Wandering Eyes

After the retirement of the sensational Frankel at the end of 2012, there was a possibility that the stars of 2013 would seem rather pedestrian in comparison. Fortunately, nature abhors a vacuum and the void was filled by several genuinely outstanding performers on the international stage. While none of them came close to matching Frankel’s unequalled Timeform rating of 147, several scored highly on the Timeform scale. Treve, who handed out a five-length defeat to the Japanese champion Orfevre in the Arc, earned a figure of 134, as did American Horse of the Year Wise Dan and the phenomenal Australian mare Black Caviar, who extended her winning run to 25. I mention this to put into perspective the figure of 133 achieved by Lord Kanaloa, the dominant sprinter-miler in Japan. It is also illuminating to point out that Lord Kanaloa’s rating was just 1lb below the best Timeform rating achieved by Japanese superstar Deep Impact several years earlier. Deep Impact, of course, has since developed into a worthy successor to his sire Sunday Silence and currently looks guaranteed to record his seventh consecutive Japanese sires’ championship, having also enjoyed Classic success in Britain and France this year. However, the signs are that Lord Kanaloa is going to prove an increasingly dangerous rival to Deep Impact in years to come. Lord Kanaloa was the leading first-crop sire of 2017, when he also ranked second behind Deep Impact on the 2-year-old table. And those first-crop runners have trained on so well that Lord Kanaloa–with less than half as many runners as Deep Impact–has risen to seventh place behind Deep Impact on the general sires’ table. His son Stelvio recently landed the G1 Mile Championship at Kyoto and now Lord Kanaloa’s exceptional daughter Almond Eye has won the G1 Japan Cup after dominating the Fillies’ Triple Crown, comprising the 1000 Guineas and Oaks equivalents and the Shuka Sho. Another 3-year-old, Danon Smash, took the G3 Keihan Hai over six furlongs on the day of Almond Eye’s Japan Cup triumph. Lord Kanaloa also ranks second behind Deep Impact on this year’s 2-year-old table, thanks partly to group stakes successes by Fantasist (a Group 3 winner over six furlongs and a Group 2 winner over seven) and Cadence Call (a Group 3 winner over a mile). With three Group 1 juvenile prizes yet to be decided, it will be interesting to see whether Lord Kanaloa can narrow Deep Impact’s lead. Lord Kanaloa was very different to Deep Impact, in that he had no pretensions to staying middle distances, even though he is a son of King Kamehameha. This winner of the Japanese Derby (Tokyo Yushun) over a mile and a half has sired two winners of the same Classic. Lord Kanaloa was never asked to tackle more than a mile during a 19-race career. Before retiring to Shadai he built an enviable record of 13 wins and five seconds, with his victories featuring two in the G1 Sprinters S. at Nakayama and another two in Sha Tin’s G1 Hong King Sprint. He proved his versatility with a win in the G1 Yasuda Kinen over a mile. There are a few possible sources of Lord Kanaloa’s speed. Although King Kamehameha stayed well, his grandsires were the top sprinters Mr. Prospector and Last Tycoon. Then there’s Storm Cat, who sired Lord Kanaloa’s dam Lady Blossom from the dual American Grade I winner Saratoga Dew. Although Saratoga Dew and her sire Cormorant both stayed nine furlongs, Cormorant also set two stakes record times over six furlongs as a 3-year-old. Breeders have understandably been very eager to use Lord Kanaloa, with his first three crops numbering 180, 195 and 159 registered foals. He has covered at least 250 mares in each of his first four seasons and his fee for 2018 was ¥8 million, which put him on a par with Sunday Silence’s very successful son Heart’s Cry. King Kamehameha and Lord Kanaloa both enjoy the priceless benefit of having pedigrees free of the ubiquitous Sunday Silence. It is worth mentioning that even though Sunday Silence died as long ago as 2002, he still exerts a huge influence on Japanese breeding. Five of his sons currently rank among the top eight on the leading sires’ table, and Sunday Silence is heading for yet another broodmare sire championship. In other words, Lord Kanaloa has a great deal to offer breeders trapped in the Sunday Silence cul-de-sac. Daughters of Sunday Silence supplied King Kamehameha with numerous group winners, headed by Duramente (2015 Japanese 2000 Guineas and Derby), Rose Kingdom (2010 Japan Cup) and Belshazzar (2013 Japan Cup Dirt). Mares by sons of Sunday Silence have also had success, producing such good winners as Let’s Go Donki (2015 Japanese 1000 Guineas), Lovely Day (2015 Tenno Sho Autumn) and Leontes (2015 Asahi Hai Futurity). It is encouraging that Lord Kanaloa has also made a bright start with Sunday Silence line mares. His Japan Cup heroine Almond Eye has a dam by Sunday Silence, while the G1-winning Stelvio has a second dam by him. Shadai must also be delighted that Lord Kanaloa’s 2-year-old group winners in 2018 are out of granddaughters of Sunday Silence, with Fantasist and Cadence Call respectively being out of daughters of Deep Impact and Heart’s Cry. Almond Eye follows Horse of the Year Gentildonna as only the second 3-year-old filly to win the Japan Cup and her record suggests she could be even better than her predecessor, who went on to win the G1 Sheema Classic in Dubai. Almond Eye’s time for the 2400 metres on Sunday was a very swift 2:20.60 on firm ground. Almond Eye’s talent comes as no great surprise, as her dam Fusaichi Pandora was also an accomplished Group 1 performer in Japan. Like her daughter, Fusaichi Pandora performed well in the Japanese Oaks, the Shuka Sho and the Japan Cup, respectively finishing second, third and fifth. She was beaten only five lengths by Deep Impact in the 2006 Japan Cup, two weeks after she had become a Group 1 winner in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup. In addition to being a daughter of Sunday Silence, Fusaichi Pandora comes from one of the world’s most illustrious female lines. Her dam Lotta Lace was born when her dam Sex Appeal was 22, but the fact that she was by Northern Dancer’s son Nureyev meant that she was a three-parts-sister to the brilliant El Gran Senor and to the champion 2-year-old Try My Best. Incidentally, Nureyev and Try My Best also figure among King Kamehameha’s great-grandsires, Almond Eye’s sire Lord Kanaloa isn’t the only son of King Kamehameha to have made an encouraging start in recent years. The year-older Rulership, who also won one of Hong Kong’s Group 1 races, is another who enjoys the attraction of having no Sunday Silence blood. He has sired the Japanese St Leger winner Kiseki from a Deep Impact mare and it was Kiseki who chased home Almond Eye at Tokyo two days ago. Rulership now ranks ninth on the leading sires’ list, having been the leading first-crop sire of 2016. View the full article

