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EDWARD WHITAKER (RACINGPOST.COM/PHOTOS)
日本の競馬へようこそ
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WELCOME TO RACING IN JAPAN
ORSERACING in Japan has always attracted large crowds and highly enthusiastic fans, but the main focus has been on betting rather than the beauty of the sport itself. Our mission is to transform racing from simply being a medium for gambling to a sport that is recognised as being at the heart of Japanese culture. To do that, I believe it is necessary to make Japanese horseracing a truly international sport – one that not only sends horses to compete in the best races around the world but which attracts the participation of top-class runners from Europe, America and Australasia. There is a relatively recent precedent for such a transformation. Football was a minor sport in Japan until a couple of decades ago and the J League, the professional football league, was not formed until 1992. Since then it has brought in many major overseas players and coaches to take an important role in the league. Their participation has led to a great improvement in the performance of
Japanese players and Japan’s national team has been highly successful on the international stage. As a result, the number of Japanese football fans has skyrocketed and football has become recognised not only as a major sport but also as an integral part of Japanese culture. So I would appeal for your assistance in realising my dream and completing a similarly momentous change in Japanese horseracing. We would welcome the participation of your horses in Japan. You would receive a warm reception, extremely healthy prizemoney and generous bonuses if winning one of the many qualifying races. Racing in Japan might seem a world away from Europe in distance but in terms of the racetrack surface and the way races are run they have much in common. Sure, there are differences: racetracks in Japan are man-made, whereas those in Europe, particularly in Britain and Ireland, are usually part of the natural landscape. Think of the undulations and cambers of Epsom or Goodwood, or the uphill climb to
the finish at Ascot and Sandown. There is also a wider range of ground condition in Europe, with top races frequently taking place on good to soft or soft going and requiring horses to show more stamina than speed. In Japan it might seem track surfaces are firmer than in Europe because the times of races for equivalent distances are faster, but that is a misconception. Instead it can be attributed to the fact Japan’s man-made racetracks have safe, even, less undulating surfaces. As a result it is easier to run fast. Christophe Lemaire, the winning jockey in the 2018 Japan Cup on Almond Eye is certainly a fan. “Tokyo’s track is flat, and Japanese races tend to have a stronger pace from the start compared to European races,” he has said. “The track is fair, even and safe and as a result race times are faster.” I would be delighted if you could find out for yourself all that racing in Japan has to offer international visitors. We look forward to welcoming you. HIROYUKI MATSUMOTO JRA CHIEF REPRESENTATIVE, LONDON
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OISIN IN A WINTER WONDERLAND James Stevens finds out about top jockey Oisin Murphy’s Japanese adventure – and why he’s already planning another
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Oisin Murphy aboard Copano Kicking, on whom he won the Grade 3 Negishi Stakes at Tokyo in January (main picture) Pictures: MASAKAZU TAKAHASHI
HAT elusive inaugural Group 1 win is so often talked about as the breakthrough for the career of a trainer or jockey, and if anyone can prove how vital that first toplevel success is it is Oisin Murphy. In 2017 Murphy hit the century for a second year and enjoyed his ffinest inest season of his five years’ riding. He had won 12 times at Group 2 level and captured many of Britain’s historic handicaps including the Chester Cup, Ayr Gold Cup and Ebor, yet that top-level prize still eluded him. But on Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe day at Longchamp the wait was finally over and Murphy introduced himself to the international Flat racing stage in the best way possible. The history-making horse was Aclaim, who endured trouble in running but managed to prevail in the Prix de la Foret to kickstart Murphy’s rapid progress to becoming one of Flat racing’s star names. Murphy reflects on that wait: “For outsiders looking in I suppose you could say things happened quickly in the last few years, but for me I’ve put everything into it since I was 16, so it felt longer. “I spent two summers in Ballydoyle in 2010 and 2011, where I got to work with some top horses – St Nicholas Abbey, So You Think, Starspangledbanner, Camelot . . . “Then I went to Andrew Balding’s and got my first ride in May 2013. Until October 2017 I’d not had a Group 1 winner, even though I’d won some big races. Then I won with Aclaim and things started really going the way I wanted.” Balding was Murphy’s biggest supporter when he ventured into racing in Britain and, just 14 days after Aclaim’s victory, the Irish jockey could reward the faith shown by his trainer by handing him a Group 1 win with Blond Me in the EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine, Canada. But it was the following season when Murphy’s talents would really shine. He
struck up a formidable partnership with Qatar Racing’s Roaring Lion, winning the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in a dazzling season. The 23-year-old jockey also played a key role in the globetrotting campaign of Godolphin’s Benbatl. The pair took Group 1 prizes in Dubai and Germany before giving fans of the Australian star Winx a moment of doubt in the Cox Plate. Even a red-hot Murphy could not stop the wondermare. But perhaps the real sign of his excellence was his remarkable two months last winter in Japan, where he had always aspired to ride. He held a JRA licence for only seven weeks in December and January but in that period he was the country’s leading jockey with an outstanding 25 wins and 34 placings from 126 rides. “It was always my ambition to get to Japan,” he says. “They have the best Flat racing in the world, with some of the most talented horses. The criteria to go there is very strict and I was delighted when they accepted my application. “I was attached to Sakae Kunieda, who trains Almond Eye, and I had a very good agent in Mr Nakamura, who also works with Ryan Moore. My interpreter Hiroshi Ando, who I met in Hong Kong a few years ago, had spent time with John Gosden so I couldn’t have had better support. I was really well looked after.” Murphy’s stint certainly hit the headlines and a five-timer from nine rides at Tokyo on the final day of holding his JRA licence was certainly a good way to go out. Of his 25 wins, six were at stakes level, with Copano Kicking in the Group 3 Negishi Stakes the highlight. The ability Murphy showed did not go unnoticed as some of Japan’s leading trainers were keen to provide him with opportunities – making Nakamura’s job of organising Murphy’s rides trickier – but with Kunieda, the pair struck up a strong connection. “I rode for almost everyone in the top 30
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JAPAN’S LEADING JOCKEYS Yuga Kawada
Born 15 October 1985
Son of former Flat jockey and Saga racecourse-based trainer Takayoshi Kawada, he graduated from the JRA jockeys’ school and made his debut in March 2004. He landed his first Classic and Grade 1 race in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) in 2008 on Captain Thule. Since 2010 he has been a regular in the JRA jockeys’ top ten. He worked for Roger Varian in Britain for eight weeks last year and it seems to have paid off as he is the leading jockey this season from Christophe Lemaire.
Christophe Lemaire Born 20 May 1979
of the trainers’ table, which was pretty remarkable. I had a great agent,” Murphy adds. “I have a great relationship with Sakae Kunieda but I hadn’t met him until I went. The first weekend I was riding he put me on favourites and my interpreter did his best to translate what he wanted but they didn’t win when I was doing what I was told. “On the second day he told me to ride them however I wanted and we ended up having an unbelievable strike-rate together, so I can’t thank him enough. He put faith in me and I got a free rein. “Even the buzz you get from galloping maidens in the morning is special. I was lucky to ride some young horses with amazing pedigrees, who could be Group 1 horses one day.” Perhaps the secret behind Murphy’s instant success was homework as he spent time in advance looking closely at the style of racing and how the pace of Japanese races differs from Europe. “The pace is pretty strong,” he says. “I was there in December and January, so you are racing on very quick ground and the horses
4,550 Fans who queued overnight for the Japanese Derby
At opening time there was a rush to secure the best spot, with the area around the finish line in demand for the best race pictures
run super-fast. I’d been doing homework by watching Japanese racing for three years so I adapted more quickly than anyone expected, but I did put in a fair bit of work. “It’s tough going out there. On Friday you go into quarantine and you are there until the end of racing on Sunday. It’s intense; they have 12-race cards and I rode in most races. It’s tiring riding 24 races in a weekend.”
