Thomass Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 Talk about exciting... The Queen of the Japanese nuts is ready to take On the World... Meydan...Britain then onto the Arc...for a meeting with Enable Now that's what you call gutsy and mouth watering...and Almonds are that Almond Eye at trackwork in Dubai (Image: Erika Rasmussen/Dubai Racing Club) An eye on Europe Carl Di Iorio@CDi_Iorio 2:43pm , ( Almond Eye is days away from her first race on the international stage and connections are contemplating extending her time abroad. The daughter of Lord Kanaloa stretched her legs at Meydan racecourse on Monday ahead of Saturday's US$5 million Group 1 Dubai Turf (1800m) - a highlight race on Dubai World Cup night, which is the world's richest meeting. Three Japanese-trained horses have won the Dubai Turf over the past five years - Just A Way (2014), Real Steel (2016) and Vivlos (2017) - and Almond Eye is considered $2.20 favourite to continue Japan's recent domination this weekend. Almond Eye has raced seven times for six wins and one second, her only defeat coming in her lone two-year-old run over 1400 metres. She won the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown before ending last year with victory in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) on November 25. Those achievements ensured she was recognised as Japanese Horse of the Year. Japanese media reports suggest Almond Eye could head to Europe after Saturday's Dubai Turf in preparation for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) at ParisLongchamp on October 6. The four-day Ebor Festival at York may see Almond Eye in action with the G1 International Stakes (2063m) on August 21 or the G1 Yorkshire Oaks (2385m), for fillies and mares, the following day. The past two winners of the Yorkshire Oaks provided the quinella of last year's Arc de Triomphe, with 2017 winner Enable defeating 2018 victor Sea Of Class. Enable remains in training this year in her bid to become the first horse to win the Arc on three occasions. Should Almond Eye contest this year's Arc she'll be chasing a fair chunk of history as well - no Japanese horse has ever won Europe's most prestigious race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLB2.0 Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 And it will get more credit for doing so. I love connections that are willing to travel. Sure, the easy money is at home, but it's all about life experiences, especially for owners (Ms Inglis) who don't need the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasel Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 7 starts..relatively young racehorse...nothing to lose by taking on the world ... Winx? nothing to gain by travelling the world...her race record - esp her track-record-breaking times and impressive sectionals on all kinds of going - speaks for itself and there has been nothing to stop the internationalists from taking her on in the Cox Plate three years running ..some have tried and clearly failed ...the closest to her was Humidor and he's essentially a Kiwi....why didn't Enable or Arrogate or others have a crack at Winx Down Under? It will be shame f she gets beat in the QE Stakes..but shed have to fall over or Huey fall off I reckon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomass Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 Imagine if Black Caviar had have stayed home... ...the crowd in Melbourne Square wouldn't have had the opportunity to stay up all night, get pissed, then pissed again after the Jockey froze in the headlights... ...now that's called fun 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLB2.0 Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 She could run backwards and still win the QEII. I guess it's always been the case than Australasian horses have to go over there and beat them. Their best middle-distance horses have never travelled to Australia... yet, their 2nd/3rd stringers come and make a fool of racing down under. Makes you wonder just how good their top young thoroughbreds are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLB2.0 Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 1 minute ago, Thomass said: Imagine if Black Caviar had have stayed home... ...the crowd in Melbourne Square wouldn't have had the opportunity to stay up all night, get pissed, then pissed again after the Jockey froze in the headlights... ...now that's called fun Sunline could have stayed in NZ/Aus, but she took on the world 3 times. She scored what was considered her best win in the Hong Kong Mile and was defeated twice overseas, but did that put a dent in her record? Definitely not - it only made her fans love her even more. Taking on Fairy King Prawn and Jim & Tonic in the Duty Free... finishing third despite being taken on the entire trip. Those are the runs that garner respect. Imagine what FKP and J&T would do to the current crop (excluding Winx) in Australia. They'd be beating Hartnell and Avilius by 8-10 lengths 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomass Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 Very good points... At least some Aussies will be at Meydan this weekend... Brave Smash, Illustrious Lad and Viddora...the broad with the huge Ass... ..imagine if Winx had her Ass being held up as THE Ass to aspire to?