Thursday, November 22, 2001
GOLAN 6-1 THIRD FAVOURITE WITH CORAL FOR JAPAN CUP AFTER TODAY'S DRAW
Golan, the sole British represntative in Sunday's morning's Japan Cup, is Coral's 6-1 third favourite after being drawn seven of the fifteen declared starters.
Last year's winner T M Opera O is 2-1 favourite to repeat that triumph while last year's runner-up, Meisho Doto, is Coral's 5-1 second favourite.
German hope Paolini was today well backed for the one and a half mile contest and was cut to 10-1 from 12-1 by Coral despite receiving a poor draw in fourteen. The American trained Brazilian-bred Cagney also attracted each way support and was cut to 20-1 from 40-1.
"Cagney is the worst result in the book and significantly we have taken a handful of bets from some Brazilian punters via the internet. Maybe they bred him?", said Simon Clare, Coral Spokesman.
Japan Cup:
2-1 T M Opera O, 5-1 Meisho Doto, 6-1 Golan, 9-1 Jungle Pocket, 10-1 Paolini (from 12-1), Timboroa, Stay Gold, 12-1 To The Victory, 16-1 With Anticipation, 20-1 Narita Top Road, White Heart, Cagney (from 40-1), 28-1 Daiwa Texas, 50-1 Indigenous, American Boss
T.M.OPERA O CAN MAKE HISTORY IN NEXT LEG OF THE EMIRATES WORLD SERIES
T.M.Opera O, trained in Japan by Ichizo Iwamoto, could make history at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday by becoming the first horse ever to win back to back runnings of the Japan Cup, the penultimate leg of the 2001 Emirates World Series.
The Emirates World Series travels around the globe taking in the twelve most prestigious thoroughbred races, in ten countries on four continents. All twelve are great races and events in their own right and together they provide a global test in horse racing to establish the one true World Champion Thoroughbred of 2001.
The five-year-old son of Opera House, won the mile and a half turf race, by a neck in 2000 from Meisho Doto with the reigning Emirates World Series champion Fantastic Light in third.
Big race jockey Ryuji Wada will again team up with T M Opera O as he did on their most recent outing when finishing a length second to Agnes Digital in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) over a mile and quarter at Tokyo Racecourse on October 28th.
Finishing two and half lengths behind T M Opera O was fellow Japan Cup challenger and last year's runner-up the Isao Yasuda-trained Meisho Doto, who will be the mount of Yasuhiko Yasuda on Sunday.
At Hanshin Racecourse in June the tables were reversed with Meisho Doto getting up to beat T M Opera O by a length and a quarter in the Group One Takarrazuka Kinen. In fourth place in that race was the Yasuo Ikee-trained Stay Gold, who won the Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba by just getting up on the line ahead of World Champion Fantastic Light. Yutaka Take, winner of the Japan Cup in 1999 with Special Week, will partner Stay Gold in the race on Sunday.
Daiwa Texas, an eight-year-old by Tolomeo, will be representing trainer Sueo Masuzawa in the Japan Cup after finishing fifth in the race last year. Daiwa Texas, who recently finished fifth in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), will be ridden by Yoshitomi Shibata.
Stay Gold's stablemate To The Victory has already scored Emirates World Series points in 2001 when she finised a brave second to Captain Steve in the first leg of the Series - the Dubai World Cup in March.
Likely third favourite in Sunday's race will be the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Golan. Stoute has a awesome record in this race, winning it in 1996 with Singspiel and following up a year later with Pilsudski.
Golan, winner of the English 2,000 Guineas and runner-up in the Epsom Derby, had two seven furlong canters on the dirt on Thursday morning under regular rider Roy Carter. The Japan Cup will be the final career start for the son of Spectrum who will be retiring to Coolmore Stud.
Germany's Paolini, a four-year-old by the 1995 Japan Cup winner Lando, had a final breeze on the dirt track under race jockey Andreas Suborics.
After the work his trainer Andreas Wohler said, "I am very pleased with him, he travelled over here well and I think the conditions will suit him. He does not act on soft ground and he will like the firm ground here."
The American challenge is headed by Bobby Frankel's Timboroa, whose last race was an excellent third to Fantastic Light in the ninth leg of the 2001 Emirates World Series in New York. His trainer explained at Thursday morning's press conference that the different riding tactics employed have been at the centre of his improved performances. Frankel said "He needs to be up with the pace, ideally second or third but he can front run if he has to. He seems to me to be in excellent condition''.