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AVING ridden all around the world, notably in Australia, Dubai and Canada, Murphy particularly enjoyed the racing experience in Japan in comparison with Britain and Ireland. “The first issue for me was that not many people speak English but they make an effort and really go out of their way to help you settle in,” he says. “They made me feel I belong there and the support I had was unbelievable. I would go racing with a full book of rides on beautifully bred horses so it was great. “I rode only at two courses, Tokyo and Nakayama, and they are both Group 1 tracks. They are big, wide-open spaces and they get huge crowds even on a normal day when there aren’t any Group races. The crowd makes a lot of noise and they are knowledgeable about their racing too; they create a great atmosphere. I remember before the Arima Kinen the fans were camping out before the race, which is amazing. “As British and Irish racing fans, I think we can definitely take from what they do there. They have a great betting model for one, and they buy the best mares from Europe and breed them with the best stallions – as a result they have some unbelievable horses.” Since that experience Murphy has continued to flourish and is on course to land a first champion jockeys’ title at the age of 23. He became the first jockey in Britain to hit the century mark in the 2019 season and there is no doubting he has
emerged as one of the finest riders around. Those seven weeks in Japan, learning how to adapt to a different country, have been integral to his success. “It gave me huge confidence when I came back,” he adds. “This was the biggest challenge I had faced. You’re on your own and there’s pressure when you’re riding good horses for the most powerful owners outside Godolphin and Coolmore. “Northern Farm run a number of syndicates under their umbrella and any good horse is either managed or bred by them and that’s important to remember. “I’m fully aware that without fast horses there are no fast jockeys and I need to keep getting results and being supported by the right people. “I think Royal Ascot proved I have come a long way this year – I rode practically as many as Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori. I may not have had the same quality of rides but I had a winner, two seconds and two thirds.” Having already enjoyed success in Japan the ambitious Murphy is already thinking about a return, with a Group 1 victory at the top of his bucket list – although he also has one eye on making history by riding Japan’s first Arc winner. Despite Japan’s high-class calibre of horse they have just failed to find a superstar to overcome European dominance. Perhaps Cheval Grand could be the history-maker and Murphy will ride him in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, a key stepping stone to the Arc. “Of course I would love to go back to Japan,” he says confidently. “Any of the Group 1 races in Japan I dream of winning and I think they have a very good crop of three-year-olds. “I genuinely believe it is a matter of time before a Japanese horse wins the Arc. My goal was to find horses who could run in the Arc and bring them to Europe. If I could get the opportunity it would be brilliant, even though I know I’d feel the weight of the Japanese nation on my shoulders.”
Prominent French jockey who received his JRA licence in 2015 after passing an exam which requires oral communication skills in Japanese, knowledge of horseracing law in Japan and veterinary science. He has been successful from the outset, finishing fourth in JRA rankings in 2015, second in 2016 and then winning the title in 2017 and 2018 when he collected a sensational 215 races, breaking the JRA record of 212 established by Yutaka Take in 2005 and landing four Grade 1 races in a row in the autumn.
Keita Tosaki
Born 8 July 1980
Originally licensed by NAR (Japan’s other racing organisation) and ranked first on that circuit, he is a multiple champion at Tokyo City Keiba, his home track. He then decided to challenge the ‘premier league’ JRA and passed the test to get his JRA licence in 2013. He quickly established himself as one of the best jockeys in the JRA and was the winningmost jockey for three years in a row from 2014-2016.
Yutaka Take
Born 15 March 1969
A legend among Japanese jockeys since his debut in 1987, he has constantly set new benchmarks in the sport. His first season’s winning total of 69 was a record for more than 20 years and in his second season he won the Japanese St Leger and became the youngest Grade 1 jockey in JRA history. He won at least one Grade 1 race for 30 consecutive years from 1988 to 2017 and holds the record for most JRA wins by a jockey at more than 4,000.
Yuichi Fukunaga
Born 9 December 1976
Born into a family of horsemen, his father Yoichi was a great jockey nicknamed ‘Genius’ who was paralysed in a race fall. Because of this Yuichi’s dream was always to win the Japanese Derby in his father’s honour and he did so at the 19th attempt in 2018 on Wagnerian. He has been ranked in the top five throughout the last ten years, winning the title in 2011 and 2013.
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HAVE HORSE WILL TRAVEL
Jonathan Harding finds out from Ed Dunlop why whenever he finds the right horse he is keen to map out an international campaign
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NOW FAIRY left an indelible mark on Ed Dunlop’s career. You need only look around La Grange Stables in Newmarket to understand the importance of the filly who took Japan by storm. There is a block of stables named in her honour, paid for with prize-money from her exploits in Kyoto in 2010 and 2011, and photographs of her back-to-back Queen Elizabeth Cup victories have been hung with pride on the walls of the trainer’s office. The dual Oaks winner arrived in Japan with a lofty reputation and soon justified it. She beat Meisho Beluga by four lengths, finishing just one second outside the course record under Ryan Moore and winning close to £1.4 million in prize-money thanks to a Japan Racing Association (JRA) bonus. Snow Fairy made history by becoming the first international winner since the race was opened to the world in 1999. She came from nowhere turning for home and showed a scarcely believable turn of foot to shoot past the field and claim her third toplevel win. “There was a bit of shock from the locals with a foreign runner winning such an important race,” says Dunlop, who has sent six horses to Japan. “She was a very good three-year-old who had taken on the best in Europe. With hardly any weight to carry, she won impressively.” After ending her international campaign with victory in the Hong Kong Cup, Snow Fairy struggled to get her nose in front the following season when running well in defeat to finish third in the Arc and Champion Stakes, and was then tasked with defending her crown in front of a packed crowd at Kyoto. Her participation had been in doubt due to a bad reaction to an insect bite five days before the race and it looked as though luck was not on her side when she was drawn widest of all in stall 18. Snow Fairy was at least ten lengths behind runaway leader Shimmei Fuji turning into the straight but, after looking like a place would be the best possible outcome, stayed on strongly and powered
through a gap to beat Aventura by a neck, the penultimate win of a career in which she amassed more than £3m in prizemoney. “Her performance was mind-boggling and I’d imagine it secured her place in Japanese folklore,” says Dunlop of Cristina Patino’s homebred star, who the owner bought back for just €1,800 in 2008. “We train 80 horses but when you travel the world with a runner it takes over your life. An international campaign is usually with one horse and it becomes allencompassing with interviews and functions. It can get very intense and nervewracking.” Dunlop is no stranger to campaigning horses abroad. He has landed big prizes from Texas to Hong Kong after catching the travel bug from his father John, the legendary multiple Classic-winning trainer and a flagbearer with international runners. “My interest in travelling horses around the world is due to my father,” says Dunlop. “He had a runner in the Japan Cup many moons ago and my parents came back with great stories of trying to get on the bullet trains without knowing any Japanese whatsoever. “I’m particularly fond of Kyoto, not just because we won there, but because it’s a beautiful city with wonderful colours. I’ve also spent a few days in Tokyo with Frankie Dettori, who knew his way around much better than I did. We’ve been very lucky to visit Japan several times. “It’s extremely high-class racing in Japan and it is immaculately run. They arguably have some of the best horses in the world. It’s an incredible place to visit but we won’t be going back until we have the right horse because the local runners are so good – they’re producing serious talent.” Dunlop’s trips to the country began with Ouija Board. The Oaks heroine and Breeders’ Cup winner took on the nation’s finest in the 2005 Japan Cup, finishing a close fifth behind the Luca Cumani-trained Alkaased, the race’s most recent international winner. “The noise before the Japan Cup when nearly 90,000 people start clapping was amazing,” says Dunlop. “I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else in the world.
‘THE JRA HAVE LOOKED AFTER US AMAZINGLY WELL. THEY MAKE THE EXPERIENCE EASY’
I have kept videos on my phone of the start of the race.” Ouija Board bounced back by winning the Hong Kong Vase. She then landed the Prince of Wales’s and Nassau Stakes the following season before once again attempting to win the Japan Cup. This time she stepped into the colosseum of Tokyo with the nation’s champion, Deep Impact. The triple crown winner, now an influential sire, was Japanese racing’s leading light. Deep Impact, who racked up 12 victories from 14 starts, came with a late run under champion jockey Yutaka Take to win by two lengths, with Ouija Board two and a half lengths behind in third. “I remember Deep Impact coming out at the beginning of the race and the crowd went absolutely bonkers. He wasn’t a very big horse and it was great to be part of it. It’s always an occasion when the champion horse wins their local race,” says Dunlop. The trainer then contested Kyoto’s Mile Championship with Court Masterpiece, who finished seventh in 2006, and later that month the son of Polish Precedent finished ninth at Hanshin.
