Everyone's a Winner if Victor takes Takamatsunomiya Kinen
Friday, 22 March, 2024 19:59
Chukyo Race Course (C)netkeiba
The mere presence of Victor The Winner for the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen is a win for Japanese racing at a time when global interest from abroad has never been higher.
If there is any race on the Japanese calendar in which the locals are vulnerable, it is this one. And yet it is also one that receives limited interest from abroad.
Since the race became international in 2001, there have only been four runners from abroad. California dirt sprinters Disturbingthepeace (13th) and Echo Eddie (17th) unsuccessfully transitioned to turf in 2003, champion Hong Kong speedster Aerovelocity took the prize in 2015 while his compatriot Blizzard finished fifth to Fine Needle three years later.
It comes at a time of year where northern hemisphere horses are generally gearing up for the year ahead. If not, they are more likely to be in Dubai for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) - such as was the case with British sprinter Annaf, who is bound for Meydan instead of Chukyo.
Those international sprinters who are more regional remain on home soil with races like the G1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) in Australia and the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) in Hong Kong attractive options.
The total prize pool of USD$2.43 million is sizable but, these days, not extraordinary and hardly enough to prove tempting - unless you have the right horse.
For trainer Danny Shum and owner Chu Yun Lau, they feel that Victor The Winner - a last-start Group 1 winner - is that right horse.
"I've had Japan in mind for him for a while because his left hand turn is stronger than his right hand turn," Shum said after Victor The Winner's upset victory in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) last time out. "Of course, he needs a lot to go right but if it does he is a very strong contender there."
Victor The Winner is no Aerovelocity - few can match the two-time G1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) hero who also won in Singapore in 2015 - but he comes with better credentials than Blizzard, who was as honest as the day is long but didn't quite have the class.
Remarkably, he heads to Chukyo with a 124 rating - the same as Aerovelocity. However, the fact that Blizzard was rated 123 suggests that those ratings can perhaps be taken with a grain of salt once they are up at stakes level and mixing handicaps with weight-for-age contests.
Most notably, Victor The Winner - an established pacesetter - generally needs things to go his way for him to fire, like many who get out on the speed. However, for a field of 18, there is not that much genuine pace to worry him.
T M Spada may attempt to lead here from gate seven, much as he did in the G2 Sankei Sho Centaur Stakes (1200m) when he prevailed at $113. Win Carnelian is also a noted leader at a mile and may try to force the tempo from gate 13.
Victor The Winner, in gate 10, might end up being in the perfect position to track forward and find a spot on or near the speed. Where that spot is though is dependent on another factor: the weather.
Significant rain is forecast in Nagoya on Saturday afternoon with some potentially arriving on Sunday as well.
Victor The Winner skipped away on yielding ground in the HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup (1200m) in September, defeating Lucky Sweynesse by two and a half lengths. However, it was a small field with a race run to suit where he was in receipt of 20 pounds - more than nine kilograms - from Lucky Sweynesse.
This will likely be a different test entirely, but perhaps he might be a wet tracker too. His pedigree certainly suggests so and his action looks like he'd be right at home on softer ground - not that it is ever too soft compared to most of the world!
Perhaps the biggest query is his class. The form out of the Centenary Sprint Cup was exposed fairly significantly in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup two weeks ago, perhaps an indicator that Hong Kong's sprint division is currently in one of its occasional lulls.
Still, the best result on Sunday would be a Victor The Winner success - especially with Japan poised for a huge night at Meydan next Saturday.
Swings and roundabouts - triumphs on foreign soil leave everyone a victor (or is that a winner).
If there is any race on the Japanese calendar in which the locals are vulnerable, it is this one. And yet it is also one that receives limited interest from abroad.
Since the race became international in 2001, there have only been four runners from abroad. California dirt sprinters Disturbingthepeace (13th) and Echo Eddie (17th) unsuccessfully transitioned to turf in 2003, champion Hong Kong speedster Aerovelocity took the prize in 2015 while his compatriot Blizzard finished fifth to Fine Needle three years later.
It comes at a time of year where northern hemisphere horses are generally gearing up for the year ahead. If not, they are more likely to be in Dubai for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) - such as was the case with British sprinter Annaf, who is bound for Meydan instead of Chukyo.
Those international sprinters who are more regional remain on home soil with races like the G1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) in Australia and the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) in Hong Kong attractive options.
The total prize pool of USD$2.43 million is sizable but, these days, not extraordinary and hardly enough to prove tempting - unless you have the right horse.
For trainer Danny Shum and owner Chu Yun Lau, they feel that Victor The Winner - a last-start Group 1 winner - is that right horse.
"I've had Japan in mind for him for a while because his left hand turn is stronger than his right hand turn," Shum said after Victor The Winner's upset victory in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) last time out. "Of course, he needs a lot to go right but if it does he is a very strong contender there."
Victor The Winner is no Aerovelocity - few can match the two-time G1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) hero who also won in Singapore in 2015 - but he comes with better credentials than Blizzard, who was as honest as the day is long but didn't quite have the class.
Remarkably, he heads to Chukyo with a 124 rating - the same as Aerovelocity. However, the fact that Blizzard was rated 123 suggests that those ratings can perhaps be taken with a grain of salt once they are up at stakes level and mixing handicaps with weight-for-age contests.
Most notably, Victor The Winner - an established pacesetter - generally needs things to go his way for him to fire, like many who get out on the speed. However, for a field of 18, there is not that much genuine pace to worry him.
T M Spada may attempt to lead here from gate seven, much as he did in the G2 Sankei Sho Centaur Stakes (1200m) when he prevailed at $113. Win Carnelian is also a noted leader at a mile and may try to force the tempo from gate 13.
Victor The Winner, in gate 10, might end up being in the perfect position to track forward and find a spot on or near the speed. Where that spot is though is dependent on another factor: the weather.
Significant rain is forecast in Nagoya on Saturday afternoon with some potentially arriving on Sunday as well.
Victor The Winner skipped away on yielding ground in the HKSAR Chief Executive's Cup (1200m) in September, defeating Lucky Sweynesse by two and a half lengths. However, it was a small field with a race run to suit where he was in receipt of 20 pounds - more than nine kilograms - from Lucky Sweynesse.
This will likely be a different test entirely, but perhaps he might be a wet tracker too. His pedigree certainly suggests so and his action looks like he'd be right at home on softer ground - not that it is ever too soft compared to most of the world!
Perhaps the biggest query is his class. The form out of the Centenary Sprint Cup was exposed fairly significantly in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup two weeks ago, perhaps an indicator that Hong Kong's sprint division is currently in one of its occasional lulls.
Still, the best result on Sunday would be a Victor The Winner success - especially with Japan poised for a huge night at Meydan next Saturday.
Swings and roundabouts - triumphs on foreign soil leave everyone a victor (or is that a winner).