G3 Sekiya Kinen preview by our original AI

Wednesday, 07 August, 2024 12:40

Jun Blossom (C)netkeiba

This weekend's racing will feature two graded stakes on Sunday. This article will feature three notable horses in the G3 Sekiya Kinen at Niigata Racecourse picked by our original AI.

Jun Blossom showed his superiority in his last race, the 3 Win Class Minazuki Stakes by effortlessly breaking away from the pack in the middle of the stretch, winning by three lengths. This dominant performance highlighted his class. This time, he steps up to the Open Class for the first time. As a three-year-old, he finished fourth in the G3 Kyodo Tsushin Hai, G3 Arlington Cup, and G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai, demonstrating his potential to compete in graded stakes races. Therefore, he has a good chance of performing well in this field.

Jun Blossom has raced three times at Niigata, securing one win and two second-place finishes. Notably, in his two starts over Niigata's 1600m turf course, he has finished in the top two both times, recording the fastest closing sectionals. His suitability for these conditions is evident. Additionally, his consistency is remarkable, out of 17 career starts, he has finished outside the top five only twice. These two subpar performances were on heavy or muddy tracks, suggesting that adverse track conditions were likely a factor. On good ground, he consistently performs well, and if the track conditions suit him, he is expected to be a strong contender in this race.

Daddy's Vivid finished a disappointing 10th in his last outing, the G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup. However, in the race before that, the G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy, he carried a weight of 57.5 kg and managed to secure fifth place, engaging in a battle for third down the stretch. This performance showed that he still possesses the ability to compete well in graded stakes races.

Previously, he demonstrated enough speed to adopt front-running tactics over 1400m. However, based on his last race and the race four starts back, 1400m might be too fast for him now. The mile distance might allow him to settle more smoothly and better utilize his abilities. Indeed, as mentioned earlier, he managed to place in the Lord Derby Challenge Trophy over a mile. Thus, a reassessment of his chances at the mile distance could be warranted.

Dio put in a solid performance in his last race, the Listed Yonago Stakes, finishing second despite a slow pace set by the winning horse. Starting from an outside post, he had to race wide among the leaders, making it a tough race given the circumstances. Nevertheless, securing second place demonstrated his strength.

In the race before that, the Lord Derby Challenge Trophy, he finished a disappointing 11th as the favourite. The connections attributed this poor performance to a tight racing schedule so the race can be considered an outlier. With a more suitable interval between races this time, Dio should be able to perform to his potential. As a 3-year-old, he placed in both the G2 Spring Stakes and the G3 Arlington Cup, proving he can compete in graded stakes. If he runs to his capability, he should be a strong contender for the top positions.

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