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UNLOP then made another raid on the Japan Cup with 2011 Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux, who contested the valuable Grade 1 after attempting to go one better at Flemington. Like Ouija Board, Red Cadeaux lined up alongside a Japanese superstar, Gentildonna. The fillies’ triple crown winner won by a nose, with Dunlop’s runner finishing eighth of 16 . The son of Cadeaux Genereux then contested the Spring Tenno Sho at Kyoto in 2013 and 2014, finishing third on his first attempt before coming home 14th on his final start in Japan. Dunlop made two further attempts on the Japan Cup with Joshua Tree, who finished down the field behind Gentildonna in 2013, and Trip To Paris, who came home 14th in 2015. Alongside the Melbourne Cup, it is the race Dunlop would most like to win. “The JRA have looked after us amazingly well and help the horses in every way they can. They make the experience easy and the hardest bit is winning as their runners are that good. “I realise how difficult it is to win the Japan Cup. We just need to be lucky enough to find the right type of horse again who can handle the conditions.”
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The year the British introduced horseracing to Japan Racing began at Yokohama and was enthusiastically received, rapidly spreading across the country
Ed Dunlop and team celebrate the first of Snow Fairy’s two Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup victories at Kyoto MASAKAZU TAKAHASHI
‘IT’S A FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE’ TRAVELLING HEAD LAD ROBIN TREVOR-JONES
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JAPAN’S LEADING TRAINERS Takayuki Yasuda Born 5 March 1953 Best horses Lord Kanaloa, Transcend
Derby-winning jockey who ended his career in the saddle in 1994 and began training the following year. A regular in the top ten rankings, his most successful horse has been the sprinter Lord Kanaloa, now best known as the sire of Almond Eye.
Mitsumasa Nakauchida
Born 18 December 1978 Best horses Danon Premium, Danon Fantasy This young trainer, known by all as Mitsu, was born at Shigaraki Farm pre-training facility in western Japan and has spent his entire life around horses. Leaving home at 16 he transferred to school in Ireland and then college in Britain, majoring in Equine Business at West Oxfordshire College. Worked for Richard Hannon snr, Sylvester Kirk and Sir Mark Prescott in Britain, Criquette Head in France and Bobby Frankel in the US. On returning to Japan he was assistant to Mitsuru Hashida then launched the Nakauchida Stable in 2014.
Noriyuki Hori
Trainer Ed Dunlop sports a cap featuring the name of Red Cadeaux, who had three starts in Japan among his globetrotting exploits, finishing third in the 2013 Spring Tenno Sho at Kyoto
Born 9 November 1967 Best horses Maurice, Real Impact, Satono Crown Became a trainer in 2003 and although he had only six winners in his first year he soon shot up the rankings and has been in the top ten since 2010, landing the title in 2015.
QUINN ROONEY (GETTY IMAGES)
Yasutoshi Ikee
Born 12 January 1969 Best horses Orfevre, Satono Diamond, Mikki Queen
ROBIN TREVOR-JONES swipes through photos from his eight trips to Japan with a smile. The 56-year-old travelling head lad, who has worked with Dunlop for 23 years, has looked after runners all over the world and has a wealth of stories to tell from his experiences in Asia. He pauses on a photo of a group of locals holding a Red Cadeaux banner and describes the unique journey from Britain to watching the runners head to post for the Japan Cup. “You can’t travel direct to Japan from Heathrow, you have to stop in Amsterdam,” says Trevor-Jones, who first visited Japan with Ouija Board. “We’ve been flying horses for a long time, which makes it easier to combat problems such as shipping fever. “You then spend seven days in a government quarantine facility at either Shiroi or Miki quarantine bases, which have training facilities, before being moved to the racecourse, where you’re kept in isolation. “The races are normally at the end of our season and the horses are pretty fit, so
it’s a case of maintaining their fitness. “The start of a Grade 1 in Japan is completely different to anywhere I’ve ever been. A band comes out and the horses walk around in sheds before going to the start. There is music playing as they’re loading and then the whole crowd starts banging their racecards – it’s a fantastic experience.” Trevor-Jones was fortunate enough to accompany runners competing at Kyoto and Tokyo. He speaks highly of Japanese culture and fell in love with one of the country’s delicacies. “It tastes absolutely gorgeous,” he says, pointing to a photograph of him holding a tray of Kobe beef. “I don’t really like shellfish or fishy food which they have a lot of. We were always given a party or function for one evening, but instead of taking us out they served us this beef. “The Japanese people are lovely. Kyoto was a very quiet area, while Tokyo and the nearest town Fuji were a bit more vibrant. I went a couple of times to a place called Roppongi, which was good fun.”
Son of Yasuo Ikee, trainer of 2005 triple crown winner Deep Impact, Yasutoshi followed in his father’s footsteps when Orferve completed that illustrious treble in 2011 – the only father and son ever to achieve this. Having grown up at Ritto training centre he has been immersed in the world of racing since his youth and has been friends with jockey Yutaka Take since school. He had worked for Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket and as assistant trainer to Neil Drysdale in California.
Yoshito Yahagi
Born 20 March 1961 Best horses Loves Only You, Mozu Ascot, Lys Gracieux A graduate of the prestigious Kaisei high school, he received his early education in racing in Australia. On his return to Japan he assisted his father at his stable at Ohi racecourse in Tokyo and opened his own yard in 2005. He quickly became established among the top ten trainers and won the title in 2014 and 2016. His motto ‘Play well, work well’ is well known among horseracing fans.
FRANCOIS NEL (GETTY IMAGES)
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EYE IN
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HEN tales of Japanese racing greats are exchanged between international racing journalists – usually over sundowners in far- flung hotel bars – it is never too long before someone mentions Lord Kanaloa’s extraordinary arrival on the world stage. Trainer Takayuki Yasuda waited until the day before the 2012 Hong Kong International Sprint – his first run outside of Japan – before giving Lord Kanaloa his second turf workout of the week. Such was the brutal speed he showed that every racing sage present decided the four-year-old son of King Kamehemeha had almost certainly left his race on the Sha Tin track there and then, with many writing as much. Yet Lord Kanaloa was just getting warmed up and blew his rivals away that Sunday, returning 12 months later for an even more impressive success. Such a sprinting sensation was always going to be a fascinating addition to Japan’s stallion ranks, yet few could have imagined that from his very first crop he would produce a daughter who would eclipse his own towering reputation. What is more, Almond Eye not only inherited that extravagant acceleration, but an ability to produce it at the end of races
Scott Burton on how superstar filly Almond Eye has quickly joined her father Lord Kanaloa in Japanese racing legend
over much longer distances than were ever tackled by her sire. Beaten on her debut over seven furlongs at Niigata in August 2017, she had already stamped herself as a filly of considerable promise with two smooth successes over a mile by the time Christophe Lemaire swung his leg over her at Hanshin the following April ahead of the Japanese 1,000 Guineas, the Oka Sho. It would be the start of an unbelievable sequence of five Grade 1 successes over a variety of trips, each a miniature masterpiece in its own right. And that first top-level success contained all the ingredients that have made Silk Racing’s superstar filly such a favourite with fans first inside Japan, and latterly across the racing globe: her raking stride and the way she climbed into the ground with her forelegs; her rider’s absolute trust and confidence; and her irresistible finishing burst. Lemaire gave the field a long look and settled with only one rival behind him as the runners charged around the sweeping right-hand bend into Hanshin’s short finishing straight.
