UK lags behind the world’s big players in prize money
PAYOUT. IDAHO EARNED MORE THAN £207,000 FOR FINISHING FIFTH IN THE JAPAN CUP, MORE THAN FOR ALL THREE HIS EUROPEAN WINS.
Look out for Subway Dancer from the Czech Republic in today’s Listed Prix Lyphard at Deauville.
We Brits remain adamant that our racing is the best in the world, but there is no doubt that in terms of prize money we lag well behind the likes of America, Japan and Dubai.
That opinion is substantiated by the fact Aidan O’Brien’s Idaho picked up in excess of £207,000 (that’s about R3,781,765) for finishing fifth in last Sunday’s Japan Cup, more than he accrued for all his three career wins in Europe which included the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Remarkably, Idaho, who also finished third in the King George at Ascot last summer, started at 100-1 for Japan’s £3.9-million showpiece and having had only three of his 16 opponents behind him turning for home in Tokyo, he did very well to be beaten only two lengths by the Hugh Bowmanridden Cheval Grand.
Ryan Moore, who 24 hours earlier had clocked up his 100th winner in Japan, winning on six of his eight mounts, asked a big question of Idaho, whereas Bowman, the hero on Aussie superstar Winx in last month’s Cox Plate, was always in the stalking position on Cheval Grand.
The Japanese punters can be a forgiving breed and while this might not have been Ryan’s finest hour, the jockey remains the focus of idol worship wherever he goes in the country.
He said: “I have been lucky to have ridden some of their top horses, like Maurice, Gentildonna (on whom he won the 2013 Japan Cup) and Real Steel, and the punters over here have always given me a good reception.”
During a relatively short history – the inaugural running was 1981 – the Japan Cup has quickly established itself as one of the great end-of-season international races and the fanatical 108,000-strong crowd, many of whom had brought sleeping bags with them to reserve their place in the queue from as early as the middle of last week, celebrated a 12th consecutive local triumph long into the night.
However, the United States won the first two runnings, followed by Irish-trained superstar Stanerra, since when Britain, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Italy have all weighed in with successes, so Japan know that they have to pull out their A-team to repel the raiders.
Cheval Grand, who finished third to Japan’s Horse of the Year Kitasan Black 12 months ago, had the perfect draw to get a lead off the 11-10 favourite this time, and when Bowman popped the question in the straight he got an immediate response.
There were no excuses for Kitasan Black, who was bidding to emulate Gentildonna as the only horse to win the race twice.
Yutaka Take reported he “ran flat”, though he did finish with three shoes, and connections have fingers crossed that the sparkle returns for the colt’s farewell appearance in the Arima Kinen next month.
Bowman, who next week will be crowned Longines world’s best jockey, has enjoyed a phenomenal year, highlighted by the incredible achievements of Winx, and the Japanese will be hoping that his magic spell continues through to Sha Tin on 10 December, when he partners Staphanos and Satono Aladdin at the big Hong Kong International meeting.
We will try and find you all the winners for the four Group 1 races which make up the HK$84.5-million extravaganza when the final fields are announced next week, but Japan heavyweight Kiseki is scheduled to take on the last two winners of the Breeders’ Cup Turf in Talismanic and Highland Reel in the Vase.
This is the one race in which Hong Kong do not boast the favourite, though Zac Purton is convinced he has a real chance on the locally trained Gold Mount, who was named Primitivo when he won the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot two years ago for UK trainer Alan King.
Meanwhile, the all-weather season in Britain continues to gather momentum, and, hopefully, your betting kitty is still in the black following Second Thought’s success at 5-1 at Kempton last week.
Stepping up to 1600m for the first time in the Listed Hyde Stakes, Second Thought got the trip well, and, as predicted, that potent finishing kick enabled him to pass six horses up the straight and clinch his place in the £150,000 All-Weather Mile Final at Lingfield on Good Friday (30 March).
Winning trainer William Haggas said: “Second Thought is unbeaten in five races on the allweather and the surface clearly suits him well. He’ll have a break now and there is a suitable prep race at Wolverhampton on 10 March which should put him spot on for Lingfield.”
There is a dress rehearsal for the £200,000 Easter Classic at Deauville today – the Listed Prix Lyphard – and there is a bit extra spice about the race with the presence of the classy SUBWAY DANCER from the Czech Republic.
A Group 3 winner last year, Subway Dancer was only beaten a short neck in the Group 2 Prix Dollar at Chantilly at this year’s Arc meeting and a reproduction of that running would make him a real player here.
Not that Subway Dancer is the only foreign raider. Silver Lark, a dual Group 2 winner in Argentina, makes her French debut for new connections, while Royal Julius was only just touched off in a Group 3 in Italy last time so warrants plenty of respect, and John Gosden’s Utmost heads a fourstrong challenge from Britain.
And if I could interrupt your claret again I’d suggest you break off for a fascinating Listed race at Kempton the same evening.
Mountain Bell and The Queen’s Lingfield winner Daphne are bound to prove popular with punters