Frankel has already tasted victory in this race when he won it in 1988 with the Chris McCarron-partnered Pay The Butler.
With Anticipation used the grass track to breeze on Thursday morning. The six year old grey gelding will be partnered in the race by Japanese jockey Masayoshi Ebina, who is best known by his association with El Condor Pasa, winner of the Japan Cup in 1998 and runner-up in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1999.
Jonathan Sheppard, the trainer of With Anticipation, explained "My first choice was Pat Day, but he could not commit to coming to Tokyo and I think that Ebina and the horse will get along fine".
Neil Drysdale's White Heart, owned by HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, continued his preparation by working four furlongs in a little under 50 seconds. Assistant trainer, John O'Donoghue said "As the horse has got older, he has learned to settle and I think the extra distance will not be a problem for him, hopefully he will race in mid division and kick in at the finish".
Speaking of the final American challenger Cagney, Dick Mandella said "He is still on a learning curve, but is coming along all the time. He seems in good shape, and I'm happy to be here".
Hong Kong's evergreen veteran Indigenous used the dirt track on Thursday to reacquaint himself with Fuchu Racecourse, following his second place finish in the 1999 Japan Cup. Afterwards his trainer Ivan Allan said "He's two years older now but he doesn't know that, and we haven't told him! To me he is in better shape now and I think he will run a very respectable race".
RACING IN JAPAN, TOKYO, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH
GOING: FIRM
15.20 (Local) THE 21ST JAPAN CUP (Group 1) 2,400 Metres (Turf) 3yo+
Total Prize: US$3,966,666
11th Race In The Emirates World Series 2001
MEISHO DOTO (IRE) (Yoshio Matsumoto) Isao Yasuda (JPN) 5 57kgs Yasuhiko Yasuda (1)
AMERICAN BOSS (USA) (Abiru-Fudosan Co) Fuyuki Tago (JPN) 6 57kgs Teruo Eda (2)
CAGNEY (BRZ) (Stud TNT) Richard Mandella (USA) 4 57kgs Mike Smith (3)
T. M . OPERA O (JPN) (Masatsugu Takezono) Ichizo Iwamoto (JPN) 5 57kgs Ryuji Wada (4)
TO THE VICTORY (JPN) (Makoto Kaneko) Yasuo Ikee (JPN) 5 55kgs H Shii (5)
JUNGLE POCKET (JPN) (Yomoji Sato) Sakae Watanabe (JPN) 3 55kgs Olivier Peslier (6)
GOLAN (IRE) (Lord Weinstock) Sir Michael Stoute (GB) 3 55kgs John P Murtagh (7)
STAY GOLD (JPN) (Shadai Race Horse Ltd) Yasuo Ikee (JPN) 7 57kgs bl Yutaka Take (8)
WHITE HEART (GB) (HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum) Neil D Drysdale (USA) 6 57kgs Gary Stevens (9)
NARITA TOP ROAD (JPN) (Hidenori Yamaji) Yoshio Oki (JPN) 5 57kgs Kunihiko Watanabe (10)
INDIGENOUS (IRE) (Yuen Hing Pang) Ivan Allan (HK) 8 57kgs Weichong Marwing (11)
TIMBOROA (GB) (Edmund A Gann) Robert J Frankel (USA) 5 57kgs Jerry Bailey (12)
WITH ANTICIPATION (USA) (Augustin Stable) Jonathan E Sheppard (USA) 6 57kgs bl Masayoshi Ebina (13)
PAOLINI (GER) (Frau C Ostermann-Richter) Andreas Wohler (GER) 4 57kgs Andreas Suborics (14)
DAIWA TEXAS (JPN) (Daiwa Shoji Co) Sueo Masuzawa (JPN) 8 57kgs bl Yoshitomi Shibata (15)