With two furlongs/400 metres to run Almond Eye was travelling faster than any of her rivals but still had plenty of ground to find on the leaders. Within seconds her jockey was obliged to almost take a pull, such was the rate at which the pair were rocketing towards the front. Her style of running was not the only reason Almond Eye created an instant impression. The sheepskin noseband and the exaggerated waiting tactics recalled Arc heroine Zarkava and America’s darling, Zenyatta. Lemaire’s quiet style is tailor-made for a waiting ride but in the months that followed Almond Eye proved she was no one-trick pony when it came to track position and tactics. The Yushun Himba (Oaks) at Tokyo demanded she stretch out her brilliance an extra half-mile, yet having broken from the gate smartly she settled in sixth or seventh and was once again ridden with the confidence that neither distance nor battling opposition could blunt her final kick. The fillies’ triple crown was completed in
the 1m2f/2,000 metre Shuka Sho at Kyoto with another stylish come-from-behind effort. It was also the first sighting of ‘Team Almond Eye’ as Lemaire’s wife Barbara brought children Lucas and Andrea out on to the track, decked in the sky blue and red spotted colours of Silk Racing for a unique family portrait. Drawn in stall one for the Japan Cup back over the course and distance of their Yushun Himba success, Lemaire and Almond Eye were at their most positive for the country’s most important racing date with the outside world in late November. Settled second behind a blazing pace set by Kiseki, Almond Eye was towed all the way to the 200-metre mark before surging to a fourth straight Grade 1 success, halting sponsors Longines’ watch at an earthstopping 2m20.6 seconds, a supernaturally fast time over the 2,400m or mile and a half. For Lemaire a stellar year was not done with there as he passed Yutaka Take’s all-time JRA record for wins in a season on his way to a jockeys’ title in which, much as with Almond Eye’s best performances, second place went to daylight. The question for Silk Racing and veteran trainer Sakae Kunieda now was not whether to take Almond Eye abroad, so
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FOCUS much as where and over what trip. The audacious answer to that question was Meydan for the one-turn Dubai Turf over 1,800 metres, with no prep run. If anyone doubted whether Almond Eye’s flawless 2018 had translated beyond Japan’s own passionate racing community to the wider world, the week of the Dubai World Cup gave a resounding answer, as the world’s journalists flocked to grab a piece of the ever-affable Lemaire and Kunieda, who charmed journalists and who could not have found a workout time early enough to defeat an army of camera crews, even had he wanted to.
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S ONE observer told me, even at a global racing carnival where everyone had their own horses and connections to cover, Almond Eye and her human entourage were “the coolest kids in school” and they all seemed determined to embrace the attention. The only thing that could have spoiled this international opening night – namely defeat to supposedly inferior opposition – never looked much of a possibility once Almond Eye cruised around the bend three wide, the fierce pace seeming to suit her even better. If Almond Eye could do this first up, what
could still be in the locker for subsequent outings in 2019. However, even easy winners expend a lot of effort and that is definitely true when it comes to Japan’s number one, who more than once has looked laboured after one or another of her herculean efforts and whose trainer has reported issues with dehydration. Whether it was the travelling or the intensity of effort, the Dubai experience made up connections’ minds that a trip to Europe with the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as the ultimate goal should be shelved for 2019. What may also have played a part was the evidence of Almond Eye’s performance on the Meydan track over what many had assumed would be an inadequate trip. The conclusion Kunieda and the Silk Racing team drew was that, after appropriate recovery time, they should come down in trip again and aim for an all-aged mile title in the Yasuda Kinen on the first Sunday in June. On her fourth trip to Tokyo, the site of her great triumphs in the Yushun Himba and the Japan Cup, the unthinkable happened. Almond Eye was beaten, albeit by a rapidly diminishing neck and a nose. The race record went by four tenths of a second but it was not for want of speed that Almond Eye went down gallantly to Indy
Champ – also owned by Silk Racing – and Aerolithe. Lemaire confirmed after the race that in a messy start he and Almond Eye had been broadsided and knocked backwards, costing as much as five lengths in the rider’s estimation. Finishing wide of her rivals and approaching the equine speed equivalent of the Shinkansen bullet train, it’s possible Almond Eye didn’t even know she hadn’t won. Arguably the manner of her loss after such a shuddering contact early on can only burnish her reputation. Almond Eye is brilliant, that is not news to anyone. That she has an enormous heart
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Female jockey in JRA, Nanako Fujita A total of six women jockeys have been licensed by the JRA
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and courage to go with that mighty turn of foot was a discovery almost worth the price of defeat. She has won almost ¥750,000,000 (£5.5m/€6.1m) in eight starts domestically, not to mention the small matter of £2.8m/€3.1m taken home from Dubai. But for the 400 owners who own a share of her, Almond Eye has a value beyond all monetary worth. People who speak of international racing in 20 years might still swap tales of Lord Kanaloa. But they will also burnish memories of his ultra-talented daughter, while who knows how many more glorious episodes might yet be added to her legend.
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THE RISE OF RACING IN THE
1862 Foreign residents of Yokohama hold Japan’s first Western-style races 1882 First Western-style races held by Japanese organisers 1888 Horserace betting tickets sold for the first time 1895 Fourteen horses imported from Australia
1905 Government approval for racing and betting to encourage horse breeding 1906 Tokyo Racing Society holds first modern race meeting at Ikegami 1908 Sale of betting tickets prohibited but government introduces subsidies to ensure viability of racing 1923 Horse Racing Law gives rise to establishment of 11 racing clubs permitted to organise races and sell betting tickets 1932 First Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) held 1936 Japan Racing Society, a semi-governmental public enterprise, established. Racing begins to flourish under government supervision 1941 St Lite is first Triple Crown winner 1948 Japan Racing Society dissolved as the government takes over its assets and administers racing under a national structure 1954 JRA is organised to operate National Racing by the enactment of the Japan Racing Association Law 1958 Hakuchikara races in USA, the first Japanese horse to compete abroad 1959 Hakuchikara wins Washington Birthday Handicap 1960 First Asian Racing Conference is held in Tokyo 1962 NAR established to implement nationally coordinated framework for registration and licensing for Racing by Local Governments 1971 Import restrictions on racehorses eased 1973 First JRA representative attends International Conference of Racing Authorities in Paris 1974 JRA joins International Agreement on Breeding and Racing 1976 Telephone betting introduced 1979 Japan becomes Asia’s representative on first International Stud Book Committee 1981 First Japan Cup held 1987 World Super Jockeys Series launched 1992 First Young Jockeys World Championship held. JRA opens first overseas office in London 1994 Lisa Cropp of New Zealand becomes first overseas jockey to receive a short-term riding licence in Japan 1996 JRA’s first female jockeys begin their riding careers 1998 Japanese horses win Group 1 races in France: Seeking The Pearl lands Prix Maurice de Gheest and Taiki Shuttle the Prix Jacques le Marois, both Group 1 1999 El Condor Pasa wins Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and Agnes World wins Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp, both Group 1
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E LAND OF THE RISING SUN
2000 Agnes World becomes first Japan-trained horse to win Group 1 race in Britain, the Darley July Cup 2001 Two foreign-bred horses run in Japanese Derby for first time 2002 New Zealand jockey Rochelle Lockett wins Nakayama Daishogai, the first JRA graded race victory in Japan by a woman 2003 France’s Olivier Peslier teams up with Zenno Rob Roy to become first foreign jockey to win three Grade 1 races in a row (Tenno Sho, Japan Cup and Arima Kinen) 2004 All 20 members of Asian Racing Federation sign Good Neighbour Policy to battle against illegal internet betting on racing 2005 Mary McAleese, President of Ireland, visits Nakayama racecourse and presents Irish President’s Trophy. Their Imperial Highnesses The Emperor and Empress visit Tokyo racecourse. Cesario captures American Oaks (Grade 1) and becomes first horse to win American and Japanese Oaks. Deep Impact becomes the sixth colt in history to win the Triple Crown 2006 Heart’s Cry wins Dubai Sheema Classic (Group 1). Cosmo Bulk wins the Singapore Airlines International Cup (Group 1), the first overseas win for a NAR-registered horse. The Japan-trained duo Delta Blues and Pop Rock finish one-two in Melbourne Cup (Group 1) 2007 Admire Moon wins Dubai Duty Free (Group 1). Shadow Gate and Cosmo Bulk finish one-two in the Singapore Airlines International Cup 2011 Victoire Pisa wins Dubai World Cup (Group 1). Orfevre becomes seventh colt in to capture the Triple Crown 2012 Gentildonna becomes fourth filly to capture Fillies’ Triple Crown 2013 Lord Kanaloa wins Hong Kong Sprint (Group 1) for second consecutive year. Orfevre finishes runner-up in the coveted Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp for the second year running 2014 Just A Way wins Dubai Duty Free and becomes first Japan-based horse to claim outright No 1 position in Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. Admire Rakti lands Caulfield Cup (Group 1) 2015 World-class riders Italy’s Mirco Demuro and France’s Christophe Lemaire granted full-term jockey licences by JRA. Esmeraldina wins Ttukseom Cup to become the first JRA-trained horse to win in Korea 2016 JRA commences simulcasting in overseas races. Japanese horses win top races in France: A Shin Hikari lands Prix d’Ispahan (Group 1) and Makahiki triumphs in Prix Niel. Maurice wins two Hong Kong Group 1s, the Champions Mile in April and Hong Kong Cup in December. Satono Crown wins another, the Hong Kong Vase 2017 Yutaka Take becomes first Japanese jockey to receive Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit. Kitasan Black retires with record-tieing seventh Grade 1 win in Arima Kinen and total winnings of more than ¥1.8 billion, a record in JRA history 2018 Almond Eye becomes fifth filly to capture Fillies’ Triple Crown and wins Japan Cup in record time. Yutaka Take celebrates 4,000th win. Fumio Matoba breaks NAR record with 7,152nd winning ride
