Hopeful Stars Close Out Season

[Wandering Eyes]

Group 1 action for the year in Japan comes to a close on Saturday, and it is perhaps appropriate than a banner year both domestically and internationally for the nation on the racecourse should come to a close with a look ahead to the potential future stars in the G1 Hopeful S. for 2-year-olds. Past winners of this race include G1 Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa (Jpn), G1 Japan Cup victor Epiphaneia (Jpn) and G1 Tokyo Yushun and G1 Tenno Sho Autumn scorer Rey de Oro (Jpn), and the fact that the favourite has won the past three runnings should help demystify the betting picture.

Shinji Maeda’s Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is the even-money selection to keep his unbeaten record intact. A 2 1/2-length winner on debut going 1800 metres at Hanshin on Sept. 15, he backed that up on Nov. 16 with a five-length score in the G3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai S. over the same trip. Contrail should have no issue seeing out both this trip and the Classics next year, being by Deep Impact out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Rhodochrosite, and he has speed on the page as well, being a grandson of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore (Tiznow). Rhodochrosite was purchased by North Hills’s Koji Maeda for $385,000 at Keeneland September in 2011.

Wakea (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) was a ¥115-million ($1,008,550) purchase as a foal at the JRHA Select Sale in 2017, and he has indicated he could justify that pricetag with a pair of open-length wins at Tokyo-a June 6 maiden and the Oct. 19 Listed Ivy S. over 1800 metres-to kick off his career. Also among the unbeaten in this brigade is Silk Racing Co.’s Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), who posted a win over this 2000 metre trip at Nakayama when last seen on Sept. 22.

One who could offer some value at 20-1 is Makoto Kaneko’s Rhinebeck (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The son of Fillies’ Triple Crown winner Apapane (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) won his first two starts going a mile at Chukyo, but settled for third behind Contrail in the Hai Nisai when trying stakes company for the first time.

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