Japan Horse Racing Tips-Umanity.jp

On Sunday, Sept. 4, Seoul Raceourse once again hosted the Korea Sprint and Korea Cup, both international competitions over dirt boasting purses of KRW1 billion, with KRW550 million to each winner. The Korea Racing Association’s biggest event, the Grade 3 double returned following a pandemic-induced 2-year timeout.

Challengers from the U.K., Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan participated in the gala’s fifth edition, but this year both victories went to the home team, with victory denied the perennially unconquerable Japanese for their first time.

An approaching typhoon had turned the track heavy on raceday, but the skies held for both events. First up for Japan was the Masahiro Matsunaga-trained Raptus in the 1,200-meter Korea Sprint. Computer Patch, trained by Matthew Chadwick and runnerup in this year’s Grade 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, carried the flag for Hong Kong. Eight-time winner Celavi from the Michael Clements stable represented Singapore. The U.K. sent Michael Appleby’s Annaf, with the ride going to Jockey Kota Fujioka.

The Sprint, the seventh race on the card of 10, got under way at 15:35 local time over the wet ground. Raptus went off the favorite in the field of 12, with the 5-year-old Eoma Eoma close behind in the wagering.

Raptus, a 6-year-old gelding by Deep Brillante, made his way to the top under jockey Hideaki Miyuki. On the rail as the field turned out of the backstretch, Raptus was joined by Annaf, then by Eoma Eoma, who had quickly made his way up from the farthest gate under jockey Moon Se Young.

Still looking strong with 300 meters to go, Raptus held his lead against Eoma Eoma, but was eventually worn down a handful of strides out and beaten by half a length. Six lengths later, the 5-year-old mare Raon First followed in third, with another Korea native, the 4-year-old colt Daehan Jilju, in fourth. Computer Patch made the board a close fifth, with Annaf in seventh place.

“He was a bit worked up, as usual, but I thought it wasn’t too bad,” Jockey Miyuki, who has ridden all but three of Raptus’s 22 starts, said. “Heading into the homestretch, I thought we were going to win, but we weren’t able to pull away. In place, with just a little more, I do think we could have made it, but this time the others were strong.”

The 13-strong lineup for the 1,800-meter Korea Cup featured three overseas runners, one each from England (the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Intellogent), Hong Kong (Matthew Chadwick’s Kings Shield), and Japan.

Japan’s hope for its fourth win of the race was Sekifu, a 3-year-old son of Henny Hughes hailing from the Ritto stable of former jockey Koshiro Take. Already a seasoned traveler, Sekifu was runnerup in this year’s Grade 3 Saudi Derby and eighth in the Grade 2 UAE Derby. In June, he was a neck shy of winning the Grade 3 Unicorn Stakes over Tokyo dirt 1,600 meters.

The Japanese runner was once against the race favorite, with Raon the Fighter, at 10 for 12, and Korea Derby champ Winner’s Man filling the top three spots at the betting windows.

Off at 16:35 local time, Sekifu kept pace behind the front-running Raon the Fighter and looked strong until the turn for home. Winner’s Man, buffeted on both sides just out of the gate, had settled in toward the rear with three horses behind him and stayed there until beginning his drive turning out of the backstretch.

Gaining steadily up the outside under jockey Seo Seung Un, Winner’s Man was already within striking distance of the top as they straightened for home. Sekifu, who had a 2-kg advantage over the rest of the field, was unable to narrow the gap to Raon the Fighter, still out in first.

Winner’s Man continued to close and caught Sekifu at the 100-meter mark, then Raon the Fighter just three strides out to win by a length. Sekifu followed runnerup Raon the Fighter a length later in third.

“I could feel he was in good shape when I got on in the preparade ring,” Kota Fujioka, who partnered with Sekifu for the first time, said. “And, as I had imagined he would, he was able to get a smooth trip to the front from the gate. I had heard that his responses at the crucial moments were a bit slow and I could feel that, but he rallied and really gave it his all until the very end.”

The inaugural Korea Sprint in 2016 went to Hong Kong’s Super Jockey, with Japan-based horses winning in 2017 (Graceful Leap) and 2018 (Moanin). The first three editions of the Korea Cup were claimed by Japan runners, Chrysolite in 2016 and London Town in 2017 and 2018.

Stay Foolish, one of four Japan runners aimed at this year’s Prix de l' Arc de Triomphe, finished second a length and a quarter behind winner Botanik in his prep, the Grand Prix de Deauville on Sunday, Aug. 28.