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MAKING A DEEP IMPACT
V
Tom Peacock talks to Alan Cooper about the Niarchos family’s links to the Japanese bloodstock industry
ICTORY for Study Of Man in the Prix du Jockey-Club at Chantilly last year was perhaps the epitome of the international nature of breeding. A colt sired by Japanese champion Deep Impact, out of a daughter of the Atlantic-spanning Miesque, was winning the French Derby in the colours of Flaxman Stables, the worldrenowned owning and breeding operation established by the late Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos. Although such a cosmopolitan mix is not a rarity in modern racing, it is worth noting that the Niarchos empire – now headed by Stavros’s daughter Maria –
has taken an active interest in the Japanese industry for three decades. “Hector Protector [multiple Group 1 winner in 1990 and 1991] was the key to the Niarchos family sending mares to Japan,” says Alan Cooper, their longserving bloodstock and racing manager. “Mr Yoshida of Shadai bought Hector Protector towards the end of his racing career and one of the conditions was that we could send mares to him. We sent out one called Lingerie, who became the dam of Shiva, a Group 1 winner in Ireland for Henry Cecil and placed in the Eclipse, and then a good horse called Limnos, a two-time Group 2 winner in France. That was the beginning of a very good relationship. “We sent some more fillies out and bred to Sunday Silence and [his son] Deep Impact. We have a number of Japanesesired progeny in Europe now, and obviously the most famous of all in our colours is Study Of Man. We’ve been fortunate over the years.” Study Of Man, who had landed the Prix Greffulhe prior to the Classic, was not the result of a first meeting with Deep Impact and his dam Second Happiness. “Deep Impact is a world-class stallion and we don’t have so much of that HaloSunday Silence line in Europe, so that’s a big plus,” Cooper says. “With the mare being from the Miesque family, we thought it was
worth giving it a shot. The first progeny, Tale Of Life, showed a lot of promise. He didn’t quite come through but we liked the horse so much Maria said ‘Let’s go back again’, and we got Study Of Man.” The colt made his juvenile debut for Pascal Bary in a maiden at Saint-Cloud in September 2017 and was off the mark at the first time of asking. “He was late-maturing, which I think is probably a trait of Deep Impact, and as soon as he went into training he thrived,” Cooper recalls. “He was a winner at two, a Group 1 winner at three, and he’ll have more Group 1 targets as this year goes on. “One of the things about Study Of Man is he has a lovely temperament – everyone who works around him is very happy to do so. The mare is by Storm Cat, and they can be strong tempered, but he has a strong but well-governed temperament.” Although Hector Protector was the pioneering Niarchos representative in France, their more recent flagbearer on the breeding side has been the Nashwansired Bago, a five-time Group 1 hero for trainer Jonathan Pease whose finest hour came in the 2004 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Cooper explains: “Bago was bought by the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders Association after he won the Arc and he’s had some Group winners in Japan [including Japanese St Leger scorer Big Week),
although not one in Europe yet. “We’ve sent mares back to Bago and this year, with the condition of Deep Impact after he had his setback, we bred to Daiwa Major and Lord Kanaloa. “We’re trying to get the bloodlines right, or what we hope to be right. As always with breeding, we have our ideas and you never know how exact, or inexact, the science will be.” Cooper has been a frequent visitor to Japan to see runners in the Niarchos silks ever since the enterprising idea of John Hammond to send Dolphin Street to finish fourth in the Keio Hai Spring Cup and third in the Yasuda Kinen of 1994. Hernando’s admirable third to Germany’s Lando in the Japan Cup followed the next year. Although not permitted to have horses trained in Japan at present, they remain in regular contact with the authorities about the possibility of doing so. “It’s a very good racing system and a very good breeding system,” Cooper concludes. “The atmosphere on a raceday is absolutely fantastic. The enthusiasm of the crowd, the roar when the starter gets up on his rostrum and the gates open. It’s extraordinary, and everyone has always been very accommodating. “We’ve had quite a few runners there but we’ve yet to win one, so it’s a good challenge still in the making.”
7,250
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Pictures: GETTY IMAGES
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Foals born in Japan in 2018
Most of the foals were born in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan European links: Lys Gracieux (above right) and Fine Needle (right) are recent successful examples of casting the breeding net far and wide
‘ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT STUDY OF MAN IS HE HAS A LOVELY TEMPERAMENT – EVERYONE WHO WORKS AROUND HIM IS VERY HAPPY TO DO SO’
Deep Impact’s son Study Of Man wins the 2018 French Derby
‘JAPAN WAS THE SECOND LARGEST IMPORTER OF BROODMARES FROM BRITAIN LAST YEAR’
Ollie O’Donoghue on the success of European bloodlines in Japan
T
HE 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes hero Sunday Silence has rooted himself so deeply within Japan’s Stud Book that many of the country’s owners and breeders now face the challenge of selecting stallions for their mares with outcross options few and far between. The issue was very much in evidence at this year’s JRHA Select Sale, when 40 of the 246 yearlings catalogued were inbred within four generations to Sunday Silence, showing just how influential the son of Halo has become. The leading sire title in Japan was bestowed on Sunday Silence every year from 1995 until 2007, and he has since been joined by his sire sons Agnes Tachyon, Manhattan Cafe and more recently Deep Impact. The forward-thinking Yoshida family have reaped the rewards from broadening their horizons, having sourced many of their high-class broodmares at the end-of-year sales in Europe. They secured Via Medici, one of Haras de Saint Pair’s most promising producers at the time, for €480,000 through Narvick International at the 2014 Arqana December Sale, with Admire Mars the result of mating the mare with Daiwa Major – another son of Sunday Silence – the following year. The classy colt won the Futurity Stakes by two lengths in December and annexed the NHK Mile Cup in May.
Katsumi Yoshida signed a €750,000 docket for the Italian Group 1 winner Lune D’Or at the 2010 Arqana December Sale, and the Green Tune mare has repaid much of her purchase price through her 2015 Deep Impact colt Fierement, who landed last year’s Kikuka Sho and the Spring Tenno Sho in April, both Grade 1 prizes. Moneycantbuymelove, a daughter of Pivotal who won the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2009, also joined the broodmare fold at the Yoshidas’ Northern Farm and, bred to King Kamehameha, supplied last year’s Takarazuka Kinen victor Mikki Rocket. He was joined on the race’s honour roll this year by Lys Gracieux, another bred by Northern Farm out of another overseas private purchase in the prolific French Listed winner Liliside. Other owners and breeders in Japan have got in the act, with last year’s dual Grade 1winning sprinter Fine Needle a fine representative for the Mark Of Esteem mare Needlecraft, a Darley mare imported from the operation’s European wing. This year’s Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) scorer Roger Barows, meanwhile, is a son of the Librettist mare Little Book, a closely related half-sister to the dam of exceptional racemare Gentildonna. Little Book was sourced for just 230,000gns after her illustrious relative had risen to prominence. In fact, Japan was the second largest importer of broodmares from Britain last year, second only to Britain’s cross-Channel neighbour France, according to figures published in the 2018 Weatherbys Fact Book. The Yoshidas have cast their net far and wide, with private purchase Wind In Her Hair the dam of Sunday Silence’s multiple champion sire son Deep Impact. The daughter of Alzao is a granddaughter of the Queen’s homebred Guineas heroine
Highclere, and lived up to her pedigree by winning a middle-distance Group 1 in Germany. Deep Impact himself was campaigned by Makoto Kaneko to win the Japanese Triple Crown, earning him a berth at the Yoshidas’ Shadai Stallion Station, where he has since been joined by Harbinger. Fifth in last year’s sire standings in Japan, Harbinger is a sire son of Dansili, also the progenitor of Bated Breath, who fired in three winners at Royal Ascot in June. Harbinger also boasted an eye-catching race record having set a new course record when routing the opposition to win the 2011 King George by a widening 11 lengths. He received a warm welcome from breeders in Japan, whose faith has been rewarded with five elite winners, headed by Victoria Mile winner Normcore and Royal Ascot participant Deirdre. Dual world champion Frankel is another British-bred stallion who has emerged as a well-spring of top-class talent in Japan, with Soul Stirring winning the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies to become his first winner at the highest level in December 2016, before following up in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). The son of Galileo supplied his second Grade 1 winner in Japan with Mozu Ascot successful in last year’s Yasuda Kinen. Soul Stirring, a daughter of Prix de Diane (French Oaks) heroine Stacelita, was conceived in Britain and was foaled in Japan the following spring, while the USbred Mozu Ascot raced for Capital System Co, having been led out unsold at the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The answer as to why European pedigrees hold so much appeal for Japan’s ownerbreeders may be found within the racing programme, with almost all Grade 1 races in Japan run on turf over a mile or further, with the February Stakes and Champions Cup the only two dirt events.