Gainesway’s Silver Colors (Mr. Greeley) has joined the roster for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s Foal Patrol Season 2, which will start in late December at www.foalpatrol.com. The 11-year-old mare, a daughter of GI Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors, is already the dam of GI Alabama S. winner Eskimo Kisses (To Honor and Serve). She is currently in foal to Tapit. With the use of live cameras, Foal Patrol allows fans to follow the daily activities of in-foal mares. View the full article

Frank Mirahmadi has been named the new announcer at Santa Anita, effective with the track’s opening day Dec. 26. Mirahmadi, who has been announcing at tracks across the country for the last 22 years, was the track announcer at Monmouth Park for the last four seasons and is currently calling the races at Aqueduct. He has also called the races at Hialeah Park, Oaklawn Park, Golden Gate Fields and Louisiana Downs, as well as serving brief stints at Santa Anita in 2014 and 2016. “We’re very excited to be able to hand Frank the microphone here on opening day,” said Tim Ritvo, COO for The Stronach Group. “In addition to being an outstanding communicator, to know Frank is to love him. He’s a very engaging, funny guy who brings a unique perspective to his job. First and foremost, he’s a fan and I really think that’s important. He knows what our players want and he knows how to engage not only them, but newcomers as well. He’s well known and respected by our horsemen and we’re looking forward to having him do a number of promotional things in addition to calling races. I know he’ll be here on-track well in advance of opening day to get reacquainted with everyone and we can’t wait for the bell to ring on Dec. 26.” Mirahmadi replaces Michael Wrona, who two years ago beat out fellow finalist Mirahmadi to earn the Santa Anita job. Wrona announced he had been let go by the track in a tweet Saturday evening. “Change is never easy and we want to acknowledge Michael’s contributions to Santa Anita over the past couple of years,” said Ritvo. “We appreciate his hard work and dedication and we wish him well in his next assignment.” A Los Angeles native, the 51-year-old Mirahmadi called his first two races Dec. 24, 1992 when invited as a celebrity impersonator at Hollywood Park. “Santa Anita Park has been my favorite racetrack since I started attending horse races as a kid in the 70s,” said Mirahmadi. “I have vivid recollections of where I sat watching races featuring superstars such as Spectacular Bid, John Henry, Precisionist, Winning Colors, and so many others. There is no higher honor than to be named the voice of what I like to call The Great est Race Place. I am so thankful for this incredible opportunity and look forward to returning home.” View the full article

