Japan Horse Racing Tips-Umanity.jp|OKA SHO(G1) is held this weekend

Fourth favorite Lei Papale demonstrated her strength and extended her winning streak to six since her three-year-old debut in January while capturing her first G1 title in her first attempt at the highest level against a strong field that included multiple G1 winners. She is only the third in JRA history to claim a G1 title for older horses (four-year-old and up) unbeaten, after Fine Motion (2002 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup) and Chrysoberyl (2019 Champions Cup). Trainer Tomokazu Takano picked up his third career JRA-G1 title, his latest being the 2015 Japan Cup with Shonan Pandora, while jockey Yuga Kawada whose latest G1 win was just last week in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen with Danon Smash scored his 17th JRA-G1 title with the win.

Lei Papale was a fraction slow out of the gate outside race favorite Contrail but used her speed to quickly move forward and assume command. Cruising effortlessly on the rain-soddened track and timed 59.8 seconds over the first half of the 2,000-meter distance, the lightly built filly shifted out from the rail for better footing and continued to flee away from her foes, finding another gear in the last 100 meters to pull away to a dominating four-length victory.

“I had always believed in her outstanding talent since her debut but of course it was a tough ask this time against a top class after registering out first grade-race victory (in December). She felt good during the post parade and she was able to jump into her rhythm throughout the race without being pressed. I was able to shift her out without interfering the horses coming from behind for her stretch run as there was still plenty room between her and the rest of the field at the top of the stretch. And to still have the strength to find another gear over the turf condition today—she is an exceptional filly to keep her speed right to the end. Now that she’s a G1 winner, expectations will suddenly be quite high from now on, but I hope to be able bring out her best in each race,” commented Yuga Kawada.

Mozu Bello sat off the pace, fourth from last just off the rails and with the race favorite in view. The sixth favorite gradually made headway and followed Contrail who advanced along the outside, joining Gran Alegria in chasing the leader approaching the final corner. Turning wide for a clear stretch run, the son of Deep Brillante demonstrated an impressive turn of speed to outrun both Contrail and Gran Alegria while unable to threaten the winner.

Heavy favorite Contrail was positioned in mid-field, around ninth, from a smooth break with eyes on Gran Alegria who traveled in fifth position in front behind a good pace set by the eventual winner. The 2020 Triple Crown winner made headway with 800 meters to go and closed in on the leader into the homestretch alongside Gran Alegria but both the Contrail and champion miler/sprinter struggled to find their best speed over the heavy turf and failed to keep up with the fleeing winner. While the Deep Impact colt managed to hang on to third place by a neck margin, the 2020 champion three-year-old was beaten by the late charging Mozu Bello in the final stages.
Other Horses:
4th: (12) Gran Alegria—sat in 5th, advanced with Contrail after 3rd corner, sustained bid and passed Salios but soon overtaken by Mozu Bello and Contrail
5th: (2) Salios—saved ground around 3rd, chased leader along rails until 100m marker, weakened thereafter
6th: (10) Cadenas—hugged rails in 12th, showed 3rd fastest late kick, belatedly
7th: (3) Ardently—raced in 8th, boxed in turning final corner, passed tired rivals
8th: (4) Bravas—settled in 11th, found little room at final corner, showed brief effort
9th: (13) Admire Virgo—traveled 3-wide in 7th, failed to respond and reach contention
10th: (5) Persian Knight—checked at break, trailed in far rear, circled wide, never fired
11th: (9) Crescendo Love—took economic trip in 6th, showed little at stretch
12th: (6) Wagnerian—tracked leaders in 3rd or 4th, outrun after 3rd corner although driven
13th: (11) Happy Grin—stalked leader in second, faded after 3rd corner

