Jockey Karis Teetan hopes to use Sunday’s (25 March) G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Racecourse as a springboard to future international opportunities when he partners Blizzard in the Japanese sprint feature.

Buoyed by a good draw of gate three after the final field of 18 was released this morning (Friday, 23 March), Teetan – who arrived in Nagoya on Thursday afternoon (22 March) – and trainer Ricky Yiu were also happy to see blue skies and sunshine bearing down upon the Chukyo turf after Blizzard struggled through a gallop on wet ground on Thursday morning.

“The sun’s out, it’s windy, the horse feels great and it all seems to be coming together now,” Yiu said. “Hopefully, luck is on our side.”

It will be the first time Teetan has ridden a Hong Kong horse in an international Group 1 overseas, although he did win the Korea Sprint, a Korean G1, aboard the Tony Millard-trained Super Jockey in 2016.

“Winning aboard Super Jockey was a great thrill, riding a Hong Kong horse to win a big race overseas,” the rider said. “This is obviously another step altogether, being in Japan and being an international Group 1. Once you’ve ridden a Hong Kong horse to win a G1 overseas, then it seems like owners are more confident to give you those opportunities when they travel. Hopefully I get the chance to do it again, because riding in these races is a big thrill.”

Teetan cantered Blizzard on the Chukyo dirt this morning, with the chestnut a picture of health two days out from his Group 1 assignment. Pig-rooting and bucking as he returned to the stables, Blizzard looked every part the fresh galloper that Yiu had been attempting to nurture.

“He felt good, it was nice for me to be able to sit on him today,” Teetan said. “He had a good look around, he felt very fresh. He wanted to do another lap, he was very happy. The good thing was, he was changing legs properly and he seemed comfortable going in this direction.”

After the work, Teetan walked the left-handed Chukyo turf course, drawing comparisons between that track’s home straight and the back stretch at Happy Valley.

“There is a downward part into a dip, and then it rises steadily – it’s much like the back straight at Happy Valley. It’s definitely different to what horses are used to at Sha Tin, and so it will be interesting to see how it plays. I spoke to Zac (Purton) about riding here too, obviously he won this race on Aerovelocity a few years ago and so he gave me some good tips as well.”

Sunday’s card will be the first time that Teetan has ridden on Japan’s main island of Honshu. However, he has spent the last two summers on the northern island of Hokkaido; riding at both Sapporo and Hakodate Racecourses, he has amassed a record of seven wins and seven placings from 71 rides.

The Mauritian jockey believes that his past experience, and also a ride in a 1400m turf race before the Takamatsunomiya Kinen on Sunday, will be crucial when it comes to the feature.

“My first time I came to Japan in 2016, I learnt a lot, which made my second summer here easier,” he said. “It’s very different to the way that we ride in Hong Kong, the jockeys here give you a lot of space but the style of racing is very different, they build up a lot earlier and it can be more of a grinding test. You can lose your position pretty quickly if you aren’t switched on. I will be watching the races on Saturday and I also have one turf ride and one dirt ride before Blizzard so hopefully that will help me to adapt.

“The good draw should allow me to hold my position better, as long as he jumps away well. I think he is as fast as any horse early here, but I don’t think I will be leading, I don’t want to use too much gas early as he also has a good finish. So I expect him to be handy, the draw is so important and I’m happy with gate three.”

Most of the primary fancies in the 18-horse field drew well. Last year’s winner Seiun Kosei will jump from the inside, while Japan’s champion sprinter Red Falx came up with gate six. Others of note are G1-winning mare Let’s Go Donki in eight and Fine Needle, set to sport the Godolphin blue for the first time, in nine, while last year’s G1 Oka Sho winner Reine Minoru will break from barrier 13.

The Takamatsunomiya Kinen will jump at 2:40pm Hong Kong time and will be simulcast between Races 4 and 5 at Sha Tin on Sunday.