...

With Heather Anderson, TDN Associate International Editor First job in the Thoroughbred industry? Interning at a reproduction centre at Peterson & Smith down in Florida. Biggest influence on your career? My parents. Neither are in the industry, but they gave me a good foundation and the right mind set to succeed. Favourite racehorse of all time, and why? Tiznow. He's still the only dual winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Who will be champion first-season sire in 2023? Land Force. Greatest race in the world? G1 Prix de l'Arc...

Rated 109, just like fellow group winners Dolce More (Jpn) (Jpn) and Obamburumai (Jpn) (Discreet Cat), All Parfait (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) is one of the more fancied runners as 17 colts line up for the 1600-metre G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. at Hanshin on Sunday. Leaving from post three, the Ryoichi Endo homebred has won his past two starts, after running second in a Tokyo maiden in June. Resuming over this trip in a maiden at Nakayama on Oct. 2, he won by two lengths, prior to defeating Danon...

On hiatus for the past several months, Group 1 action returns to the Land of the Rising Sun in Nakayama's 1200-metre Sprinters S. on Sunday. Sixteen horses have stood their ground, among them last-out G2 Centaur S. heroine Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}). Leaving from gate 13, the 4-year-old filly and 2-1 morning line pick is aiming to become the first horse to complete the Centaur/Sprinters S. double since Tower Of London (Jpn) (Raven's Pass) in 2019. Trained by Hidenori Take, the Nagoya Keibo Co. Ltd colourbearer will have...

A full field of 18 line up for Sunday's ¥380,000,000 G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) at Hanshin. Leading the charge in the 3200-metre feature, one of the most lucrative staying contests on the planet, is Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}). Still hunting for his first Group 1 win, the 5-year-old has won two editions of the G2 Hanshin Daishoten, and even took his show on the road last year, with a victory in the G2 Prix Foy at ParisLongchamp. He detested the heavy going in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de...

Billed as the "Cherry Blossom Prize", Japan's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over 1600 metres is the first Japanese Classic of the season, and a full field of 18 faces the starter on Sunday. The diminutive three-for-four Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) is the likely favourite, and she enters this test on the back of a victory in the Mar. 5 G2 Tulip Sho. Her only loss was in her third start, when a close fourth after a slow break and a rough trip to Circle Of Life (Jpn) (Epiphaneia...

Naran Huleg (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) prevailed in a desperately close finish in the 1200-metre G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday. The 6-year-old entire was a 26-1 shot, and took up his customary position near the tail of the field against the rail. The 6-5 crowd's pick Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), meanwhile, cut out fractions of :22.40 and :44.40, while pressed by Gendarme (Kitten's Joy). Ridden for luck on the far turn, the Katsushige Muraki runner still needed to pass most of his rivals when turning into the...

Favoured to become the first Group 1 winner for his sire in the G1 Champions Cup, T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) followed the money and crossed the wire six lengths to the good of 2020 winner and Japanese Champion Dirt Horse Chuwa Wizard (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) at Chukyo on Sunday. Priced at 2-1, the 4-year-old colt rated kindly in sixth as Group 1-winning white mare Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune {Jpn}), making her dirt bow, opened up to lead past the winning post and into the first turn. Positions were...

Japanese champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) signed off her career with her second consecutive G1 Mile Championship victory, her sixth top-level score, at Hanshin on Sunday. She is the first horse to win back-to-back Mile Championships since Daiwa Major (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) in 2006/07. Tabbed the heavy favourite at 70 cents on the dollar, the 5-year-old mare was content to race near the rear of the field as Ho O Amazon (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) sped through fractions of :23.70 and :47.60. Jockey Christophe Lemaire had a ton...

In what would become the battle of the favorites, Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) proved best on the day, winning Sunday's G1 Tenno Sho Autumn at Tokyo. With the victory in the 2000-meter test, the colt became the first 3-year-old to win the race since Symboli Kris S won the event in 2002. Sent off as the third betting choice, Efforia settled in a comfortable sixth early as longshot Kaiser Minoru (Jpn) led the way while second choice Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and an overly-eager Tosu Surya (Jpn) (Lohengrin)...