The spring Grade 1 season here in Japan is now well under way, and this week’s top-level action will be at Hanshin Racecourse in the west of the country, where the Grade 1 Osaka Hai will be run on Sunday (April 4). The race is for 4-year-olds and up, and is run over 2,000 meters on the inner turf course. All runners carry 57kg, with a 2kg allowance for fillies and mares.
The race was first run in 1957, when it was a handicap and run over 1,800 meters. The distance was changed to 2,000 meters in 1972, and it became a Grade 2 in 1984. It was opened to runners from overseas in 2003. This year marks the 65th running of the race, which was previously known as the Sankei Osaka Hai, but became simply the Osaka Hai in 2017, the year in which it also became a Grade 1. Big name winners in recent years have included Orfevre (2013), Kizuna (2014), and Kitasan Black (2017), to name just a few.
There have been 15 nominations for this year’s Osaka Hai, including last year’s Triple Crown winner Contrail. There are no fewer than seven horses by Deep Impact among the entries. Over the last ten years, first or second favorites have taken out the race seven times, proving the market leaders have been well worth following. The last first favorite to win was Suave Richard in 2018. Also in the last ten years, 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds have won five times apiece, sharing the spoils equally between them. Record time for the race is held by Hiruno d’Amour, who won in a time of 1 minute 57.8 seconds back in 2011. This year’s winner’s check is JPY135 million, and the big race is Race 11 on the Sunday card at Hanshin, with a post time locally of 15:40. The final field and barrier draw will be announced later in the week.
Here’s a look at some of the runners expected to take on this year’s Grade 1 Osaka Hai:

Contrail: The much-awaited reappearance of the now 4-year-old colt will be this Sunday, and the horse that lost his unbeaten record to Almond Eye in last year’s Japan Cup will be a warm order to start his 2021 campaign with a win here. He won on his debut at Hanshin over 1,800 meters, his only start at the track. All eyes will be on him on Sunday, but the vibes from the stable are nothing but good. “After the Japan Cup, he had a rest at Daisen Hills. He came back to the stable at Ritto on March 6, and he looks in great shape, currently weighing about 490kg. He seems more mature now, and he put in a fast piece of work with jockey Yuichi Fukunaga on March 17. We’ll be making sure his workload is just right from now,” commented assistant trainer Shigeki Miyauchi.

Gran Alegria: Another of last year’s star performers, the daughter of Deep Impact returns here on another mission to take on the distance of 2,000 meters for the first time. She has three wins from four starts at Hanshin, and the stable is preparing her for another big run in the Osaka Hai. “She had a great year last year with her three Grade 1 victories and a very close second on top of those. She had a break at Northern Farm Tenei before returning to the stable on March 3. As we prepare her in training for the trip of 2,000 meters for the first time, she seems relaxed and is eating well,” commented assistant trainer Daisuke Tsumagari.

Salios: The 4-year-old colt by Heart’s Cry finished second to Contrail in last year’s Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and has finished first and fifth in just two races since. The horse is having his first run this year, and trainer Noriyuki Hori is sharpening him up for a big run this time too. “He came back to the stable on February 27, a week earlier than his usual pattern, as he’s a horse that needs to adjust to his environment. When he came back from Northern Farm Shigaraki, he weighed 562kg, and now gradually he’s getting into condition and currently weighs 550kg. His appetite is good and he looks well in his coat,” said the trainer. Jockey Kohei Matsuyama, who’s made an impressive start to 2021, will take the ride on Salios for the first time.

Admire Virgo: It’ll be the first Grade 1 for Admire Virgo, a horse that only began his career as a 3-year-old, but has four wins from just six career starts, and is looking to bounce back from his worst ever finish last time when tenth in the Grade 2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai over 2,200 meters at Chukyo in January. Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi commented: “He’s fresh from a stay at the farm, and has been working well with stablemate You Can Smile on the woodchip course recently. Last time he got into a good position in the race, but couldn’t finish things off at the end. I put that down to the state of the ground and the 2,200 meters being a bit far for him.”

Lei Papale: Yet another runner by Deep Impact, the 4-year-old filly is becoming more eye-catching as she has now extended her winning streak to five races after her win at the end of last year in the Grade 3 Challenge Cup at Hanshin over 2,000 meters. Trainer Tomokazu Takano is looking forward to the next challenge with her. “It was her first try at graded level last time, as well as the distance of 2,000 meters with four corners in the race, but she passed that test well, and this became the logical next step for her. We’ve decided to go straight to this race, not choosing to give her a run beforehand,” said the trainer.

Gibeon: The 6-year-old really toughed it out last time to record an all the way win on yielding ground in the Grade 2 Kinko Sho at Chukyo over 2,000 meters in March, causing a 227/1 upset at the same time and a shock defeat of last year’s star filly, Daring Tact. It was Gibeon’s first win from his last twelve races, and it will be interesting to see what he can do this time after his surprise win. “He got to the front last time and ran well with a good rhythm, and just when it looked difficult for him, he managed to pull out a bit more and go on to win. He deserves to take his chance among the strong horses,” commented assistant trainer Nobuyuki Tashiro.