European champion 3-year-old Sinndar (Ire) (Grand Lodge-Sinntara {Ire}, by Lashkari {GB}), who is the only horse to capture the G1 Epsom Derby, G1 Irish Derby and G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the same year, has passed away, the Aga Khan Studs announced on Monday. The Aga Khan homebred was 21. Trained by John Oxx, the bay won his first two starts at two, including the G1 National S. in 1999, but would be even better as a sophomore. A close second in the Listed Ballysax S. returning at three, his only career loss, Sinndar rebounded in the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial S. at Leopardstown in May before his victory at Epsom on June 10. He added the Irish equivalent by a commanding nine lengths that July and resurfaced with a blow-out win in the G2 Prix Niel at Longchamp that September, prior to his career finale in the Arc. “No horse can get by him,” regular rider Johnny Murtagh said after the colt’s Arc victory. “He’s got speed, he’s got staying ability and a great heart. He’s the best horse, a true champion.” “He’s a great horse and a worthy winner of the Arc in the year 2000,” said trainer John Oxx at the time. “He’s set a standard there that will be hard enough for others to match and I’m sure that when we get to the year 2099, they will still write about this horse.” Retired with a mark of 8-7-1 and $2,571,884 in earnings, the son of Irish highweight Sinntara stood his first five seasons at Gilltown Stud under the Aga Khan Studs’ banner, before taking up covering duties at Haras de Bonneval in 2006. His final two years at stud were spent at Haras National du Lion d’Angers in 2016/17. Overall, he sired 20 stakes winners, among them Group 1 winners Rosanara (Fr), Shareta (Ire), and Shawanda (Ire) as well as Youmzain (Ire), who played bridesmaid in three-straight Arcs. His get also included Scandinavian champion Eye In The Sky (Ire) and Swiss highweight Oak Harbour (GB). As a broodmare sire, Sinndar already has Classic winners Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast) and Trading Leather (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK—The European yearling sales have been hit-or-miss all season and, from a slow beginning, the finale eventually sparked into life as dusk settled, with a number of high-priced lots contributing to a record average for Tattersalls December Yearling Sale of 35,597gns. A fall in clearance rate to 72% from 78% last season meant that the aggregate fell fractionally, with the 117 yearlings sold bringing 4,200,500gns, a drop of 2%. The median was down by 14% at 21,500gns. The green and red silks of Martin and Lee Taylor have already been carried to Classic glory by the Oaks winner Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who was one of the stars of the 2013 Tattersalls December Sale when selling for 4 million gns. The brothers will be hoping that their luck is in again next spring when their G2 Horris Hill S. runner-up Azano (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) attempts to lay down his Guineas claims. In the meantime his full-brother (lot 89), bred by the Taylors and sold through the Castlebridge Consignment, led the December yearling session, with the hammer falling in favour of Azano’s trainer John Gosden at 260,000gns. “We’re very excited about his brother,” said Martin Taylor. “He won his maiden by five lengths and was then second in the Horris Hill 12 days later. John Gosden feels he’s potentially a Guineas horses so we’ll be hoping that he can start off in a Guineas trial somewhere.” The colt’s withdrawal from the October Sale worked in his favour, as Azano broke his maiden on Oct. 15, before adding some vital black type to the page at the end of the month. His dam Azanara (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}), a half-sister to the G1 Prix Ganay winner Astarabad (Alleged) and to the dam of the Aga Khan’s multiple Group 1 winner Azamour (Ire), was bought for the Taylors as a yearling by Liam Norris for €130,000. The mare has a filly foal by Frankel (GB) and is now in foal to Sea The Stars (Ire). Anthony Stroud, who signed for the colt on Gosden’s behalf, added, “This is a very nice horse and has been produced well. John is very keen on his full-brother and this colt will go to him.” Seeing Stars And Moons The champion trainer was back in action later and bought a Sea The Stars (Ire) half-sister to Group 3 winner Caravan Rolls On (GB) Hernando {Fr}) from Staffordstown Stud for 105,000gns. The filly (lot 149) is out of the unraced Machiavellian mare Grain Only (GB), whose dam All Grain (GB) is a sister to the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner Pure Grain (GB) (Polish Precedent). Breeder Kirsten Rausing said, “Unfortunately she had a stone bruise and could not come [to the sale] in October. I am delighted that she has been purchased by John Gosden and Stroud Coleman Bloodstock. She is a lovely filly and has always done everything right—except find one stone to stand on.” Rausing will also have approved of Gosden and Stroud’s next purchase, just five lots later. The filly in question (154) is by the Lanwades stallion Sea The Moon (Ger) who has recently been crowned champion first-season sire in Germany on the back of a strong crop of debutants, including the Group 3 winners Noble Moon (Ger) and Quest The Moon (Ger). On behalf of breeder Gestut Ammerland, Ronald Rauscher consigned the half-sister to the listed winner High Duty (GB) (Oratorio {Ire}) and out of the winning Montjeu (Ire) mare Heart Of Ice (Ire), who sold for 125,000gns. “She is very athletic and light on her feet,” said Stroud. “And the sire has been doing very well.” Family Affair For Burns Madeline Burns went to 160,000gns to buy the Authorized (Ire) mare Lake Nona (GB) from a family she knows well and two years later her faith has been rewarded with the sale of the mare’s first foal, a Kodiac (GB) filly, for 150,000gns. Lot 171 was effectively bought with the unraced mare while in utero and she represents a family which has close ties with Rathasker Stud. Maurice Burns bought the mare’s half-sister Es Que (GB) from George Strawbridge back in 2007 and from the daughter of Inchinor (GB) the farm has bred four black-type winners, including stallion Es Que Love (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire})—who will be offered for sale at Tattersalls next week as lot 1680—and G1 Hong Kong vase winner Dominant (Ire) (Cacique {GB}). The family has stayed particularly active in the last few seasons through the filly’s third dam Bellarida (Fr), whose daughter In Clover (GB) is the dam of Group 1 winners With You (GB), We Are (GB) and Call The Wind (GB). Bellarida also features as the third dam of this season’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Teppal (Fr) (Camacho {GB}). Gleneagles Filly For Skiffington Amanda Skiffington was paying close attention as lot 96 went through the ring as the Gleneagles (Ire) colt is a half-brother to the G2 German 1000 Guineas winner Hawksmoor (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}), who was bought by the agent as a yearling at Tattersalls Ireland for €80,000. This time around Skiffington was forced to stretch to 240,000gns to claim another son of Bridal Dance (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), this colt offered by David Nagle of Barronstown Stud, who bought the mare for €260,000 following a Group 3 win and Group 1 placing at two for Hawksmoor. Magical Fire (Ire), a filly by Dragon Pulse (Ire) has subsequently added more black type to the immediate family when finishing runner-up in the G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. Oasis Dream featured again among the leading lots on Monday when Bluehills Racing Ltd’s colt out of the listed-placed Clarentine (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) was sold for 140,000gns to Kuwaiti owner Rashed Aldaban. Lot 106 was another who had missed his prior engagement at the October Sale but he remains eligible for the Book 1 Bonus and is likely to remain in Britain to be trained. Aldaban currently has horses in training with Richard Fahey and Richard Hughes. He is the first foal of his dual-winning dam, who is a half-sister to the Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Perfect Clarity (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and a grand-daughter of the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Claxon (GB) (Caerleon). Rabbah Steps In For No Nay Never Jono Mills of Rabbah Bloodstock was active throughout Monday, signing for four lots for 271,000gns. At the head of this quartet was lot 58, a filly by champion first-season sire No Nay Never, bought for 98,000gns. Consigned by Peter Stanley of New England Stud on behalf of his uncle Christopher Hanbury of Triermore Stud, the first foal is a daughter of Virginia Celeste (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a half-sister to Australian Group 3 winner Above Average (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and to Group 3 winner Sent From Heaven (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). No Nay Never’s main rival among the freshman sires this season has been Kingman (GB). Blue Diamond Stud’s filly by the young Juddmonte sire out of the G2 Queen Mary S. runner-up Shyrl (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) (lot 39) may be seen back in the ring at Tattersalls next spring. The half-sister to the multiple Group-placed Raucous (GB) (Dream Ahead) was knocked down to Matt Coleman for 92,000gns, who said that her aim will be the Craven Sale. “Kingman has had a fantastic year and I think she is probably good value as he will be standing at £75,000 next spring and she is out of a black-type mare, who was also a breeze-up horse, and is a half-sister to a black-type placed horse,” Coleman added. Bred by Imad Al Sagar and Saleh Al Homaizi, who will off a full-sister to and the dam of their treble Group 1 winner Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) at Tattersalls this fortnight, the filly was consigned on their behalf by Baroda & Colbinstown Studs. A day of viewing will take place today ahead of the start of the four-day December Foal Sale on Wednesday morning. View the full article

The Mongol Derby wants to kill you. I had been warned of it. I had started to suspect it. Now, as a pair of snarling dogs came lurching at me as I hung off the side of my bolting horse, I knew it to be true. We had been galloping for 10 kilometers down a desolate dirt road through what appeared to be an equine cemetery, with horse skulls and bits of bone scattered across the green knolls. Rounding a bend, we found ourselves face-to-face with a fully intact horse skeleton. As my horse spooked, launching me half out of the saddle, two dogs blasted out of a ger, biting at his ankles as I struggled to hang on. Really? This is how I’m going to die? A year of preparation to ride 620 miles across the Mongolian steppe and I’m going to be ripped to pieces just four days in by two angry, potentially rabid dogs? “Not today, boys!” I shouted as I hauled myself back up onto the saddle. As we reached the edges of their territory, the dogs backed off and slowly disappeared into the distance. Welcome to the Mongol Derby. That was pretty much a typical moment in the world’s longest and toughest horse race, where riders have 10 days to navigate 1,000 kilometers of the Mongolian steppe on the backs of semi-wild horses. That sounds hectic. But at least you can follow the track, right? Think again. There is no marked course; riders navigate from the start to the finish, and the 28 stations in between, by GPS. They’re given waypoints to help guide them, but exactly how they get there is their choice. Participants are permitted to ride from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Near 14-hour days in the saddle? It must feel nice at night to take a hot shower, chow down on a big-ole pizza, and curl up in a warm bed. Wrong. Riders stay out in traditional nomad style in gers-effectively an elaborate tent-but this is not glamping: there is no plumbing, electricity, beds, and certainly no pizza delivery. Showers are a nightly rub-down with a wet wipe. Toilets are a hole in the ground protected on three sides by a tarp. The fancy ones had a half-wet roll of toilet paper sitting nearby in the grass. In August, I rode in-and finished-the 10th running of the Mongol Derby. I am not a professional rider, I had never camped, and my navigation skills are highly suspect. It was the most spectacular and rewarding experience of my life. What follows is a taste of the joy, fear, pain, and elation I went through. *** The plain bay horse rolled his wide eyes back nervously, snorting and leaning backward as I stepped in front of him. “That one,” I called to the herder. He had a craziness about him, sure, but I liked it. It was 6 a.m. on day two of the Mongol Derby, and the evening before I had slugged through a torrential rainstorm on a horse that wouldn’t go past a trot. I didn’t want to risk that again. Fiery he was. We raced up and down mountains and across marmot hole-infested plains. Rocketship repeatedly went down on his knees, face, belly, etc., but somehow managed to not lose total control, or me. “I’m actually going to die,” I thought as we hurtled across a vast spread of knolls that I felt sure his hooves would slip between. I cringed as he tore across piles of rocks, but stone bruises? Not a concern for this dude. By the time I arrived at station six, my third stop of the day, I was riding with a group of guys from Australia. I wasn’t afraid to admit that exhaustion and pain were catching up to me. “Do you guys mind if I carry on with you to the next station?” I asked. “I’m getting a bit tired and sore and the company will keep my spirits up.” They didn’t mind. In fact, one even hooked me up with some super painkillers. “Take this; you won’t feel a thing,” he said, dropping a small white pill in my hand. I know: this is how a mediocre horror film begins. But one can get pretty desperate out on the steppe. And these guys seemed okay. Soon, a blissful numbness washed over me, and I’m sure I spent the rest of the day telling the guys how happy I was. We rolled into station seven, one of the most beautiful stops on the race, with 15 minutes until cutoff time. To read the rest of this article, click here. View the full article

