Almond Eye selected for JRA Hall of Fame
Wednesday, 07 June, 2023 17:04
Almond Eye in her last race, the G1 Japan Cup in 2020
On the 6th, the Japan Racing Association (JRA) announced that Almond Eye, who achieved an impressive 19 G1 victories both domestically and internationally, has been selected as the 35th horse inducted to the JRA Hall of Fame, following Kitasan Black in 2020. Last year, Almond Eye narrowly missed the honour with only 144 votes, failing to reach the required threshold of three-quarters (152 votes) from the eligible 202 voters. However, this year she received an overwhelming support with 200 out of 207 votes (a voting rate of 96.6%), securing her induction into the Hall of Fame. Contrail fell just short by only one vote and will be carried over to next year's voting.
During her active racing career, Almond Eye was trained by Mr. Kunieda, who expressed his joy at her induction, saying, "Horse racing is a bloodline sport, and leaving a record is important. I am extremely happy and believe that it is necessary to be included in the Hall of Fame (for greatness)." He added, "I am grateful to the owner who entrusted me with such a great horse, the farm staff who cooperated in realizing our dreams, and all the fans who supported us together. Being involved with Almond Eye as her trainer is a wonderful asset for me and the stable staff, and I will continue to devote myself going forward."
Since her retirement, Almond Eye has already given birth to two foals. Mr. Yoshimoto, the representative of Silk Racing, commented, "If everything goes well, we expect Almond Eye's first offspring to debut on the racecourse next year. We are grateful for your continued support for Almond Eye's progeny in the future."
The JRA Hall of Fame system was established in 1984 to honour and commemorate the achievements of horses that have made significant contributions to the development of Japanese horse racing, and to pass on their legacies to future generations. The voting process involves a panel of journalists (with at least 10 years of experience and three representatives from each major racing publication) who cast their votes for up to four horses each. Horses that receive three-quarters or more of the votes from the total number of eligible voters are selected as the recipients of the award. The eligible horses are those registered for central horse racing in Japan, with outstanding racing records and meeting certain criteria such as exceptional performance, as well as having their retirement within the past 20 years (from April 1, 2002, to March 31, 2022).
During her active racing career, Almond Eye was trained by Mr. Kunieda, who expressed his joy at her induction, saying, "Horse racing is a bloodline sport, and leaving a record is important. I am extremely happy and believe that it is necessary to be included in the Hall of Fame (for greatness)." He added, "I am grateful to the owner who entrusted me with such a great horse, the farm staff who cooperated in realizing our dreams, and all the fans who supported us together. Being involved with Almond Eye as her trainer is a wonderful asset for me and the stable staff, and I will continue to devote myself going forward."
Since her retirement, Almond Eye has already given birth to two foals. Mr. Yoshimoto, the representative of Silk Racing, commented, "If everything goes well, we expect Almond Eye's first offspring to debut on the racecourse next year. We are grateful for your continued support for Almond Eye's progeny in the future."
The JRA Hall of Fame system was established in 1984 to honour and commemorate the achievements of horses that have made significant contributions to the development of Japanese horse racing, and to pass on their legacies to future generations. The voting process involves a panel of journalists (with at least 10 years of experience and three representatives from each major racing publication) who cast their votes for up to four horses each. Horses that receive three-quarters or more of the votes from the total number of eligible voters are selected as the recipients of the award. The eligible horses are those registered for central horse racing in Japan, with outstanding racing records and meeting certain criteria such as exceptional performance, as well as having their retirement within the past 20 years (from April 1, 2002, to March 31, 2022).
Article Creds:Daily Sports