Wagnerian: The 2018 Derby winner is back for another try at the race in which he finished 3rd in 2019 and 5th in 2020. Now a 6-year-old, Wagnerian has just had 14 career starts and is coming off a fifth place finish in the Grade 2 Kyoto Kinen over 2,200 meters in February. He’s another representative for trainer Yasuo Tomomichi, who is riding high in the trainers’ table this year. “He just needed that last race, and since then he’s had a short break at the farm. He recently worked solo with his race jockey Hayato Yoshida, who is riding him for the first time,” stated the trainer.

Cadenas: The 7-year-old’s best finish among his seven Grade 1 races was last year’s Osaka Hai, when he finished fourth. In his two races this year, he’s been unplaced both times, but last time in the Grade 3 Kokura Daishoten in February, he wasn’t that far off the winner. “He returned from the farm on March 13th and has been moving well in his work uphill recently. He’s coming along fine, and his rotation will be the same as last year’s. He put in a strong performance in last year’s race and he’s well suited to the Hanshin track,“ said assistant trainer Masaaki Shibata.

This year, Japan’s horsemen sent 12 runners to Dubai for the 25th Dubai World Cup Day, held on Saturday, March 27 and headlined by the USD12 million Dubai World Cup. The extravaganza, resuming after sitting 2020 out, carries a card of nine races and features five Grade 1 events at the left-handed Meydan Racecourse (at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse until 2010).

Though none of Japan’s participants were able to reach the winner’s circle this year, it was nonetheless an incredible day at Meydan. Five Japan-based horses made the top 3 (four runners-up and one third-place finisher) in the day’s big four Grade 1 races - the Dubai Golden Shaheen, Dubai Turf, Dubai Sheema Classic, and the Dubai World Cup.

On Saturday, from the Godolphin Mile with a local post time of 4:15 p.m. to the running of the World Cup at 8:50 p.m., racing fans in Japan (five hours ahead of Dubai) stayed up into the wee hours of Sunday to catch the event live.

The Dubai Golden Shaheen was the first of the four races open to betting in Japan and boasted four runners from the home base among a field of 13. The six-furlong dirt event, carrying a first-place prize of USD870,000, was won by the American raider Zenden, but tragedy struck just moments past the finish line.

Rider Antonio Fresu was able to leap uninjured to the ground as the 5-year-old Zenden went down with a leg injury to his left foreleg. He had to be euthanized later. Following Zenden home 3 1/4 lengths later in second place was Japan’s Red le Zele, a 5-year-old by Lord Kanaloa trained by Takayuki Yasuda. Ryan Moore had the ride and said “Red le Zele ran a lovely race. He ran super, but I think 1,200 meters was a bit sharp for him. He needs to step up in trip.”

Next best result was had by Copano Kicking, who had beat Justin and Matera Sky in his win at the Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Feb. 20. He notched a fifth place under William Buick. “He ran well and finished off really well,” said Buick. “He’s got no early speed though and this track is speed-favored. We couldn’t get into it, to be honest.”

Justin was 11th and Matera Sky, who finished second in the same race in 2019, followed only one off the rear.

“We brought him out to the track before the others and he was calm in the preliminaries,” said trainer Yoshito Yahagi of Justin. “He was better than he’d been in Saudi Arabia. We did what we could and this is the result of him chasing the win by staying close to the front. But it was a convincing race.”

Partnered with Justin was jockey Ryusei Sakai, who said, “He was in really good shape, but we ran the race we wanted to so it’s not frustrating. He broke well and we were able to keep our eye on the winner but this one faded early.”

Jockey Keita Tosaki on Matera Sky said, “I don’t think there was any problem with the horse’s condition. Those around him were fast and he was able to run his own race.”

The day’s No. 7 race, the Dubai Turf, is a turf competition over 1,800 meters. Only one runner from Japan was entered in the field of 12, Vin de Garde, a 5-year-old trained by trainer Hideaki Fujiwara.

Vin de Garde, ridden by French rider Mickael Barzalona, was able to finish second behind winner Lord North, who moved up from the rear from 600 meters out and led with 300 meters to go. Vin de Garde traveled from midfield and ran well over the final 300 meters but was no match for the winner.

“I had no orders from the trainer,” said Barzalona. “He had just asked me to ride where the horse was happy and suitable. I was relaxed where I was and had a lot of horse under me. It was a perfect race. But, in the stretch, things just wouldn’t open up.”