It was the fourth start of the year for the 7-year-old son of Stay Gold, and his first in 2 months after a ninth-place finish in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200, Hanshin). A Grade 2 winner at home, Stay Foolish notched two stakes wins overseas this year, the Red Sea Turf Handicap (G3, 3,000) in Riyadh at the end of February, followed by the Dubai Gold Cup (G2, 3,200) a month later. Stay Foolish flew in directly from Japan and arrived in France on Aug. 15. He is housed at the Chantilly stable of Hiroo Shimizu.

A Group 2 turf event over 2,500 meters for 3-year-olds and up, the field of the 2022 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville featured only five runners. As the day’s fourth race of ten, it got under way at Deauville Racecourse at 3:55 p.m. local time (10:55 p.m. in Japan).

Cristian Demuro, who rode the winner last year, sent Stay Foolish to the front and gradually widened the gap between him and the others, then quickened with 500 meters to go. Stay Foolish held off a first challenge by Botanik, who had been running in second position under Mickael Barzalona, was then urged on but unable to throw off a persistent Botanik, who overtook the spent Japanese runner with less than 150 meters to go.

Two French runners followed him over the line, Fenelon a far third, and last year’s victor Glycon in fourth.

Botanik, an Irish-bred, 4-year-old gelding by Golden Horn, hails from the stables of Andre Fabre and is Godolphin owned and bred. He is now 7 for 12, with wins from four of his last five starts. Botanik, who ran under 59 kg (1 kg less than Stay Foolish), clocked 2 minutes 36.23 seconds over the 2,500 meters of turf rated “good.”

Cristian Demuro (younger brother to Mirco) was the 14th rider to be partnered with Stay Foolish, who has 4 wins and 13 other finishes in the money from a career 33 starts. Demuro, 30, said, “I could feel that he has a lot of stamina. He was able to run his own race and, even though he lost, this will have him used to the French style of racing.”

Yukihiko Araki, assistant to trainer Yoshito Yahagi, commented postrace. “We’re not very disappointed with the result as this was a prep for the Arc. And, we expect him to improve.”

Yahagi, who is the year’s current No. 2 JRA trainer for wins, watched the race from Japan and seemed a bit more surprised, though not particularly bothered by the loss. “I didn’t think he should lose to this competition, but he was returning from time off and I’d put him at around 70-80 percent.

“So, considering that, I don’t think it was a performance. I’ll do my best to see that he’s at his best for the main event.”

Christophe Lemaire, who rode both Stay Foolish’s wins this year, is expected to take the reins at Longchamp in the Oct. 2 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Stay Foolish is still chasing his first big win. A Grade 2 winner both in Japan and abroad, he has participated in seven Grade 1 races, with his best results a third in the Hopeful Stakes (2,000 meters, Nakayama) as a 2-year-old, and a fifth in the Hong Kong Vase (2,400 meters, Sha Tin) last year.

The other expected Arc runners from Japan are the Miho-based Titleholder, a 4-year-old, three-time G1 winner from the stable of Toru Kurita and two others from Ritto, the 5-year-old Deep Bond, and the 3-year-old Do Deuce.

Arc-experienced Deep Bond, fielded by Ryuji Okubo, finished second in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200, Hanshin) this year. Last year, he won his Arc prep, the Grade 2 Prix Foy over the Arc distance of 2,400 meters, but finished 14th of 14 in the main event. Do Deuce is this year’s Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner and is trained by Yasuo Tomomichi.

Japan’s horsemen have been trying to win the Arc since 1969. There have been four runnerups, but no winners from a total 29 previous bids. Wagering on the 2022 Arc will be available in Japan.

Yutaka Take captured his much-awaited second champion title this year since claiming the 1992 World Super Jockeys Series. Scoring a win in the 1st leg with sixth pick Meisho Tsutsuji, Take finished third in the 2nd leg with fourth favorite Asake Lady to come on top at the end of Day One. Though his horse was excluded from racing in the 3rd leg, his runner-up effort with second choice Kafuji Azul in the 4th leg brought him back to the top with 71 points.

Yutaka Take: “I’m glad that we were able to hold the series this year and that foreign jockeys were able to join us under difficult circumstances. It was very rewarding to be able to compete with everyone and I was able to spend a very fulfilling two days. I’m really happy that I was able to ride on good horses and claim the title this year as I have been coming in second many times since claiming the title years ago. We JRA jockeys always try hard to be able to take part in this event every year and I hope I’ll be able to compete again next year.”

