Sapporo

SAPPORO, Japan -- "It's been a hard day's night," sang Masayuki Goto, vice-chairman of the Asian Racing Federation (ARF), as he took to the stage for his keynote speech during the closing exchanges of the 4oth Asian Racing Conference (ARC). And it is plain that Goto, the former president and CEO of the Japan Racing Association (JRA), and his fellow ARF committee members are looking forward to the day when their counterparts around the world are singing along in perfect harmony, perhaps to the tune of Here Comes The Sun....

Sunday Racing's Magic Sands (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) retained his unbeaten tag when reeling in long-time leader Arma Veloce (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) to land the G3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes in a tight finish. Heavy rain through the night and into the early afternoon in Sapporo had rendered the turf track yielding but the sun was out by the time the sole graded race of the card was run, with 12 runners facing the judge, seven of whom had raced just once previously. Bred by Northern Farm, Magic Sands made his two-length...

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 Sapporo Racecourses: Saturday, August 31, 2024 6th-CKO, ¥13,720,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m YUTO THE YUTO (c, 2, Preservationist--Officer Leah, by Officer) is set to become the first Japanese starter for his young sire, who has accounted for 41...

SAPPORO, Japan -- While other racing nations are becoming accustomed to lauding the overseas success of Japanese runners and looking on with awe at the huge financial clout of the country's domestic racing programme, it would be folly to think that Japan's racing scene does not face its own specific issues. Indeed, the host nation for the 40th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) was put under the spotlight in Sapporo on Thursday when leading trainer Yoshito Yahagi and breeder Kenichiro Mishima took to the stage to discuss ways in which Japanese...

SAPPORO, Japan -- 'Be connected, stride together' runs the strapline for the 40th Asian Racing Conference. There are of course representatives from beyond the Asian nations present in Sapporo and it did not take long for the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) chairman Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges to remind some 800 delegates just how out of step is British racing. "Great Britain is probably the most challenged when it comes to industry fragmentation," he said. "For our colleagues in the BHA, I would not call it Mission Impossible but it's close, and even...

SAPPORO, Japan -- "Wherever you are, the important thing is that aftercare is recognised as a shared responsibility for owners, breeders, participants and the authorities." So said Michael Owen, the keynote speaker at the eighth annual conference of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR). The words of the former England footballer underlined the message that has been at the forefront of IFAR since its inception in 2016 under the drive of the charitable wing of Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's Godolphin operation. Its formation has brought about a...

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 Saturday at Sapporo Racecourse: Saturday, August 24, 2024 5th-SAP, ¥13,720,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1700m LUXOR CAFE (c, 2, American Pharoah--Mary's Follies, by More Than Ready) is the full-brother to Cafe Pharoah, back-to-back winner of the G1 February Stakes and third in the 2023 G1...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes 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 Sunday running at Sapporo Racecourse in the north of the country: 5th-SAP, ¥13,720,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800mT MATENRO SON (c, 2, Into Mischief--Miss Panthere {Jpn}, by Daiwa Major {Jpn}) is the latest foal to the races for his dam, who defeated Japanese Horse...

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 Saturday running at Niigata and Sapporo Racecourses. Horses of interest for Sunday's program at Niigata will appear in Saturday's TDN: Saturday, August 3, 2024 3rd-NII, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m SHIN BELIEVE (c, 2, Constitution--Sand Puce {Arg}, by Footstepsinthesand {GB}) was bought back...

The upcoming Asian Racing Conference at Sapporo on Aug. 28-30 will feature Japanese industry members' views on the future of racing in Japan. The business programme will consist of nine sessions, and there will also be three dedicated sharing sessions. Opening speeches will be delivered by Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, ARF chairman and Masayoshi Yoshida, president and CEO of the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Officials from the JRA, National Association of Racing in Japan, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., Shadai Farm, Northern Farm, and Big Red Farm, will be sharing their insights during...

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 Niigata and Sapporo Racecourses: Saturday, August 26, 2023 5th-SAP, ¥13,720,000 ($94k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1700m CLARIFY (c, 2, Justify--Quote {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) is the first foal from his dam, an €400,000 Arqana October yearling purchase by M.V. Magnier in 2017...

Many of the 15 horses signed on for Sunday's G2 Sapporo Kinen were on trial for future events on foreign soil, and while the lion's share of those toiled in the tricky underfoot conditions, Shadai Race Horse's Prognosis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was the one standing tallest at the finish as he galloped home a decisive winner. Winner of the G2 Kinko Sho over the 2000 metres in March, Prognosis accepted an invitation to Hong Kong for the G1 FWD QE II Cup the following month, and, with record-setting Zac...