Next up on the card was the Dubai Sheema Classic, a race that easily was the most thrilling race of the day and the most frustrating for Japan. The team’s star mares Chrono Genesis and Loves Only You looked set for a win of the 2,410-meter turf race, but victory was to be snatched away by the Saudi Cup winner Mishriff, advancing swiftly on the outside under jockey David Egan. Mishriff was able to top Chrono Genesis by a neck, with Loves Only You finishing in third place another neck behind.

Egan acknowledged the tough competition. ”It was a strong battle inside the last two furlongs,” he said. “I was just glad I was able to do my job and get him to settle. We know he’s got an immense turn of foot. I thought he had to dig deep today in the final furlong. I thought he was going to curl up on me, but it just shows how good he is.”

Jockey Yuichi Kitamura on 5-year-old Chrono Genesis said, "She had a halfway decent start, I focused on letting her race at her own rhythm and letting her choose the spot she wanted to race from.

“When they picked up at the third bend, she was able to keep up but just after that she couldn’t respond immediately and she tired in the end. She wasn’t able to show her signature closing speed in the stretch."

The difference in prize money a neck made for Chrono Genesis was USD1.9 million.

Jockey Oisin Murphy on Loves Only You said her start had been a bit slow. “She had a tendency to lay out in the straight and she brushed another runner a few times.”

Loves Only You trainer Yoshito Yahagi said, “I would have liked to have just a bit more pace. But that’s the way races are run here. Things were standing still until the very end.

“She gave us a good race. There was nothing more we could have done. I’m looking forward to run her in Hong Kong as her next race.”

The main event saw hope for a Japan first shouldered by one horse alone, Chuwa Wizard, who was coming off a ninth-place finish amid 14 runners in the Saudi Cup on Feb. 20. The Dubai World Cup was delayed some 12 minutes, after Military Law got loose and proved hard to catch. He, along with Great Scott, were deemed non-runners. Horses had to be reloaded.

In the end, it was once again disappointment for Japan and Chuwa Wizard, with the Godolphin-owned Mystic Guide proving the more magical. The 4-year-old, ridden by Luis Saez, beat Japan’s runner home by a formidable 3 3/4 lengths, topping the field (reduced to 12) to land the USD6.96 million winner’s share.

The 6-year-old Chuwa Wizard, by King Kamehameha, was trained by Ryuji Okubo and piloted by Keita Tosaki, one of only three Japan-based jockeys who made the trip to Dubai. "He was more relaxed in his final fast work than he’d been before his last race,” said Tosaki. “He was relaxed here too while waiting for the race to start. He jumped well and could run his race.

“I knew the winner was traveling nicely on the final turn but my horse was also moving well. When the pace picked up, he showed his turn of foot. He was able to run his race.

“I’d like to be able to get our revenge sometime."

Japanese horses participated in two other events earlier in the day, the Godolphin Mile, a Grade 2 over dirt and the UAE Derby, a Grade 2 over 1,900 meters of dirt.

The mile event and second race of the day was won by the locally trained 8-year-old Secret Ambition. Japan’s only runner was the Miho-based 4-year-old Dieu du Vin. The colt started awkwardly and lost ground as, according to rider Lanfranco Dettori, he hung right throughout the race to finish 13th out of 15 runners.

Three Japan horses took on the UAE Derby, a race Japan has won only once before in 12 bids. The Yukihiro Kato-trained Takeru Pegasus, under jockey Ryan Moore, managed to best the trio with a fourth-place finish amid a field of 14. “He ran a good race. He just needed a bit further,” Moore said of the 3-year-old Takeru Pegasus. “He tried really hard. He’s brave and has a big heart.” France Go de Ina, trained by Hideyuki Mori, was bumped at the break and, slow to find his stride, came in in sixth place under the U.S.-based Joel Rosario. “He was nervous in the gate. I tried to calm him and he was OK, but then didn’t go forward,” said Rosario. “The break was definitely key.” Pink Kamehameha, also trained by Hideyuki Mori, tracked the leader Panadol but weakened over the final two furlongs to finish 10th under Keita Tosaki.