JUMPING TO IT IRELAND’S PART IN JAPAN’S SHOWPIECE JUMPS CONTEST TWO laureates of the Nakayama Grand Jump – the crown jewel in Japan’s jumps racing calendar – drew their first breath in Ireland. Karasi was bred by the Aga Khan from his dual Derby hero Kahyasi and became the first horse to win the Nakayama Grand Jump three times in 2007 for leading Australian jumps trainer Eric Musgrove. Those wins contributed to Karasi
becoming the highest-earning jumps horse of all time. Karasi had previously finished fourth to Ethereal in the 2001 Melbourne Cup for trainer David Hall as well as achieving great success over hurdles in Australia for Musgrove. The first European-trained winner of the Grand Jump was Blackstairmountain, who struck for Willie Mullins in 2013.
Blackstairmountain was bred by Mullins’ wife Jackie from the Sadler’s Wells stallion and Royal Hunt Cup winner Imperial Ballet. This year’s runner-up Thinking Dancer was bred in Japan but can attribute some of his stamina to his Irish-bred sire Conduit, the dual Breeders’ Cup Turf hero who stood at Big Red Farm for six seasons before returning to Ireland in 2016.
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DESTINATION
TOKYO
Andrew Scutts recounts his experiences as a first-time visitor to the Japan Cup and Tokyo last November
J
UST beneath the shimmering surface of the pond, shoals of koi carp glide serenely through the water. The banks are fringed with trees, their leaves resplendent red in the autumn sunlight. There are benches to sit in quiet contemplation, studying the racecard and soaking up the scene. Just a few steps away from the tranquillity garden one of the world’s biggest grandstands is playing host to almost 100,000 ardent racegoers. The parade ring is thronged with spectators. Many have camped overnight at the gates to be among the first wave to rush through the entrance to secure a favourite spot. This is racing in Tokyo on Japan Cup day – a mesmerising mix of orderly calm and fervent passion. There may still be scorch marks on the turf at the furlong pole, as the scintillating 2018 winner Almond Eye, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, was imperious in seizing the race in a record time of 2:20.6. Her stopwatch-busting run, apt for a race partnered by Longines, capped a stunning three-year-old season for the fillies’ triple crown winner. Trained by Sakae Kunieda
and owned by Silk Racing Co Ltd, on that day in November she recorded the fastest time in the world for the year at that distance. The Japan Cup has been a major fixture on the international scene since it was inaugurated in 1981. Winners from North America, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Italy and Germany have demonstrated the global allure of the contest. The 12-furlong/2,400-metre Group 1 invitational showpiece has an illustrious roll call and the first British winner, Jupiter Island, came in 1986, trained by Clive Brittain. The top-class Singspiel, Pilsudski and Alkaased were others to join that list. In more recent times, the sheer strength of Japanese bloodstock has meant that the prize has become an ever tougher nut to crack with runners from abroad. T M Opera O, Vodka, Buena Vista, Gentildonna and Kitasan Black are among the Japanese champions who have won the great race. The contest stands as a barometer of the strength of the Japanese racing and breeding industry. The mighty Deep Impact, winner in 2006, could be said to be its talisman. There is, however, a lot of prize-money to go around – well over £4.7 million, so exceeding any race in Europe – and it runs down to tenth place. That lure, along with the challenge itself, and the owner experience of having a runner on an important stage like this, should keep European heads turning east. Winners of 13 bonus-linked races in Europe in 2019 would receive $100,000 just for turning up. In the lead-up to the meeting, the
excitement the race generates is clear from the moment of arrival in central Tokyo. Massive JRA advertising billboards dominate the scene at the major train stations. The Japan Cup is just one bright jewel in a glittering crown – all year round, huge crowd sizes and colossal wagering handles serve to turbo-charge the Japanese racing industry. Against this backdrop, the Japan Cup is a firm feature on many a bucket list. While it is advisable to book tickets in advance, some are still available to purchase on arrival on the day. Getting to the track, located in Fuchu, around 15 miles from the city centre, is straightforward by public transport. It is served by two train stations which deliver passengers close to the gates of the course. While the sheer number of travellers may seem daunting, the punctuality of the rail system and the wellmannered crowds make for a smooth and efficient journey. With a first race off-time of 10am, the Japan Cup is the last contest on an 11-race card. The action is split between turf and dirt, over distances ranging from seven furlongs to a mile and a half. Arriving at the course, the first views of the mammoth multi-storey grandstand and the sweeping public areas reveal the
‘WINNERS OF 13 BONUSLINKED RACES IN EUROPE WOULD RECEIVE £100,000 JUST FOR TURNING UP’
impressive span of the venue. There is the huge parade ring, the JRA racing museum, the numerous food and beverage outlets, the quieter garden areas with ornamental lakes, picnic tables and blooming roses, and the merchandise shops crowded with eager fans. While it may be one of the biggest attendances for racing anywhere on the planet, the facilities feel exceptionally spacious. There are plenty of betting terminals and, fear not, booklets in English to explain the wagering process and options, along with helpful staff. There were some familiar jockeys on show too on this occasion – Ryan Moore, William Buick and Fran Berry all had rides in the big race, as did Italian brothers Mirco and Cristian Demuro, in addition to Frenchman Lemaire. As she first stepped on to the turf to canter down, Lemaire’s mount Almond Eye, the frighteningly talented daughter of Lord Kanaloa, was afforded an approving roar from the crowd, in a wall of noise that would not be out of place at Cheltenham. Soon after, close to 100,000 voices called her home as she began her run, the cacophony rising like a sonic boom in the straight and reverberating with an epic intensity. Black-hooded in the manner of a superhero, the supremely professional filly picked up the searing pacesetter Kiseki at the furlong pole and pulled away for a oneand-three-quarter-length victory. Thundering Blue from Britain and Capri from Ireland were the two unplaced overseas challengers. They ran creditably amid the huge buzz of the occasion but, having already become familiar with aeroplanes, they were quite simply met here by a jet in equine form. Tokyo racecourse had not yet finished thrilling and soothing the senses in equal measure, with the late afternoon sun highlighting the majestic view of Mount Fuji, visible from the grandstand. A lofty and timeless presence bearing witness to a towering performance on a very special day.
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126,767 Highest attendance of 2018, on Japanese Derby day The highest in JRA history was 196,517 in 1990, also on Japanese Derby day at Tokyo
The mammoth grandstand at Tokyo racecourse (pictured from a bird’s-eye view far left) is teeming with racefans on Japan Cup day KOICHI KAMOSHIDA/GETTY IMAGES
A MEMORABLE RACING ADVENTURE TAKE IN THE MAJOR ATTRACTIONS OF THE CAPITAL AND BEYOND
The atmospheric alleys of Omoide-Yokocho (top), Sumida River (above), ancient shrines of Kamakura (right) and the Tokyo Skytree tower are all within easy reach
the time-honoured tradition of sake, or a refreshing local beer. Top-drawer racing action, a vast selection of leisure excursions and renowned gastronomy make for a memorable racing destination. Melbourne may have the race that stops a nation, but Tokyo has one that stops the clocks.
