Murphy and ‘Richard’ Combine for Japan Cup Triumph

[Wandering Eyes]

It has been just short of 13 years since Japanese Horse of the Year Deep Impact (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) saluted in the G1 Japan Cup, and, with that late breed-shaping stallion passing away this July, the 2019 Japan Cup was run in his memory. Last year’s Cup third Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), successful in the 2018 G1 Osaka Hai, made a late run and swooped to land the winning laurels.

Third choice in the wagering at 4-1, the Northern Farm-bred was steered straight to the fence heading into the first bend and was well covered up by the visiting Oisin Murphy. The 5-year-old was keen to be about his business on the backstretch and had found a good rhythm, but once the real running began leaving the final bend, his ground-saving position appeared a possible hindrance, as he needed running room. Shifted towards the inside once again, Suave Richard responded adroitly and powered to the head of affairs by the 200-metre mark, before going on to win by 3/4 of a length over the 3-year-old filly Curren Bouquetd’or (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). 2018 G1 Japanese Derby hero and second pick Wagnerian (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was another 1 1/2 lengths behind. Favoured Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) never factored and finished 11th.

“I suppose it’s a dream come true to have won this race,” said Murphy, who is riding under a short-term license in Japan. “I was happy with Suave Richard in his gallops and he felt brilliant. The Japan Cup is one of the most famous races around the world and it’s very hard to win, so I wasn’t confident but very hopeful. Suave Richard has got a lot of quality, he’s a very good mover with a lot of pace–if you’ve seen his gallops he does incredible times.

“On this [yielding] ground, horses get very tired and so I just wanted him to keep on going and after a big race it’s very hard to immediately understand how important it is, but sure the Japan Cup for me is one of the best races in the world and I won’t sleep for a week.

“The quality in Japan is really high and the world stage will be hearing a lot more about Japanese horses. I would love to win many more Group 1 in Japan, but it’s very hard to win. I rode in the Epsom Derby when I was 18, but I didn’t win my first Group 1 until I think I was 21 or 22.”

Second in the 2017 G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) at three, Suave Richard added that term’s G2 Copa Republica Argentina, as well as the 2018 G2 Kinko Sho two races later and his first Group 1, the G1 Osaka Hai in April of 2018. Then winless until Sunday’s triumph, he was third in the 2018 G1 Yasuda Kinen, as well as the last edition of this race on Nov. 25. The blaze-faced chestnut took his show on the road earlier this spring, with a third in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on Mar. 30, and filled that same position in the June 23 G1 Takarazuka Kinen returned to his native land. Only seventh to reigning Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) on Oct. 27, he was trying soft ground for the first time in Sunday’s contest.

Pedigree Notes

The Yasushi Sono trainee is one of 40 black-type winners-30 at the group level and nine Group 1 scorers–for his sire, Shadai Stallion Station resident Heart’s Cry. The 5-year-old entire counts the winning Luna Stella (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) as a half-sister. His dam, purchased in utero for $450,000 by Katsumi Yoshida out of the 2004 KEENOV sale, also has a 3-year-old colt by Orfevre (Jpn) and the winning juvenile filly Lunacion (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Career Collection, the second dam of Suave Richard, captured both the GII Sorrento S. and GII Landaluce S. and was runner-up in both the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the GI Hollywood Starlet S.

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
JAPAN CUP IN ASSOCIATION WITH LONGINES-DEEP IMPACT MEMORIAL-G1, ¥574,560,000 (US$5,285,800/£4,115,791/€4,795,058), Tokyo, 11-24, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:25.90, sf.
1–SUAVE RICHARD (JPN), 126, h, 5, Heart’s Cry (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Pirramimma, by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Career Collection, by General Meeting
                3rd Dam: River of Stars, by Riverman
(¥155,000,000 Wlg ’14 JRHAJUL). O-NICKS Inc.; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); T-Yasushi Shono; J-Oisin Murphy. ¥303,192,000.
Lifetime Record: 18-6-3-4. *1/2 to Bandwagon (Jpn) (White
Muzzle {Jpn}), GSP-Jpn, $644,557. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click
   for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Curren Bouquetd’or (Jpn), 117, f, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–
Solaria (Chi), by Scat Daddy. O-Takashi Suzuki; B-Shadai Farm
(Jpn); ¥120,912,000.
3–Wagnerian (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Miss Encore
(Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥75,456,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 4.10, 9.50, 3.30.
Also Ran: Makahiki (Jpn), You Can Smile (Jpn), Daiwa Cagney (Jpn), Etario (Jpn), Muito Obrigado (Jpn), Cheval Garnd (Jpn), Look Twice (Jpn), Rey de Oro (Jpn), Win Tenderness (Jpn), Jinambo (Jpn), Danburite (Jpn), Taisei Trail (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart and video, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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