DUBAI WORLD CUP (G1, 2,000m Dirt, US$ 12 million, 20:50)
- CHUWA WIZARD: 2nd

DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC (G1, 2,410m Turf, US$ 5 million, 20:10)
- CHRONO GENESIS: 2nd
- LOVES ONLY YOU: 3rd

DUBAI TURF (G1, 1,800m Turf, US$ 4 million, 19:30)
- VIN DE GARDE: 2nd

DUBAI GOLDEN SHAHEEN (G1, 1,200m Dirt, US$ 1.5 million, 18:40)
- RED LE ZELE: 2nd
- COPANO KICKING: 5th
- JUSTIN: 11th
- MATERA SKY: 12th
UAE DERBY (G2, 1,900m Dirt, US$ 750,000, 18:05)
- TAKERU PEGASUS: 4th
- FRANCE GO DE INA: 6th
- PINK KAMEHAMEHA: 10th

GODOLPHIN MILE (G2, 1,600m Dirt, US$ 750,000, 16:15)
- DIEU DU VIN: 13th

Please visit the following websites for more information.
Dubai Racing Club: http://www.dubairacingclub.com/
Dubai World Cup: http://www.dubairacingclub.com/visit/racing-season/dubai-world-cup　
Emirates Racing Authority: http://www.emiratesracing.com/

Danon Smash, the son of Lord Kanaloa, claimed this year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen to register his first JRA-G1 victory in his eighth attempt while accomplishing another father-son victory following the previous Hong Kong Sprint. This is the second father-son victory in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen since the race was promoted to G1 in 1996, the first accomplished by King Halo (2000) and Laurel Guerreiro (2009). The connections of Danon Smash has accepted an invitation to race in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin on April 25. This win marked trainer Takayuki Yasuda’s 13th JRA-G1 victory following his Hopeful Stakes win with Danon the Kid at the end of last year and his third Takamatsunomiya Kinen victory following his title with Curren Chan (2012) and Lord Kanaloa (2013). Jockey Yuga Kawada registered his 16th JRA-G1 win and his second Takamatsunomiya Kinen victory since his triumph with Fine Needle in 2018.

This year’s race commenced with defending champion Mozu Superflare immediately assuming command and setting a fast pace despite the yielding going due to rain. Six-year-old Danon Smash, breaking from stall 14, traveled around 9-10th from the front while eyeing race favorite Resistencia on the outside. Turning the corners wide, the Hong Kong Sprint champion weaved his way between horses entering the stretch and outdueled the race favorite in the last 100 meters to claim his first JRA-G1 title.

“I knew that the ground condition was going to be the key factor but I decided not to make any plan and let the horse race where he wants to. We were able to race while eyeing Resistencia in the front. He responded really well at the fourth corner and, although there was a long duel (with the race favorite) at the stretch, he showed his strength at the end. Last year’s result (10th) was very disappointing so I’m really glad he was able to register his first G1 title in Japan,” commented Yuga Kawada.

Race favorite Resistencia traveled wide around 6-7th from the front, surged out from the pack at the 200-meter pole and, although outdueled by Danon Smash, overtook the front two horses before the wire to pass the wire a neck behind in second.

Third choice Indy Champ raced two wide in mid-division, broke loose from the pack after threading through horses in the early stretch and nailed the frontrunner Mozu Superflare passing 100m marker but was overtaken by the subsequent winner and runner-up before the wire to finish third.
Other Horses:
4th: (13) Travesura—settled around 11th, struggled to find clear path, quickened in last 200m
5th: (4) Mozu Superflare—set pace, showed tenacity along rails, weakened in final strides
6th: (17) Sound Chiara—advanced to 6th from wide draw, sustained bid while checked by rival 300m out
7th: (8) Eighteen Girl—sat near rear around 16-17th, circled wide and showed tied fastest late kick
8th: (15) Maltese Diosa—raced 4-wide around 13th, accelerated on outer stretch, never a threat
9th: (12) Seiun Kosei—chased leader around 3rd, showed tenacity, weakened in last 100m
10th: (18) Mikki Brillante—was off slow, ran 3-wide around 13th, switched to outside, improved position
11th: (5) Daimei Fuji—positioned around 15th, passed tired rivals at stretch
12th: (6) Danon Fantasy—tracked leader in 2nd, tired and outrun in last 200m
13th: (7) Astra Emblem—hugged rails around 16th, failed to respond on inner stretch
14th: (10) Lauda Sion—chased leader in 2nd or 3rd, drifted to outside slightly before 200m pole, showed little thereafter
15th: (11) Katsuji—raced 3-4wide around 6th, sustained to reach contention until 200m pole
16th: (1) A Will a Way—trailed in rear, angled out, never fired
17th: (3) Right on Cue—traveled around 6th, showed brief effort, outrun in last 200m
18th: (2) Red en Ciel—took economic trip around 5th, faded after 300m marker