Pixie Knight

After a break of just over 100 days, elite-level racing returns to the Japanese racing scene, as a full field of 18 is set to face the starter in Sunday's Sprinters' S. at Nakayama Racecourse. Five of the entrants are making a repeat appearance in the 1200-metre test, including Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), who was a sound fifth in last year's running in what was her final appearance as a 3-year-old. After besting First Force (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G3 Silk Road S. in January, the...

by Alan Carasso The Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse has had much to overcome over the last few years. In 2019, massive social unrest--including a cluster at the Chinese University of Hong Kong a stone's throw from the track--left some doubt as to whether the event would go forward at all. At the end of the day, not only did it proceed, but it was supported to the tune of record turnover of HK$1.71 billion. Twelve months ago, in the midst of a pandemic...

A total of 43 horses representing Hong Kong, England, Ireland, France and Japan were entered for Sunday's HK$100 million Longines Hong Kong International Meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse, and the luck of the barrier draw--held Thursday morning in the parade ride at the track--was much in favour of the horses that are anticipated to be at the head of the markets in the four events. For a horse like reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), who likes to get back and then put his...

Pixie Knight (Jpn) became the first Group 1 winner for Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn) when coming home a smooth winner of Sunday's G1 Sprinters S. at Nakayama Racecourse. He likewise became the first 3-year-old since 2007 to take the coveted six-furlong prize, and just the sixth since the race was promoted to Group 1 status in 1990. A debut winner going seven furlongs last September, Pixie Knight finished third in allowance company before being put away for the winter. Stepping up to pattern company to take the...

A diverse field of 16 short-track specialists converges on Nakayama Racecourse Sunday as Japanese Group 1 racing emerges from a three-month hiatus in the 1200-metre Sprinters' S. Koji Maeda's Gendarme (Kitten's Joy) was a Group 2 winner over a mile and Group 1-placed going 10 furlongs at two, but has gone through a renaissance of sorts since being cut back to distances between six and seven panels about this time last year. A listed winner at Niigata at seven-eighths last October, the homebred son of 2002 Sprinters' heroine Believe (Jpn)...

Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.'s Grenadier Guards (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}), a son of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Wavell Avenue (Harlington), will look to return to winning ways as one of the top couple of betting choices in Sunday's G1 NHK Mile Cup at Toyko Racecourse. The bay colt graduated at third asking over 1400 metres at Hanshin last November, then belied odds of 16-1 to upset future G1 Satsuki Sho third Stella Veloce (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity going this distance in mid-December....