Pictures: JAPAN NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION
RACEGOERS visiting Tokyo for the Japan Cup are well placed to sample the many compelling sights of the capital and beyond. The Imperial Palace grounds, Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo National Museum, Ueno Park and the Meiji Shrine are just a few of the key attractions. For a glimpse into atmospheric old Tokyo, take a trip down Memory Lane, quite literally. By its local name, Omoide-Yokocho is a charming warren of a few crowded alleys, hidden away behind the neon-lit streets in Shinjuku right in the heart of the city, yet harking from another era. Smoky yakitori chicken eateries, noodle stalls and bars line the alleys in an array of small but highly popular spots for a drink and a speedy bite to eat. To enjoy a bird’s-eye perspective of the capital, the 2,080ft Tokyo Skytree in Oshiage offers panoramic views of the vast metropolis from two observation decks. The Sumida River nearby affords another vista of the city by showcasing the architecture along its banks with a water bus ride. For a day trip with a different flavour, head by train to Kamakura, the Shogun’s capital from 1192 to 1333. A seaside town facing Sagami Bay, Kamakura has beaches, gardens, ancient shrines and the Daibutsu Buddha statue cast in 1252. Located around 30 miles from Tokyo, the town is an excellent option for an easily accessible excursion. Should time allow, trips to Mount Fuji and other more distant locations across the country can be reached by the Shinkansen Bullet Train. No visit to Japan would be complete without sampling the food scene, from homely fare to haute cuisine depending on taste. For those looking to celebrate a winner, Japanese whisky is another delight from this part of the world, in addition to
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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW JAPAN CUP ROLL OF HONOUR
Winner Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth Ninth Tenth
1982 Half Iced
USA 3
1983 Stanerra
IRE
1984 Katsuragi Ace
JPN 4
Katsuichi Nishiura
Year
Winner
1981 Mairzy Doates
£2,068,966 £827,586 £517,241 £310,345 £206,897 £165,517 £144,828 £124,138 £62,069 £41,379
PLUS bonuses of $2 million to
the winner; $400,000 to the second; $250,000 to the third; $100,000 to fourth or below to winners of these 2019 races . . .
Dubai Sheema Classic UAE Dubai World Cup UAE Investec Derby GB Prix du Jockey Club France Prince of Wales’s Stakes GB Dubai Duty Free lrish Derby Ireland Coral-Eclipse Stakes GB Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud France Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris France King George VI & Queen Elizabeth GB Arlington Million USA Juddmonte International Stakes GB Sword Dancer Stakes USA Irish Champion Stakes Ireland Grosser Preis von Baden Germany Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational USA Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe France Qipco Champion Stakes GB Caulfield Cup Australia Canadian lnternational Canada Cox Plate Australia Breeders’ Cup Turf USA Breeders’ Cup Classic USA Melbourne Cup Australia
£625m
Foaled Age
USA 5 5
Jockey
Trainer
Cash Asmussen
Hong Kong
Bet on Arima Kinen (Grade 1) in 1996. The race is also called the ‘Grand Prix’ and half of the runners are selected by racegoers’ votes
Time
Arno Schefler
Don MacBeth
Stanley Hough (USA)
Bertram Firestone
Brian Rouse
Frank Dunne (Ire)
Frank Dunne
2:27.6
Kazumi Domon (Jpn)
Ichizo Node
2:26.3
2:25.3
2:28.8
2:27.1
1985 Symboli Rudolf
JPN 4
Yukio Okabe
Yuji Nohira (Jpn)
Symboli Bokujo
1986 Jupiter Island
IRE
7
Pat Eddery
Clive Brittain (GB)
Marquess of Tavistock 2:25.0
1987 Le Glorieux
FR
3
Alain Lequeux
Robert Collet (Fr)
Sieglinde Wolf
2:24.9
1988 Pay The Butler
USA 4
Chris McCarron
Robert J Frankel (USA)
Edmund A Gann
2:25.5
1989 Horlicks
NZ
Lance O’Sullivan
Dave O’Sullivan (NZ)
Graham de Gruchy
2:22.2
1990 Better Loosen Up AUS 5
6
Michael Clarke
David Hayes (Aus)
Gabe Farrah et al
2:23.2
1991 Golden Pheasant USA 5
Gary Stevens
Charles Whittingham (USA)
McNall/Gretzky
2:24.7
1992 Tokai Teio
JPN 4
Yukio Okabe
Shoichi Matsumoto (Jpn)
Masanori Uchimura
2:24.6
1993 Legacy World
JPN 4
1994 Marvelous Crown JPN 4
Hiroshi Kawachi
Hideyuki Mori (Jpn)
Horse Tajima
2:24.4
Katsumi Minai
Makoto Osawa (Jpn)
Sadao Sasahara
2:23.6 2:24.6
1995 Lando
GER 5
Michael Roberts
Heinz Jentzsch (Ger)
Gestüt Haus Ittlingen
1996 Singspiel
IRE
4
Frankie Dettori
Michael Stoute (GB)
Sheikh Mohammed
2:23.8
1997 Pilsudski
IRE
5
Michael Kinane
Michael Stoute (GB)
Lord Weinstock
2:25.8
1998 El Condor Pasa
USA 3
Masayoshi Ebina
Yoshitaka Ninomiya (Jpn)
Takashi Watanabe
2:25.9
1999 Special Week
JPN 4
Yutaka Take
Toshiaki Shirai (Jpn)
Hiroyoshi Usuda
2:25.5
2000 T M Opera O
JPN 4
Ryuji Wada
Ichizo Iwamoto (Jpn)
Masatsugu Takezono
2:26.1
2001 Jungle Pocket
JPN 3
Olivier Peslier
Sakae Watanabe (Jpn)
Yomoji Saito
2:23.8
2002 Falbrav
IRE
Frankie Dettori
Luciano d’Auria (Ita)
Scuderia Rencati
2:12.2
2003 Tap Dance City
USA 6
4
Tetsuzo Sato
Shozo Sasaki (Jpn)
Yushun Syndicate
2:28.7
2004 Zenno Rob Roy
JPN 4
Olivier Peslier
Kazuo Fujisawa (Jpn)
Shinobu Oosako
2:24.2
2005 Alkaased
USA 5
Frankie Dettori
Luca Cumani (GB)
Michael Charlton
2:22.1
2006 Deep Impact
JPN 4
Yutaka Take
YasuoIkee Kaneko (Jpn)
Makoto Holdings
2:25.1
2007 Admire Moon
JPN 4
Yasunari Iwata
Hiroyoshi Matsuda (Jpn)
Darley Japan Farm
2:24.7
2008 Screen Hero
JPN 4
Mirco Demuro
Yuichi Shikato (Jpn)
Teruya Yoshida
2:25.5
2009 Vodka
JPN 5
Christophe Lemaire Katsuhiko Sumii (Jpn)
Yuzo Tanimizu
2:22.4
2010 Rose Kingdom
JPN 3
Yutaka Take
Kojiro Hashiguchi (Jpn)
Sunday Racing
2:25.2
2011 Buena Vista
JPN 5
Yasunari Iwata
Hiroyoshi Matsuda (Jpn)
Sunday Racing
2:24.2
2012 Gentildonna
JPN 3
Yasunari Iwata
Sei Ishizaka (Jpn)
Sunday Racing
2:23.1
2013 Gentildonna
JPN 4
Ryan Moore
Sei Ishizaka (Jpn)
Sunday Racing
2:26.1
2014 Epiphaneia
JPN 4
Christophe Soumillon Katsuhiko Sumii (Jpn)
U Carrot Farm
2:23.1
2015 Shonan Pandora
JPN 4
Kenichi Ikezoe
Tetsuhide Kunimoto
2:24.7 2:25.8
Tomokazu Takano (Jpn)
2016 Kitasan Black
JPN 4
Yutaka Take
Hisashi Shimizu (Jpn)
Ono Shoji
2017 Cheval Grand
JPN 5
Hugh Bowman
Yasuo Tomomichi (Jpn)
Kazuhiro Sasaki
2:23.7
2018 Almond Eye
JPN 3
Christophe Lemaire Sakae Kunieda (Jpn)
Silk Racing
2:20.6
The turf track at Tokyo racecourse provides a pliant, more cushioned surface than in the 1990s thanks to technology such as the Verti Drain aeration machine and careful management by a large team of groundstaff. The turf is comprised of Noshiba grass, a local variety which is durable and resistant to scarring by hooves. This is combined with Italian Ryegrass and the overall effect is to provide excellent grip, making it easier for horses to run at full speed. The track is notably flat, with few undulations and only 2.7m variation in height throughout. The mowing height of the grass is 12cm. In order to maintain the track in top condition, and because of Japan’s considerable rainfall, the track base is made from gravel and crushed rocks to ensure it is well drained. Track maintenance on racedays is performed by 150 staff divided into 13 groups. After each race they check the track and repair areas stripped by horses’ hooves. This not only provides fair and safe conditions to minimise accidents but enables horses to display the best of their ability.