RACING POST NAP 15:40 Southwell Promising young jockey Tom Midgely (son of trainer Paul) has only had just over 20 rides but has already claimed a couple of career wins. He seems to have bags of potential and he’s set to take the ride on 8-year-old course and distance winner Candesta. When it comes to Southwell I feel it’s really important to follow a horse who has good course form and Candesta certainly ticks that box with a win and two places from five previous starts here. Now residing off the same handicap mark as when winning at Southwell previously and from a yard who has a 20% strike rate with their runners at this venue this term he looks to have a great chance. Fellow course and distance winner Boots And Spurs put in a much-improved effort to finish 3rd and loves it here at Southwell. When it comes to amateur riders you can’t ignore Serena Brotherton who bags winner after winner in races of this nature and it is astounding that she never went professional. Her mount Cockney Boy has been very consistent at Southwell in the past and deserves a tonne of respect. CANDESTA (WIN) – NAP RACEBETS ALTERNATIVE BET 13:50 Sedgefield There may only be four runners set to line up but the 4th of 7 races at Sedgefield looks one where punters can really get stuck into likely favourite Kilfinichen Bay. The big doubt is the form shown by the yard of trainer Charlie Longsdon who hasn’t bagged a win in their last 23 runners but with the booking of Brian Hughes a positive this consistent ten-year-old looks to have found a race where he can certainly claim another career success. Top weight Captain Mowbray hasn’t done too well in his last three runs however prior to that trio of outings he was doing very well. If he can put those poor performances behind him he’ll give Kilfinichen Bay a few questions to answer but I think the handicapper may have put pay to the chances of Rebecca Menzies runner. Without seeming too harsh I can’t see Royal Salute doing anything to trouble the main protagonists but don’t sleep on Dick Darsie who’s put in a couple of decent efforts here at Sedgefield and can go well fresh. KILFINICHEN BAY (WIN) Southwell: 12:10 – Hayward Field (E/W) 12:40 – Rare (WIN) 13:10 – Cotton Socks (E/W) 13:40 – Ticks The Boxes (E/W) 14:10 – French Twist (WIN) 14:40 – Not So Shy (E/W) 15:10 – Mametz Wood (WIN) 15:40 – Candesta (WIN) – NAP Sedgefield: 12:20 – Show’s Over (WIN) 12:50 – Promise Of Peace (WIN) 13:20 – Glimpse Of Gold (E/W) 13:50 – Kilfinichen Bay (WIN)* 14:20 – Torrid (E/W) 14:50 – Dr Dunraven (WIN) 15:20 – Court Jurado (WIN) Lingfield: 12:30 – Colonel Miller (WIN) 13:00 – Clondaw Anchor (WIN) 13:30 – Silent Steps (WIN) 14:00 – Oxford Blu (E/W) 14:30 – Somewhere To Be (WIN) 15:00 – Rosy World (E/W) 15:30 – Evidence De Thaix (WIN) The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Tuesday 27th November appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost Almond Eye smashes the record to win the Group One Japan Cup. What an incredible filly! – @WHR It seems the incredible record-breaking performance of Almond Eye in Sunday’s Japan Cup broke the spirit of many of her competitors. Top Aidan O’Brien stayer Capri will not come to Sha Tin for the Longines Hong Kong International Races after connections... View the full article

Star Irish jockey Oisin Murphy kicks off his four-meeting Hong Kong stint with a solid book of six rides at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. Murphy spent three months at Sha Tin during the 2016-17 season, collecting four winners (he also returned to pick up another during the Champions & Chater Cup meeting in May), but he has broken out this year winning multiple Group Ones on global superstars Roaring Lion and Benbatl. The 23-year-old has plenty of admirers in Hong Kong and answered the... View the full article

