G2 Sapporo Kinen preview by our original AI
Wednesday, 14 August, 2024 22:56
Dura Erede (Photo: Yuki Shimono)
This weekend's racing will feature two graded stakes. This article will guide you through three notable contenders chosen by our original AI in the G3 Sapporo Kinen.
In his last race, the G3 Elm Stakes, Dura Erede finished second in what was his first race back in Japan after an overseas campaign. Considering the difficulty of adjusting after an international trip, it was a solid performance that still showed his ability despite the defeat. With that race under his belt, he is expected to be in better condition this time, and we can anticipate an even stronger performance.
Recently, Dura Erede has been racing on dirt, with his last turf start being in the G2 St Lite Kinen in September 2023. While he has not won on turf since capturing the G1 Hopeful Stakes as a 2-year-old, it is not that he cannot handle the surface. His subsequent turf losses can be attributed to factors like race incidents or unfavourable setups, rather than a lack of ability. He can certainly hold his own in graded stakes, and with his strong early speed, he could be a serious contender depending on how the race unfolds.
Geoglyph won the G1 Satsuki Sho over 2000m as a 3-year-old, demonstrating his strong suitability for this distance. He also claimed victory in the G3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes at Sapporo Racecourse as a 2-year-old, so there are no concerns about his ability to handle this track.
Although he has not secured a win since then due to a throat issue, he has shown signs of returning to form. He finished a strong third in the G2 Nakayama Kinen three starts back and has run competitive races in both the G1 Osaka Hai and the G1 Yasuda Kinen in his last two outings. Geoglyph is a horse with proven ability, and if the race unfolds to his advantage, he certainly has a chance to make an impact.
Shahryar boasts an impressive resume, having won the G1 Japanese Derby in 2021 and the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in 2022. With two G1 victories, he stands out as the most accomplished horse in the field. His most recent performance in the Dubai Sheema Classic, where he finished a strong second, further underscores his top-tier ability and credentials, making him arguably the class of this race.
In last year's Sapporo Kinen, Shahryar finished a disappointing 11th, but it was later revealed that he was dealing with a throat issue, which explains the subpar performance and should mark it as an outlier. After undergoing throat surgery, he has since performed well in both domestic and international G1 races, suggesting that those concerns are now fully behind him. Given his high ability, Shahryar has a strong chance of exacting revenge and securing victory this time around.
In his last race, the G3 Elm Stakes, Dura Erede finished second in what was his first race back in Japan after an overseas campaign. Considering the difficulty of adjusting after an international trip, it was a solid performance that still showed his ability despite the defeat. With that race under his belt, he is expected to be in better condition this time, and we can anticipate an even stronger performance.
Recently, Dura Erede has been racing on dirt, with his last turf start being in the G2 St Lite Kinen in September 2023. While he has not won on turf since capturing the G1 Hopeful Stakes as a 2-year-old, it is not that he cannot handle the surface. His subsequent turf losses can be attributed to factors like race incidents or unfavourable setups, rather than a lack of ability. He can certainly hold his own in graded stakes, and with his strong early speed, he could be a serious contender depending on how the race unfolds.
Geoglyph won the G1 Satsuki Sho over 2000m as a 3-year-old, demonstrating his strong suitability for this distance. He also claimed victory in the G3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes at Sapporo Racecourse as a 2-year-old, so there are no concerns about his ability to handle this track.
Although he has not secured a win since then due to a throat issue, he has shown signs of returning to form. He finished a strong third in the G2 Nakayama Kinen three starts back and has run competitive races in both the G1 Osaka Hai and the G1 Yasuda Kinen in his last two outings. Geoglyph is a horse with proven ability, and if the race unfolds to his advantage, he certainly has a chance to make an impact.
Shahryar boasts an impressive resume, having won the G1 Japanese Derby in 2021 and the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in 2022. With two G1 victories, he stands out as the most accomplished horse in the field. His most recent performance in the Dubai Sheema Classic, where he finished a strong second, further underscores his top-tier ability and credentials, making him arguably the class of this race.
In last year's Sapporo Kinen, Shahryar finished a disappointing 11th, but it was later revealed that he was dealing with a throat issue, which explains the subpar performance and should mark it as an outlier. After undergoing throat surgery, he has since performed well in both domestic and international G1 races, suggesting that those concerns are now fully behind him. Given his high ability, Shahryar has a strong chance of exacting revenge and securing victory this time around.