Confidence grows behind Meisho Tabaru in G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai
Tuesday, 14 January, 2025 18:28
The four-year-old generation is full of talented horses, none more so than Meisho Tabaru. He won the G3 Mainichi Hai by six lengths but essentially ran away with his jockey in the G1 Satsuki Sho and finished 17th. He was unlucky in the G1 Japanese Derby, where he was withdrawn with a sprained left rear.
In the autumn, he ran away in his first race in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai, but the G1 Kikuka Sho was a tough race and he finished 16th. Despite the ups and downs of his three-year-old season, he has the potential to easily win the G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai, if he can show his true ability, as evidenced by his two graded race wins.
Trainer Ishibashi says "After the G1 Kikuka Sho, our target was the G1 Arima Kinen, but he was ruled out and we brought him here. There is no feeling of heaviness and he is going well." This is the first race for old horses after the New Year. He needs to add to his prize-money tally to be ready for the G1 races in the spring.
To do that, he needs to improve his handling, which has been an issue. After the last race, assistant Uegomori suggested that the horse be changed to a more severe bit. "We decided to change the equipment because the result of the Kikuka Sho was so poor." Hamanaka, who rode for the pre-week workout, also had a good feeling about the horse's condition, saying "Thanks to the changes, the horse's mouth was better and it was easier to ride."
The course is the same as last year's Kobe Shimbun Hai, 2200m on the turf at Chukyo racecourse. The jockey, who is riding high after winning the G3 Shinzan Kinen with Lila Emblem, said "The Chukyo turf is rough now, so I think it suits Meisho Tabaru. I want to get a good result so that he can run in the races he wants to run this year." He will want to win again at the Chukyo and return to the top of the standings. He will be looking to add another title and strengthen his position in the older horse middle distance ranks now that Do Deuce is out of the picture.
In the autumn, he ran away in his first race in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai, but the G1 Kikuka Sho was a tough race and he finished 16th. Despite the ups and downs of his three-year-old season, he has the potential to easily win the G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai, if he can show his true ability, as evidenced by his two graded race wins.
Trainer Ishibashi says "After the G1 Kikuka Sho, our target was the G1 Arima Kinen, but he was ruled out and we brought him here. There is no feeling of heaviness and he is going well." This is the first race for old horses after the New Year. He needs to add to his prize-money tally to be ready for the G1 races in the spring.
To do that, he needs to improve his handling, which has been an issue. After the last race, assistant Uegomori suggested that the horse be changed to a more severe bit. "We decided to change the equipment because the result of the Kikuka Sho was so poor." Hamanaka, who rode for the pre-week workout, also had a good feeling about the horse's condition, saying "Thanks to the changes, the horse's mouth was better and it was easier to ride."
The course is the same as last year's Kobe Shimbun Hai, 2200m on the turf at Chukyo racecourse. The jockey, who is riding high after winning the G3 Shinzan Kinen with Lila Emblem, said "The Chukyo turf is rough now, so I think it suits Meisho Tabaru. I want to get a good result so that he can run in the races he wants to run this year." He will want to win again at the Chukyo and return to the top of the standings. He will be looking to add another title and strengthen his position in the older horse middle distance ranks now that Do Deuce is out of the picture.
Article Creds:Daily Sports