Racing Post NAP 13:40 Ludlow Robinshill has two wins from four over course and distance, both gained with Zac Baker in the saddle and one of these coming in this race last season. He was outclassed when last of five in the 2018 renewal of The Arkle Trophy at The Cheltenham Festival but returns to a Class 3 where has won three from five and races off a 2lbs lower mark than when last successful. A pipe-opener at Kempton last month should see him spot on for today so with conditions and trip in his favour he looks the one to beat. Tornado In Milan has also won this race before, winning the 2016 renewal. He could only manage fourth last season and is 5lbs higher than his last victory, but does have a good record at the course so is unlikely to be too far away at the finish. Vivaccio has two course and distance victories to his name but hasn’t won since 2014 and would perhaps prefer softer conditions, while Sternrubin will be a danger if turning up on a good day, although hasn’t been the most consistent and was only sixth of seven last time out. Robinshill (WIN) – NAP RaceBets Alternative Bet 14:05 Kempton Mia’s Storm will likely go off at a short price for this four-runner affair and with three wins from four over the trip, a good win last time out and a love for fast ground, it’s not too difficult to see why. She is the highest rated of the four and has won at Listed level over fences so should be capable of making her presence felt here. Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden have both been in excellent recent form and they team up with If You Say Run who was a ready winner at Wincanton when last seen. Today sees a step up in trip but she has won over three miles in a point-to-point so it would be dangerous to dismiss her completely. Another who should make a bold show is Culture De Sivola who has a good record when fresh, is two from two over this trip and races for Nick Williams who has a 36% winning strike rate in the last twelve months at the course. Any rain would aid her chances but she has won on good-to-soft so could pick up the pieces if the favourite falters. Mia’s Storm (WIN) Kempton: 12:55 – Danny Kirwan (WIN) 13:30 – Chesterfield (WIN) 14:05 – Mia’s Storm (WIN) 14:35 – Sister Sibyl (WIN) 15:10 – The Drone (WIN) 15:40 – Nylon Speed (WIN) Ludlow: 12:30 – Final Shot (WIN) 13:05 – The Ogle Gogle Man (WIN) 13:40 – Robinshill (WIN) 14:15 – Mysical Clouds (WIN) 14:45 – Djin Conti (WIN) 15:20 – Thomas Campbell (WIN) 15:50 – Red Admirable (WIN) Musselburgh: 12:45 – Eric The Red (WIN) 13:20 – Cuckoo’s Calling (WIN) 13:55 – Born For War (WIN) 14:25 – Max Lieberman (E/W) 15:00 – Cap St Vincent (WIN) 15:30 – Glorious Lady (WIN) The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Monday 26th November appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Tye Angland is “in a serious but stable condition” and set to undergo surgery on Monday after being injured in a horror fall at Sha Tin on Sunday. His Australia-based manager Andrew Northridge provided the update, with Angland’s wife Erin on her way to Hong Kong from Sydney to be with him. “More information regarding his injuries will be known in the coming days,” Northridge tweeted. Update on @tyeangland Tye had a race fall at Sha Tin, Hong Kong on Sunday. He is... View the full article

Sydney jockey Tye Angland is in a Hong Kong hospital and will undergo surgery after a fall at Sha Tin. View the full article

Saffie Joseph, Jr. was the leading trainer with 15 wins and Edgard Zayas claimed the jockey’s title with 47 wins at the Gulfstream Park West Fall Turf Festival, which concluded Sunday. Joseph bested Victor Barboza, Jr. by two wins, while Zayas held the same margin over runner-up Paco Lopez. Bruno Schickedanz and Thoroughbred Champions Training Center tied for the owner’s title with eight wins a piece. View the full article

Flying Scotsman showed Nov. 25 why his connections thought to pre-enter him in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T). View the full article

QAHIRA (f, 2, Cairo Prince–Motel Lass, by Bates Motel) became the 18th winner for her red-hot freshman sire (by Pioneerof the Nile) and 16th ‘TDN Rising Star’ unleashed by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert this year as she cruised to an easy eight-length debut victory at Del Mar Sunday evening. A $130,000 FTKOCT yearling purchase turned $375,000 OBS June 2-year-old after a bullet quarter-mile breeze in :20 2/5, the May 29 foal was off at 9-5 and ran to the money. Sitting perched just off the speed and out in the clear through splits of :22.65 and :46.25, she took over while well within herself and cruised in the lane to run up the score to about eight lengths in 1:10.59. Slewgoodtobetrue (Jimmy Creed), second in her unveiling at Santa Anita last month, was best of the rest. Qahira is the second ‘Rising Star’ for Cairo Prince in as many days–Mihos earned that distinction for an Aqueduct score Saturday. She is a half-sister to Stormin’ Lyon (Storm Boot), SW, $176,858; and stakes winner Quick Flip (Speightstown) and is the last registered produce of her dam. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-Baoma Corporation. B-Nekia Farm & Hunter Valley Farm (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. View the full article

FLYING SCOTSMAN (r, 2, English Channel–Padmore, by French Deputy), the even-money favorite for the six-horse GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. at Del Mar Sunday, justified the public’s confidence with a romping victory. Third sprinting on the local lawn Aug. 8, the Calumet homebred stretched out effectively to don cap and gown by a nose going this distance at Santa Anita Sept. 29. He sat in a clear second early as Vantastic (Dialed In) showed the way through splits of :23.02 and :46.92. The chestnut turned up the heat on the frontrunner midway around the bend, seized command in upper stretch and bounded away with powerful strides to put a five-length gap between he and the competition at the wire. Rijeka (Ire) (Roderic O’Connor {Ire}) edged Vantastic for second. The winner is a half-brother to Leigh Court (Grand Slam), Ch. 3yo Filly-Can, MGISW, $778,793; Barracks Road (Elusive Quality), MSW, $369,645; King of Sydney (Diesis {GB}), GSW-Ger & GSP-Fr; Star Hill (Elusive Quality), MGSP, $246,393; and Saturday’s GIII Discovery S. fourth Bon Raison (Raison d’Etat), SP, $150,200. His second dam is English SW/GSP Double Lock (GB) (Home Guard), herself the dam of two group winners. Padmore, who was purchased by Brad Kelley’s Bluegrass Hall while carrying Star Hill at the 2012 Keeneland January sale, produced another Elusive Quality colt in 2017. After failing to get in foal last year, she visited Bal a Bali (Brz) earlier this term. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1. O/B-Calumet Farm (Ky). T-Jerry Hollendorfer. View the full article

Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing's Moonlit Promise successfully defended her title in the $175,000 Bessarabian Stakes (G2) with a stretch drive Nov. 25 at Woodbine. View the full article

Midway through the 1 1/8-mile dirt test, it became clear Isotherm was overmatched, and Battle of Midway and Dabster, never more than a half-length apart, began their duel to the wire. View the full article

