Horsemen and trackmen at Japan’s two JRA training centres focused on final workouts Wednesday, 21 March ahead of Sunday’s G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m). Although unseasonal snowfall snarled traffic throughout most of eastern Japan later in the day, morning work went off without a hitch.
Weather forecast said that skies in Nagoya were to clear from midday Thursday, with the chance of precipitation low through Sunday.
Expected to go to the gate the overwhelming favourite in Japan is Red Falx, who disappointed as the favourite last year, but went on to rally in later starts at home, including a win in the G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m), and claim the JRA Best Sprinter or Miler Award for 2017.
The 7-year-old worked in tandem on the Miho woodchip flat course, rather than his usual dirt course on Wednesday morning. Trainer Tomohito Ozeki explained that he had walked both courses that morning trying to decide.
Ozeki said, “Last week I thought I would train him over the dirt this week, but it rained yesterday and I decided to go with whichever course I could better hear the hooves of the horses who were training on them.”
Red Falx trained with a stablemate over 5 furlongs for a time of 66.5 seconds under urging. “I had the other horse start far ahead and Red Falx catch her. I think it was a good, solid workout,” said Ozeki.
Fine Needle, winner of the G3 Silk Road Stakes (1200m) on 28 January, looks to be gaining in popularity. On Wednesday, he worked in the rain under jockey Yuga Kawada on the hill course at Ritto. The ground was heavy, but the 5-year-old son of Admire Moon climbed nimbly without urging, covering four furlongs in 54.3 seconds.
Trainer Yoshitada Takahashi said, “He loses his rhythm if he is forced to run wide, so I’m hoping for an inside draw.”
Let’s Go Donki, off a fifth in the G1 February Stakes (1600m dirt) following her sixth in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1 1200m), was urged up the hill at Ritto on Wednesday in a time of 53.2 seconds over four furlongs. All looked well for her third bid in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen.
Eighth two years ago, and second last year, trainer Tomoyuki Umeda said, “her condition is no less than it was last year.” In the race last year, Let’s Go Donki came from 13 lengths off the front turning into the stretch to miss the win by a little more than a length.
“She ran her kind of race,” says Umeda, “but the track condition favoured the winner. And that has me fired up for this year.”
After the trip to Hong Kong, Let’s Go Donki lost some weight but was said to be back at her best now. “She’s an honest horse who always gives her all,” says jockey Yasunari Iwata. “I very much want her to get another big win.”
Last year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner Seiun Kosei worked alone over the Miho woodchip on Wednesday, running powerfully over 5 furlongs in 65.6 seconds and, under the whip, covered the final 200m in 13.2 seconds.
Trainer Hiroyuki Uehara said, “His work last week was designed to tie in well with this one. He’s a horse that is better with a strong workout on race week, so we pushed him hard at the end today.”
Seiun Kosei may also be racing close to the speed. “I plan to have him ridden aggressively and am hoping for a draw somewhere in the middle,” said Uehara.
