Clash of wonder mares looming
Only Winx missing as Almond Eye and Enable set to meet
Almond Eye’s stunning Japan Cup win could set up a potential clash of two of the world’s three super race mares.
Which means only Aussie heroine Winx might be missing from the battle of the glamour girls in next year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Almond Eye added the Japan Cup to the Japanese fillies’ triple crown when smashing the track record in the prestigious group one in Tokyo on Sunday, raising hopes she can finally break the nation’s hoodoo in the Arc next October.
The 3-year-old filly, ridden by Christophe Lemaire and trained by Sakae Kunieda, travelled powerfully in a handy position before quickening well to register a two-length victory over front-runner Kiseki, stopping the clock at 2m 20.6s — 1.5s faster than the previous record set by Alkaased in 2005.
Almond Eye was sent off a red-hot $1.80 favourite after winning her previous five races, including the Japanese 1000 Guineas, Japanese Oaks and the Shuka Sho.
Kunieda told the Racing Post: “I had every confidence in her potential and she was in great form coming into the race. Winning this gives her various options to choose from, including an overseas challenge that will most certainly be expected of her, although details will have to be discussed with the owners.”
Lemaire said: “It was a strong pace but she relaxed well. I knew Kiseki would finish strongly so I waited until the 300-metre mark to move past him. We will have to consider next year’s Arc.”
Thundering Blue, who represented David Menuisier, and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Capri both raced towards the rear and never threatened to make an impact, while last year’s winner Cheval Grand finished fourth.
Menuisier said: “I thought the ground was too quick and he was a
bit too tense before the race in the paddock.”
Almond Eye’s victory sets up a fascinating showdown with Enable at Longchamp next October.
She will be bidding to become the first Japanese-trained horse to win the race after a number of near misses, including with the likes of El Condor Pasa, Deep Impact and Orfevre.
Enable won her second Arc last month in what was only her second start since winning Europe’s most important race a year earlier.
Her connections confirmed this week Enable will stay in training for next season with the Arc he main aim as she looks for a third successive win and the possibility of Almond Eye heading to Paris to take on Europe’s best horse will have racing fans salivating months out from the clash.
Both are exceptional female gallopers who love to race on the speed and have won the toughest 2400m races in their respective parts of the world.
The only sadness for true fans of a great horse is the fact by next October wonder mare Winx will almost certainly be retired to stud in Australia instead of racing in Paris where her presence would have set up one of the most anticipated races in decades.
A trip to Dubai is also potentially on the cards for Almond Eye and she has been installed 7-4 favourite with bookmakers Paddy Power for the Sheema Classic.