Gary Stevens had never been good at retiring. In 1999, he announced that due to serious knee problems, his career was over. By 2000, he was back. He called it quits again in 2005. This one lasted eight years, or until his restlessness once again got the best of him. He returned in 2013 and did so with a flourish, winning the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic with Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno) and the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff with Beholder (Henny Hughes). So when doctors told him earlier this week that due a spinal chord issue he risked being a quadriplegic if he continued to ride, he had no choice but to once again say goodbye. And this time there will ne no more comebacks. “The doctor told me, ‘You’re done. You’re not even getting on a merry-go-round,'” Stevens said. Based on his history and what seemed like a problem letting go of the job he loved and was so good at, you might have expected Stevens to have been pouting since the doctors told him no more or looking for a second opinion from someone who would tell him he had a few good years left. That wasn’t the case at all. For the first time since he won his first race as a 17-year-old at Les Bois Park in his native Idaho, Stevens is at peace with the fact that he will never again ride a racehorse. It’s not just that to do so would be extremely dangerous. Unlike with his past retirements, he seems to have come to understand that he had a wonderful career, he’s lucky to have come out of it relatively healthy and that this time, the time had come. But what he’s most thankful for is that his decision to return in 2013 gave him one last memorable run. He says it was the best five years of his professional life, and that is among the reasons he has no regrets that his career is finally over. “Everyone thought I was crazy coming out of retirement [in 2013], and thank God that I did,” he said. “These last five years were the best five years of my career. I finally got a Breeders’ Cup Classic, was able to ride Beholder and finished second in the [GI] Kentucky Derby behind a Triple Crown winner in American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) with Firing Line (Line of David). And I won a Classic [the 2013 GI Preakness with Oxbow (Awesome Again)] for Wayne Lukas. In the Classics, it started for me with Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}) and it ended with Wayne with Oxbow.” For a rider of his credentials, Stevens, 55, was not having a particularly good 2018. He had won just 62 races and not a single Grade I. He was supposed to have five mounts in the Breeders’ Cup but wound up with only one after four of his potential mounts got hurt or sick. Nonetheless, he believed he was about to go on a roll. “Tony (Matos) was my agent and he was getting me rolling,” Stevens said. “I was riding what I wanted to ride and business was picking up. This past weekend looked like it was going to be a huge weekend for me.” But in the handful of days he has had to contemplate his retirement, Stevens has come to realize that even if he hadn’t been hurt, the end was very near. “It was probably time to call it a day anyway,” he said. Stevens seems to know what he is going to do next, but wouldn’t say exactly what his plans are. Expect an announcement shortly. He said he will look into trying to land more acting roles, but his main focus will be on staying a part of the sport. “You’ll be hearing from Gary Stevens again. I promise,” he said. “I won’t be bored.” Field Size at Aqueduct Remains a Problem It looks like it’s going to be another grim winter at Aqueduct when it comes to filling races. Even with many of the top outfits still in town before their annual pilgrimage to Florida, Aqueduct averaged just 6.94 horses per race for the combined 19 races run on Saturday and Sunday. The GIII Discovery S. had a field of four. It figures to get only worse. By the middle of winter, hundreds of NYRA horses are in Florida and hundreds more are worn out by long campaigns, and the 2-year-olds and not yet ready to go. It really isn’t NYRA’s fault. When it comes to racing, New York State’s workmen’s compensation fees charged to owners and trainers are the highest in the nation. It’s among the reasons NYRA has such a tough time getting out-of-town horsemen to come in for anything other than major stakes race. There is, of course, also the horse shortage that is plaguing the entire industry. NYRA has cut 18 racing days from its winter schedule over the last three or four years, but don’t expect there to be any more cuts. The horsemen don’t want to give up any more dates. “If you cut any more, there’s a tipping point,” said Joe Appelbaum, the president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. “This isn’t necessarily about the cost of business but opportunity costs. If people feel there aren’t enough chances to run in New York in the winter they may just go some place else.” Appelbaum also points out that NYRA makes a profit during the winter meet, revenue that is used to prop up other meets. If winter racing were to go, you’d likely see purse cuts at Belmont and Saratoga. These are all fair points, but how bad do things have to get before something dramatic is done? Let’s hope not, but it really seems like we are a year or two away from a steady diet of cards filled with three and four-horse fields. This is a tough problem, but it’s time to start coming up with some serious solutions. Seabiscuit? Turf Champion? Okay, I realize there are more important issues to worry about, but it drives me nuts when they gives stakes races names that make no sense. Saturday at Del Mar, they ran the GII Seabiscuit H., a 1 1/16-mile grass race. Prior to moving the race to Del Mar, it was known as the Citation H. It’s terrific that Del Mar named a race after Seabiscuit, but he never ran on the grass. For that matter, neither did Citation. Belmont does the same thing, naming one of its Grade I grass races after Man o’War, who never got near a grass course. There are plenty of dirt races that Del Mar could have named after Seabiscuit. How about, for instance, the GII San Diego H.? Wrona Shocker No one from The Stronach Group has yet offered up a plausible answer why announcer Michael Wrona was fired. It’s hard to imagine it had anything to do with his race-calling skills as he was quite good and seemed popular with the fans. A replacement will be named as soon as Monday. Meanwhile, Wrona has a strong resume and will surely land on his feet with an announcing job at a top track. View the full article

A little over four months after he was purchased for $90,000 by R.A. Stable at Fasig-Tipton's July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, grade 1 winner Wake Forest was claimed for $8,000 at Gulfstream Park West by his previous owner, Michael Dubb. View the full article

Grade I winner I Want Revenge (Stephen Got Even-Meguial {Arg}, by Roy) passed away in Indiana Nov. 24, according to owner Jeff Jeans, who recently purchased the stallion for $10,000 at the Keeneland November Sale. According to Jeans, I Want Revenge had a fever of 104 degrees upon arriving to a farm in Indiana and was subsequently treated via intravenous therapy. While Jeans said he showed tangible improvement to the treatment, I Want Revenge’s condition eventually deteriorated once more and he died suddenly Saturday. “I Want Revenge did not suffer, there were no signs of him thrashing about,”Jeans wrote in a Facebook post. “He simply passed and dropped where he was standing…We were struck by the tremendous presence this horse had, he simply commanded your attention when you saw him.” Jeans noted that he had to pull a weanling filly from the November Sale due to a virus that led to a fever similar to the one developed by I Want Revenge. I Want Revenge captured the GI Wood Memorial in dramatic last-to-first fashion as a 3-year-old in 2009–a performance that stamped him as the morning line favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby a month later. He never made the starting gate for the race, however, after an ankle filling necessitated a scratch on the morning of the race. Trained by Rick Dutrow, Jr., I Want Revenge added a pair of graded stakes placings in a career that lasted into his 6-year-old season, but the dark bay never returned to the winner’s circle. He retired in 2012 with a record of 3-3-6 from 14 starts and total earnings of $928,000. I Want Revenge entered stud at Pauls Mill Farm in 2014 and spent the 2015-2018 seasons at Millenium Farms. I Want Revenge was slated to stand the 2019 season at the Indiana Stallion Station in Anderson, Indiana. View the full article