2002 race took place at Nakayama over 2,200 metres 2010 Rose Kingdom finished 2nd to Buena Vista who was disqualified
Surface grass height 12cm Upper course bed A: Mountain sand with soil conditioners, 20cm Upper course bed B: Mountain sand, 30cm Lower course bed: Crushed rocks, 20cm
Anchorage
Dublin Amsterdam London Frankfurt Paris Milan
Turnover record on a single race
Owner
John Fulton (USA)
Turf track up to the world’s best
Italian Ryegrass
PRIZE-MONEY IN THE JAPAN CUP
Noshiba grass
16
Toronto
Tokyo Osaka
Picture: EDWARD WHITAKER (RACINGPOST.COM/PHOTOS)
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Almond Eye followed victory in the 2018 Japan Cup by landing the Group 1 Dubai Turf
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ABOUT RACING IN JAPAN Anchorage
11hrs
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8hrs
12hrs 12hrs 4hrs Hong Kong
7hrs 6hrs
12hrs
Tokyo
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Travelling time to Tokyo
9hrs
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Hokkaido
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Sapporo Hakodate GRADE 1 RACES FOR WHICH TRAVEL SUBSIDIES MAY BE AVAILABLE TO OVERSEAS RUNNERS CHUKYO Takamatsunomiya Kinen Champions Cup HANSHIN Takarazuka Kinen KYOTO Tenno Sho (Spring) Queen Elizabeth II Cup Mile Championship
NAKAYAMA Sprinters Stakes TOKYO Yasuda Kinen Tenno Sho (Autumn) Japan Cup
Honshu Niigata
Hanshin Miki Horseland Park
Fukushima Narita International Airport Shiroi Quarantine Centre Nakayama
Kokura
Tokyo Chukyo
Kyushu
Shikoku
Kyoto Kansai International Airport
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Kate Hunter talks to Scott Burton about all Japanese racing has to offer and how to enjoy the vibrant capital
K
TRIP THE LIGHT Making the very
most of Tokyo
ate Hunter has earned a reputation as an expert on the Japanese racing and breeding scene. Three years ago she founded Marugai Racing, which provides foreign investors with a gateway to Japan. She also represents several US racing concerns in the country and helps Japan’s horsemen launch raids on the biggest international prizes. She is a natural choice as a guide to Japan’s racing scene and ways first-time visitors might enjoy themselves. “When I was in Japan as a student I went to Tokyo racetrack for the first time,” she says. “I was by myself and I didn’t know much Japanese then so it was an adventure, getting on the train and finding my way. “As a racetrack I was blown away by its size and scope and by the atmosphere. It was nothing like anything I’d seen in the United States.” Many return trips followed as Hunter began to take photographs and started the Keiba Kate blog, at the time a rare English language resource on the sport in Japan. “On the backstretch of the local Kawasaki racetrack I met a photographer who explained how to get an official press pass from the JRA.” Four and a half years later, with many contacts made, she was hired as communications director for Paca Paca farm. The experience of hosting clients and selling horses led to the foundation in 2016 of Marugai – a slang Japanese play on the racecard symbol for a foreign-born horse. As a field representative for Keeneland, the Breeders’ Cup, Pegasus World Cup and US Triple Crown, Hunter is now in a strong position to assess the industry in Japan and its appetite for international adventure.
Will we see more Japanese horses running in top international races abroad?
With multiple horses this year going to the United States there has definitely been growth and overall it seems the Japanese are reaching a peak, as they did in the 1990s, when they were going abroad a lot. There has been a boost with betting allowed on foreign racing when there is a Japanese runner, which has naturally sparked a lot of interest from racetracks abroad. That makes them more financially hospitable to incentivising the Japanese to come over. I think it is going to spark a long and healthy international campaign from the Japanese for years to come. It’s still so young, it’s got a lot of room to grow.
Are you seeing more buyers at the top Japanese sales?
This year at the Select Sale there seemed a healthy number of foreign investors trying to buy horses and those horses that have been bought – Yoshida has done well in the United States and Hush Writer won in France and is now winning in Australia – are a good advert. The only thing they’ll have to get used to is that by foreign
standards, Japanese prices are a bit high, because Japan has prize-money to make up for them.
Why has the Japan Cup and other big prizes been dominated in recent years by the home team?
Japanese thoroughbreds have exponentially improved over the last 30-40 years so you can’t send the same level of horse you were sending in the 1980s to Japan and expect the same results. They need to send horses of Enable’s calibre, horses like Golden Horn who win multiple Group 1s. Highland Reel is the kind of horse you need to be taking home $3m and laugh all the way back home.
Those same horses can sometimes beat Japanese horses abroad. The fact they don’t bring that quality of horse to Japan is a little baffling. I think they should give it a shot because the money is absolutely brilliant. If you had Enable taking on Almond Eye in the Japan Cup that would be a universal slam dunk in terms of the number of people who would watch and who would bet. However owners follow the pattern of their local racing in terms of time on and time off and they want to target particular races. The Japanese also have their own schedule and the races they fight for. I have to figure out which I can persuade away. If you’re going to finish second to Enable in a race, why not come over to Japan and try to finish first.
£170,000 Average prize-money per race in 2018
The JRA stages 3,454 races a year and the richest are the Grade 1 Japan Cup and Arima Kinen, each with a value of £4.5 million
FANTASTIC
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KATE’S TOP TOKYO TIPS WHERE TO EAT
For those looking for a high-end experience . . .
Tenmasa Near Tokyo station, Tenmasa
(below) is a high-class restaurant where you will eat the best tempura you’ll ever have.
Shabuzen A high-end shabu shabu (hotpot) restaurant in Roppongi where you’ll get the best cuts of pork and fresh veggies to boil in water at the table. Some of Japan’s best cuisine requires assembling. Amamoto A small sushi bar in Higashi Azabu with an amazingly long waiting list but worth the price and the effort if you can get in.
For those who want to eat like a local . . . Seikoen Annex A quaint and
affordable yakiniku restaurant in Shinjuku where prime cuts of beef, pork, and chicken are cooked in front of you on a spit.
Homibing A little cafe in Shin-Okubo and a perfect place to enjoy an afternoon or early evening after the races. They serve epic kakigori – or Japanese snow cones – that are deliciously fun no matter the time of year.
HUNTER’S GUIDE FIRST TIME AT TOKYO RACECOURSE From a racing perspective, it’s one of the fairest tracks in the country because of its long straight, so from that point of view it’s a good betting track. Although the grandstand is more than ten years old it still has quite a fresh new feel to it. If you’re not going with an owner or a special group then you can still get seats at the mid-level for about $30/$40 – Y3-4,000 – where you get a little box and you can watch the races from height. Those are nice on a hot or rainy day. If you don’t mind a crowd, general admission is $2 and you can walk around. There is stadium seating for general
admission where you can get up high enough to see what you want. It’s really easy to walk around, to get to the back stretch where you have the paddock and there is a lovely little park, as well as the Turfy Shop for all your Japanese fandom needs. And there is a massive amount of food and alcohol outlets sprinkled throughout the track. You’ll never go hungry: they have 7-Eleven, McDonald’s and everything else. You can get sushi bowls and every kind of Japanese food except yakiniku (barbecue), lots of pre-set meals with meat, rice, soup
and a salad. I’ve never had a bad meal. They have a ramen corner with five or six little shops selling noodle soups, then a row of maybe ten different restaurants where you can get a beer and food. The only downside is those places are facing the paddock and not the racetrack but the JRA has put in a 45-minute lunch break after the fourth race so everyone can get a meal. It starts early enough and so ends early enough that you can go out to dinner afterwards. It’s a big racetrack so wear comfortable shoes and you will have a blast walking around and exploring.
TOP TOURIST SPOTS
Asakusa - Senso-Ji A famous walkway filled with great souvenir shopping for all the family and friends back home as well as delicious food and a beautiful shrine. Meiji Jingu A shrine to the Emperor Meiji and his wife found in the centrally located Yoyogi Park, while you can hit up the trendy Harajuku area on your way out there. Zenkoji shrine and Tokyo Tower
Visit the epicentre of Tokyo’s New Year celebrations and take a ride up the landmark tower to get a bird’s-eye view of Tokyo and, if the weather is kind, an epic vista of Mount Fuji.
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