Twelve points behind in second with 59 points was Yuga Kawada who marked a win, a third, a fourth and a ninth.

Yuga Kawada: “I’m just grateful that the series has returned after being cancelled for a couple of years, and I enjoyed competing in this atmosphere once again with my fellow jockeys. I’m also glad to have done well personally but “the legend” was, as always, very hard to beat. After another week of summer racing, the autumn racing scene featuring top-notch races will begin and we hope to do our best and contribute to another exciting season.”

Kohei Matsuyama who marked a seventh and a second on the first day came on top after winning the 3rd leg but succumbed to third, only one point behind Kawada, after finishing ninth in the 4th leg.

Kohei Matsuyama: “I have to admit I was hoping to win the overall title when I stood at the top after winning the 3rd leg, but it’s a shame it didn’t work out that way. I’m thankful to the horses—they all fought hard. After wrapping up a hot summer campaign in a week, I hope we can deliver to the fans an exciting fall season of racing.”

Theo Bachelot who was tied sixth at the end of Day One, finishing ninth and fourth in the first two races, improved to fourth place by winning the 4th leg with eighth pick Eingebung.

Team JRA claimed the team competition with a comfortable 284 points to claim its sixth consecutive title while Team WAS collected 174 points.

On Sunday, Aug. 14 at Deauville Racecourse, Bathrat Leon took on his second Grade 1 of his 2022 overseas excursion to England and France, but the 4-year-old Kizuna colt was unable to improve on the frustrating fourth he’d posted Iast out in the Sussex Stakes.

Taking on the Prix Jacques le Marois, a mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up, Bathrat Leon found the straight course at Deauville less forgiving than the bends at Goodwood and came up short to finish in seventh place.

Off at 15:55 local time (23:55 in Japan), Bathrat Leon broke sharply from the No. 6 gate, grabbed the lead amid the field of nine and quickly moved to the rail.

Ryan Moore had Order of Australia paced Bathrat Leon from the start and headed him from 2 1/2 furlongs out. With a furlong remaining in the race, Japan’s hopeful had nothing left in his tank. Order of Australia’s lead lasted until the final furlong as well, where a heated battle flared among four 3-year-olds that had raced midfield or further back.

Of them, it was the Frankel filly Inspiral who held her ground to cross the line in first, after a hefty whack from Frankie Dettori despite pressure to the end.

Light Infantry, a Fast Company colt ridden by Jamie Spencer, finished in second by a neck. Finished in third place also by a neck was the Dubawi-sired Erevann, with Christophe Soumillon up.

“Breaking well and sending him to the front on the rail all went according to plan,” trainer Yoshito Yahagi said after the race. “But since it was a straight course, he couldn’t get a breather around the bends. The jockey (Ryusei Sakai) said that was why he couldn’t put up a fight in the final stage.”

Bathrat Leon was also racing under 59.5kg, 2kg less than he’d carried in the Sussex Stakes, but still heavier than his previous top weight of 57kg, a weight he’d won under at Meydan in late March.

With the Prix Jacques le Marois, Yahagi wrapped up his overseas sortie consisting of four Grade 1 events, preceded by King Hermes in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at the same venue, Bathrat Leon in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and King Hermes in the July Cup at Newmarket. The four turf tests brought the Yahagi stable a 7-11-4-11 record respectively, not typical for the trainer who has bagged big races in five countries outside of Japan.

“Stabling him overseas for an extended period of time helped, as he was very relaxed,” the trainer said of Bathrat Leon. “The support has been fantastic and my staff has really done a great job. We didn’t get any good results on this excursion, but we can’t always win. I am going to try hard and get our revenge next time.”

Bathrat Leon, out of the New Approach mare Bathrat Amal was bred at Mishima Bokujo in Hokkaido. The colt is owned by Hiroo Race Co. Ltd. and has 4 wins from his 16 career starts, with firsts at the Grade 2 level in the New Zealand Trophy over the mile at Nakayama and the Godolphin Mile, also over the mile at Meydan. His Sussex Stakes fourth-place finish tied his Asahi Futurity Stakes result as his best performance at the top level.

It was the first time in 19 years that a Japanese trainer has fielded a horse in the Prix Jacques le Marois. The race has been contested by a total of five Japan-based runners (including Bathrat Leon) on four separate occasions starting in 1986. The race was won by Japan’s Taiki Shuttle in 1998.