Not that anyone necessarily needed reminding, but John Gosden proved at this year’s Breeders’ Cup that not only is he one of the most gifted trainers in the sport, he is among the most durable. Way back in 1984, the then-33 year-old trainer won a race at the inaugural Breeders’ Cup with Royal Heroine at Hollywood Park. Fast forward to 2018, in the 35th Breeders’ Cup, and there was John Gosden back in the winner’s circle with the phenomenal filly Enable GB (Nathaniel {Ire}). This week, they announced that she would race in 2019, and last week, John Gosden was our guest on the Thoroughbred Daily News podcast, brought to you by Taylor Made. Excerpts from that podcast appear below. TDN: John, coming in, you certainly knew no Arc winner had ever come back to win the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf. Did you ever worry that those two back-to-back races were too much for any horse to handle, Enable included? JG: Obviously they come deep into the autumn, and normally you’ve probably had a great deal more racing than she had this year. We obviously had a well publicized injury we had to deal with back in May, which required surgery, but she came through all of that. It was more of a bursa problem at the back of the knee than it was ligament or bone as such. But she came through all of that. We got her back and ran her in a Grade III just to get her started back at Kempton, and she did that well. Our problem was then between that race and the Arc, she had a fever and she was uneasy for a week. So, I think my biggest problem was going to the Arc, running the filly not fully a hundred percent, and she burst away from the field, but she certainly was tiring the last eighth. And the jockey, whisked down and picked her up and got her over the line. And I suppose that took her longer to get over than would be normal, because if you run a horse in a mile-and-a half race at that class and they’re a little short of work due to the time she missed, it is going take her longer. And there’s not doubt that she took longer to get over that. But I was happy with her by the time she got on the plane to go to Kentucky. TDN: As the race developed, Frankie Dettori made a strategic move that he could have been second guessed. Going into the final turn, he was literally nine or ten wide, losing a lot of ground, but he explained later that he was looking for the better footing of the course, which he apparently found. At the time, were you wondering, `what the heck is Frankie doing?’ and were you at some point worried about that decision? JG: He didn’t have much choice. He was being attended by Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) on his outside. And the speed on the inside was going to stop over that ground. The one thing he didn’t want to do was squeeze down closer towards the inside edge and have those horses come back in his face, and, if so, he’d be checked in behind them. He was very clear in his mind that, yes, he wanted to stay away from the fence, but second that he didn’t want to get in behind that speed, which was bound to be stopping. So, he elected to then come take a pull if you look at it very carefully. Coming to the last turn he took a pull and came back around Hunting Horn and came on his outside. So, he knew, although he sacrificed ground and momentum, he knew he would get a clear run. I don’t think he intended to come as wide as he came. But when Hunting Horn opened the door for Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), that pushed him even wider. I was pleased myself they didn’t wind up on the main track actually. I though that was the next stop. TDN: Going back to what you said earlier about the problems you had and the surgery, at that point when she was injured and you had to tell the world that they wouldn’t be seeing her for quite some time back on the race course, could you ever have imagined that the end of the year would end up as successfully as it did? Three for three including winning two of the most prestigious turf races in the world? JG: I suppose you don’t think like that as a trainer. You’re there and you think, if we get back to the races, “Well, that’ll be great in itself.” I suppose you always have faith with a filly like this. Not only does she have the ability, but she has enormous mental strength. I mean, she really enjoys her training. She loves breezing. She loves racing. So, it’s like you’ve got someone who’s up for the job. She’s going to give you everything, and rather like any athlete coming back from an injury, a lot of it is down to mental strength as well as the physical healing. And she manages to combine both. She was that kind of filly and to the extent that whatever you do with her she gives you a hundred percent every time. So, she did make that side of a lot easier than someone who didn’t have that mental fortitude. TDN: Here in the U.S. there’s quite a debate about who should win the Eclipse Award for the Champion Turf Filly or Mare. In many years Enable would be a shoe-in even though she only raced here once, but you have very stiff competition in Sister Charlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) another Breeders’ Cup Winner. Would you like to weigh in on that debate and how do you feel about the possibility of Enable, who’s already won a Cartier Award, winning an Eclipse Award as well? JG: I think I can see the argument on both sides. I mean, Enable comes from being a dual Arc winner and winning the Turf. On the other hand, I have a great appreciation a filly that is trained and raced throughout the year in America and to that extent the Eclipse Award is fully about American racing. There is a very strong argument for the filly that’s been based there, So, put it this way. I’m not the one who has to make that decision. Thank goodness. TDN: You began your training career in California. Why did a Brit decided to start off halfway across the world? JG: I had fallen in love with a girl, who’s my wife, and she was at Cambridge University, and she was a lawyer. But she was always in London and I was either in Ireland with Vincent O’Brien or I was in Newmarket or something and we could never be together. And the great thing about coming to America, we thought we’d come and have a look for a year. She could actually go working in Century City, Beverley Hills, which she did, and I could just drive to the track. So we could be together, and interestingly enough that was one of the main reasons I had worked for Gene Jacobs and others in New York on my school holidays, hot walking, traveling horses, so I had a lot of a feel for American racing. And the other factor is purely financial. To set up in Europe you need to rent a place, buy a place, I didn’t have the money for that. The great thing was I came to Santa Anita and was with Tommy Doyle and things, and I got three stalls in Willard Proctor’s barn. I don’t think Willard was too keen to see me. TDN: You were an assistant trainer to Tommy Doyle, but it’s also known that you watched intently what Charlie Whittingham did and you are, perhaps, more well known for your association with Charlie even than your association with Tommy Doyle, because you had such a fondness for him and an appreciation for what a great trainer he was. What did you learn from him? What are the key lessons you learned from watching this great trainer train horses? JG: When I started training, the easiest thing to do was get my little sets out and go out with him. I also knew where I belonged, right? Right in the back of his set. So, I used to walk out there five sets a day. Walk around with him, walk back. And what would you learn from Charlie? You would learn everything about the understanding of the horse, the animal. He was a lover of horses, dogs, people. His humor was one of the greatest. No one had a better sense of humor. Dry. He was tough, and yet he was very soft and kind underneath, but he really knew how. But when he knew he was in the right place with one, oh, boy. You’d better watch out. TDN: Switching subjects now. You’re a staunch advocate of not allowing raceday medication. Matter of fact, you’ve been a fairly staunch advocate of not allowing raceday medication. It’s not an issue in Europe, but what are your thoughts about U.S. racing considering you have such a background here? JG: Look, I can understand the therapeutic reasons for raceday medication, Lasix or anything. I do understand that profoundly, and the benefit it can give. I just begin to find it difficult to think of any other athletic sport where the athlete is receiving intravenous injection the day of the race. I find that a little hard to mentally get my head around. I know the tracks are demanding and I know there’s a requirement for it and and obviously with anti-inflammatories as well, I do understand it, and I understand the benefits of it, but it’s going to come a time when people are going to increasingly question it, you know? To listen to this entire podcast, click here. View the full article

