G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai Preview by netkeiba's original AI
Wednesday, 20 September, 2023 22:05
Night in London (Photo: Hiroki Yamanaka)
Historically a reliable indicator for the G1 Kikuka Sho, the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai will be run at Hanshin Racecourse this Sunday. Our original AI will outline the main contenders in this article.
Night in London
Night in London made his debut last December in a 2000m turf maiden race and finished 12th, a disappointing start. However, in his second race, over the extended distance of 2400m on turf, he showed remarkable improvement to finish second. From his third race, he consistently ran in races with distances of 2400m or more, in which he achieved three consecutive victories from the maiden class to the two Win class and progressed to graded stakes company. Regarding his initial poor performance, it seems that the distance was too short for the horse to fully utilize his natural strengths.
Furthermore, from the second outing onwards, he recorded the fastest final 3 furlongs among runners, indicating that he possesses a stable finishing kick. Despite being a newcomer to graded stakes races, this is a horse that should not be underestimated.
Lord del Rey
Lord del Rey made his debut back in January in a maiden race and won impressively, by four-lengths. In the following race, the Tsubaki Sho (one win class), he once again delivered a capable performance securing first place and achieving two consecutive wins. Expectations for his performance in classic races were high. However, a setback occurred in training which forced a period of rest.
Lord del Rey's returned at the beginning of September in the Akakura Tokubetsu (2-win class) at Niigata Racecourse. Despite the challenges of facing older horses for the first time after hjis hiatus, Road del Rey raced prominently and held off all pursuants to win by a neck. Considering that the second-place finisher in this race was Sea Wizard, a horse with a history of strong performances at the graded stakes level, the victory was indeed commendable. With the benefit of run under his belt, Road del Rey should improve once again. Given his past performances, it is reasonable to have high expectations for his performance against graded stakes competition.
Savona
While Savona may not have a history of winning graded stakes races, he has demonstrated the ability to compete at that level. In the G3 Keisei Hai in January, Savona finished an impressive fourth amost strong competition, such as Sol Oriens and Seven Magician, in the G2 Aoba Sho in April. Savona finished in sixthbehind the ill-fated but highly-rated Skilfing.
Regarding this upcoming race at Hanshin's 2400m turf course, Savona has raced twice over this distance, winning and being placed once. In the race he lost by a narrow margin, the victor was none other than Satono Glanz, who later won the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai and is expected to be a popular choice in the Kobe Shimbun Hai. Savona's performance in that race was noteworthy, suggesting that he has the capability to hold his own at this level. It would come as no surprise if he were to contend for a top placing.
Night in London
Night in London made his debut last December in a 2000m turf maiden race and finished 12th, a disappointing start. However, in his second race, over the extended distance of 2400m on turf, he showed remarkable improvement to finish second. From his third race, he consistently ran in races with distances of 2400m or more, in which he achieved three consecutive victories from the maiden class to the two Win class and progressed to graded stakes company. Regarding his initial poor performance, it seems that the distance was too short for the horse to fully utilize his natural strengths.
Furthermore, from the second outing onwards, he recorded the fastest final 3 furlongs among runners, indicating that he possesses a stable finishing kick. Despite being a newcomer to graded stakes races, this is a horse that should not be underestimated.
Lord del Rey
Lord del Rey made his debut back in January in a maiden race and won impressively, by four-lengths. In the following race, the Tsubaki Sho (one win class), he once again delivered a capable performance securing first place and achieving two consecutive wins. Expectations for his performance in classic races were high. However, a setback occurred in training which forced a period of rest.
Lord del Rey's returned at the beginning of September in the Akakura Tokubetsu (2-win class) at Niigata Racecourse. Despite the challenges of facing older horses for the first time after hjis hiatus, Road del Rey raced prominently and held off all pursuants to win by a neck. Considering that the second-place finisher in this race was Sea Wizard, a horse with a history of strong performances at the graded stakes level, the victory was indeed commendable. With the benefit of run under his belt, Road del Rey should improve once again. Given his past performances, it is reasonable to have high expectations for his performance against graded stakes competition.
Savona
While Savona may not have a history of winning graded stakes races, he has demonstrated the ability to compete at that level. In the G3 Keisei Hai in January, Savona finished an impressive fourth amost strong competition, such as Sol Oriens and Seven Magician, in the G2 Aoba Sho in April. Savona finished in sixthbehind the ill-fated but highly-rated Skilfing.
Regarding this upcoming race at Hanshin's 2400m turf course, Savona has raced twice over this distance, winning and being placed once. In the race he lost by a narrow margin, the victor was none other than Satono Glanz, who later won the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai and is expected to be a popular choice in the Kobe Shimbun Hai. Savona's performance in that race was noteworthy, suggesting that he has the capability to hold his own at this level. It would come as no surprise if he were to contend for a top placing.