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomass Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 (edited) Very good points... At least some Aussies will be at Meydan this weekend... Brave Smash, Illustrious Lad and Viddora...the broad with the huge Ass... ..imagine if Winx had her Ass being held up as THE Ass to aspire to?? Edited March 26, 2019 by Thomass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomass Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share Posted March 27, 2019 Christophe Lemaire (Image: @MeydanRacing - Twitter) Lemaire: Almond Eye can be my Winx Tony McFadden@RacingPost 9:26am , ( Christophe Lemaire has hailed Japanese superstar Almond Eye as a "horse of a lifetime" and believes she can do for him what Winx has done for Australian jockey Hugh Bowman. Almond Eye's first step on the road to Longchamp, where she will bid to end Japan's well-publicised Arc hoodoo, comes in the Dubai Turf at Meydan on Saturday and connections have unwavering faith the filly has what it takes to go down as a true great. Lemaire said: "She can become a horse of a lifetime for me. Like Winx is for Hugh Bowman, Sea The Stars was for Mick Kinane, or Zenyatta was for Mike Smith. I feel blessed to ride her. "I think all racing lovers feel she has something special and that she can become unique in the sport's history – that's why so many people are supporting her." Almond Eye captured the imagination of racegoers in Japan by winning the Fillies' Triple Crown before shattering the course record in the Japan Cup last time. Ominously for her rivals Lemaire believes there is even more to come. He said: "She's already shown a lot of class but we don't yet know her limits. Every time we give her a challenge she does it well. She was especially impressive in the third leg of the Triple Crown. There was a short straight and she was towards the rear, but down the straight she was just unbelievable. "The next challenge was against older horses and males [in the Japan Cup] but she won quite easily and was not exhausted after passing the winning post." That devastating Japan Cup success was achieved over a mile and a half but Lemaire does not anticipate the drop in trip to nine furlongs in Saturday's Dubai Turf being an issue. He said: "I have no fear over the trip. She's won over a mile, ten furlongs and a mile and a half. Every time she has shown the same acceleration and class. "I think nine furlongs will be a good trip for her, especially for a first run this year as she may be a little bit fresh." Lemaire was on Wednesday reunited with Almond Eye when putting her through her paces on the turf course, and was pleased with the feel she gave him. The jockey added: "She worked very well as usual. She was very relaxed and focused. Her footwork was good and she felt comfortable on the track. The cushion was good, not too firm." A large media contingent from Japan has accompanied Almond Eye to Meydan and the buzz surrounding the filly will only grow if she dazzles on the international stage for the first time. Trainer Sakae Kunieda has tried to avoid making firm commitments beyond the Dubai Turf – a trip to York's Ebor meeting is being considered – but could not deny the Arc was the big target. Despite a number of agonising near-misses, most notably with Orfevre in 2012, no horse trained in Japan has ever won the Arc. Frenchman Lemaire has also never won the race, but has gone close too, notably when runner-up on Pride in 2006. The rider hopes Almond Eye can fulfil a dream for him and a nation at Longchamp on the first Sunday in October. He said: "The Japanese fans will be very excited to see Almond Eye run in the Arc. A Japanese horse has not won the race yet so they will be really looking forward to cheering a victory. "As a French jockey I dream of winning the Arc. This is the race for us and winning with a Japanese horse would be magic. I really want to bring this victory to Japan.” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomass Posted March 30, 2019 Author Share Posted March 30, 2019 Wow what a win by The Almond...over 1800 too..far short of her best The Arc and Enable is going to be one hell of a race... What a shame Winx wasn't there last night https://mobile.twitter.com/WHR/status/1112015995181387776 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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