Superstar Japanese 3-year-old filly Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) appears to have the world at her feet after a track record-breaking victory in Sunday’s G1 Japan Cup. The bay emulated the feat of Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in 2012 by adding the country’s most famous race to her filly Triple Crown sweep earlier this year and like that famed predecessor she now looks likely to head overseas, with possible targets including the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic-a happy hunting ground for the Japanese, and the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-the one that keeps getting away. Almond Eye started twice last year at two, breaking her maiden at second asking, and she has done nothing but win since. She kicked off the season with a pair of victories going a mile in the G3 Shinzan Kinen on Jan. 8 and in the G1 Oka Sho-the first leg of the Triple Crown-on Apr. 8. Victory upped to a mile and a half in the G1 Yushun Himba followed on May 20, and on Oct. 14 Almond Eye became the fifth filly to sweep the country’s filly Triple Crown with a win in the 2000 metre G1 Shuka Sho. Almond Eye was handed gate one for this latest test as the heavy favourite-the same one the last two Japan Cup winners, Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) and Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) had jumped from-and she was slightly fractious in the stalls before bouncing out in front. By the time they hit the first turn, she had let a pair of rivals overtake her and sat tucked away in the perfect position in third on the rail. Christophe Lemaire kept Almond Eye three lengths off the lead of Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) down the backstretch and while that Classic-winning rival turned into the stretch with the lead, Almond Eye had crept to within about a length and loomed ominously. Moving off the fence at the 300 metre mark as Kiseki came under the whip, Almond Eye responded when put to a drive by Lemaire and 100 metres later had the lead and was drawing away. She hit the line 1 3/4 lengths the best under a handride, and after Kiseki it was a further 3 1/2 lengths back to Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}). “Personally, I feel relieved to have won,” said Lemaire. “I knew she had the potential to win but you never know what might happen in the 2400 meters. Today, I was a little bit anxious, but I think we saw the best Almond Eye in the race and it was a great show. I don’t really like the inside number one draw because it is very hard to make a plan and can depend on how you break–I didn’t want to put too much pressure on her out of the gate-and it can also be pretty tricky because if you get locked inside a slow pace it can be a mess in the end, and it is also difficult to stay back and move wide to the outside. “She broke well, and I saw that Kiseki was taking the lead, which was good because Kiseki is a good horse and a leader with a good pace, so I had the best leader for Almond Eye and was happy with how the race went. By the first corner Almond Eye was already her usual self and well into the bridle. By the backstretch, I nearly thought the race was over and ours. “This is a very special filly, as I keep telling the press in Japan that she is perfect–her ability, temperament, she can adapt and race from any position, so if she has a chance to race overseas, I think she can race as well as she did today, if not at least be competitive against the world’s best.” An international raider hasn’t won the Japan Cup since 2005, and this year’s challengers Thundering Blue (Exchange Rate) and Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) checked in 10th and 11th. “I thought the ground was too quick and he was a bit too tense before the race in the paddock,” said Thundering Blue’s trainer David Menuisier. “He did show his brilliance in the final stages, but it was a good experience and he will now be given a good rest and we’ll see how he does next season.” Jockey Fran Berry added, “The horse lost his concentration because of the loud crowd. He stretched well in the end but the horses in front were just too fast.” Ryan Moore said simply of the dual Classic winner Capri, “The ground was quick and the pace too fast. The winner finishing at 2:20.60 was too good.” Pedigree Notes Almond Eye is one of seven stakes winners-and two Group 1 winners-for Lord Kanaloa, Japan’s former Horse of the Year and champion sprinter. The son of King Kamehameha is already stamping himself an important outcross sire for Sunday Silence-line mares, as both Almond Eye and his other Group 1 winner, the Mile Championship victor Stelvio (Jpn) also from his first crop, trace back to that breed-shaping sire on their dam’s sides. Lord Kanaloa added another first-crop stakes winner on Sunday in the G3 Keihan Hai S. winner Danon Smash (Jpn), and he has two group winners from his second crop already: Fantasist (Jpn) and Cadence Call (Jpn)-out of daughters of Deep Impact (Jpn) and Heart’s Cry (Jpn), again both sons of Sunday Silence. Almond Eye’s dam Fusaichi Pandora was a top-class filly in her own right, finishing second in the Yushun Himba and the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup, and Almond Eye is her sixth foal and first black-type winner. Almond Eye’s third dam is the great American mare Sex Appeal (Buckpasser), who produced El Gran Senor and Try My Best. Sunday, Tokyo, Japan JAPAN CUP-G1, ¥574,320,000, Tokyo, 11-25, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:20.60 (NTR), fm. 1–ALMOND EYE (JPN), 117, f, 3, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) 1st Dam: Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn) (MSW & G1SP-Jpn, $3,264,457), by Sunday Silence 2nd Dam: Lotta Lace, by Nureyev 3rd Dam: Sex Appeal, by Buckpasser O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Sakae Kunieda; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥303,024,000. Lifetime Record: 7-6-1-0. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. 2–Kiseki (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Rulership (Jpn)–Blitz Finale (Jpn), by Deep Impact (Jpn). O-Tatsue Ishikawa; B-Shimokobe Farm; ¥120,864,000. 3–Suave Richard (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Heart’s Cry (Jpn)–Pirramimma, by Unbridled’s Song. (¥155,000,000 wnl ’14 JRHAJUL) O-NICKS Inc.; B-Northern Farm; ¥75,432,000. Margins: 1 3/4, 3HF, NK. Odds: 0.40, 8.20, 5.50. Also Ran: Cheval Grand (Jpn), Mikki Swallow (Jpn), Satono Diamond (Jpn), Happy Grin (Jpn), Win Tenderness (Jpn), Satono Crown (Jpn), Thundering Blue, Capri (Ire), Ganko (Jpn), Noble Mars (Jpn), Sounds of Earth (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO. View the full article

Simply Brilliant produced an effort fit for his name as he defied a tough run and miserable conditions to prevail in the Class One Chevalier Cup (1,600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. It was a monster performance from the four-year-old, who was stuck three-wide without cover after jumping from barrier two, but kept finding when required to hold off a gallant What Else But You in the run to the line. Jockey Alexis Badel said the plan was to find him some room – but “not that much”... View the full article

Young jockey Matthew Poon Ming-fai will have to pinch himself when he lines up in next month’s International Jockeys Championship at Happy Valley. The prodigious 23-year-old, who raced to 14 wins this season, managed to fend off the likes of Douglas Whyte and Chad Schofield to gain a position in the field despite riding significantly less due to a host of suspensions. It will see him represent Hong Kong alongside champion Zac Purton, Karis Teetan and Vincent Ho Chak-yiu. Poon conceded he... View the full article