15 Run - Horses are in racecard order.
2001 Emirates World Series Current Points Rankings
After Round 10 - The Breeders' Cup Classic
HORSE
Fantastic Light - 30
Galileo - 19
Sakhee - 18
Silvano - 15
Captain Steve - 12
Morshdi - 12
Mutamam - 12
Northerly - 12
Tiznow - 12
Paolini - 9
Hightori - 8
Hap - 8
Milan - 8
To The Victory - 6
Boreal - 6
Aquarelliste - 6
Sunline - 6
JOCKEY
Lanfranco Dettori - 48
Michael Kinane - 27
Andreas Suborics - 25
Jerry Bailey - 20
Richard Hills - 15
Chris McCarron - 14
Philip Robinson - 12
Damien Oliver - 12
Yutaka Take - 10
Gerald Mosse - 8
John Reid- 6
Dominique Boeuf - 6
Greg Childs - 6
OWNER
Godolphin - 51
Mrs J Magnier & M Tabor - 29
Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof - 19
Gary Tanaka - 13.5
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum - 13
Michael Pegram - 12
Darley Stud Management SNC - 12
Mrs J A Kersley et al - 12
Cee's Stable - 12
Frau C Ostermann-Richeter - 9
Allen E Paulson Living Trust - 6
Makoto Kaneko - 6
Gestut Ammerland- 6
Daniel Wildenstein - 6
T J McKee et al - 6
TRAINER
Saeed bin Suroor - 51
Aidan O'Brien - 33
Andreas Wohler - 28
Bob Baffert - 12
Michael Jarvis - 12
Alec Stewart - 12
Fred Kersley - 12
Jay Robbins - 12
Philippe Demercastel - 8
Bill Mott - 8
Yasuo Ikee - 6
Peter Schiergen - 6
Elie Lellouche - 6
Trevor McKee - 6
2001 EMIRATES WORLD SERIES RACES
24 March - Dubai World Cup - Captain Steve
28 July - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes - Galileo
18 August- Arlington Million - Silvano
2 September - UAE Grosser Preis von Baden - Morshdi
8 September - Ireland The Food Island Irish Champion Stakes - Fantastic Light
30 September - Canadian International - Mutamam
7 October - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Lucien Barriere - Sakhee
27 October - Carlton Draught Cox Plate - Northerly
27 October - Breeders' Cup Turf - Fantastic Light
27 October - Breeders' Cup Classic - Tiznow
25 November - Japan Cup
16 December - Hong Kong Cup
12 Races, 10 Countries, 4 Continents - One World Champion.
KIRSTEN RAUSING RE-APPOINTED TO NATIONAL STUD BOARD
Kirsten Rausing has been re-appointed as a director of the National Stud, Newmarket, by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) for a second three-year term.
The owner and manager of Lanwades and St Simon Studs, Newmarket, was first appointed to the National Stud Board on August 1, 1998. Her expertise and wise counsel have greatly benefited the National Stud since then.
The National Stud has been the responsibility of a board of directors appointed by the HBLB since 1986. The chairman is Peter Player and the other directors are John Dunlop, James Wigan, Geoff Howard-Spink and the Hon. Peter Stanley.
The National Stud, which stands on 500 acres at Newmarket, has capacity for up to 200 mares and a maximum of eight stallions who will include Mutamam, Golden Snake, Silver Patriarch, Bahamian Bounty and Handsome Ridge for the 2002 season.
The stud offers a comprehensive range of services to the breeder, including stallions at stud, seasonal and permanent boarding, sales preparation and quarantine for export. In addition, the stud provides a range of industry services, breeders' clubs, training courses, annual fair and stallion parades.
The National Stud is also a showcase for the British breeding industry, welcoming visiting delegations from overseas, television crews and journalists, equine and agricultural college groups, plus thousands of visitors who join guided tours each Spring and Summer.
ATTHERACES ANNOUNCE WEBSITE LAUNCH DETAILS
attheraces plc today announced that its website www.attheraces.co.uk has successfully completed extensive testing and audit procedures with the Tote. The Company is therefore launching the site on Tuesday, 11th December.
Chris Stoddart, CEO for attheraces, said: "This is an innovative site which will carry live video and audio from 49 major British racecourses with pool betting - fixed odds bookmakers are currently being selected to join the site in the New Year. I congratulate the teams of Arena Leisure and the Tote on completing the testing of live commingling between attheraces and the Tote pool, which will be a key part of our business."
Ian Penrose, Group Managing Director of Arena Leisure PLC, commented: "We are delighted to have reached this launch stage, and that Arena's technology has met the exacting performance levels required. We have invested significant time and effort in developing and enhancing the attheraces website and are thrilled with the results. We remain firmly focused on our strategy of working with attheraces to maximise its full potential to deliver gaming and other revenues from the recently acquired media rights."
The next significant launch period will focus on the attheraces live interactive digital television channel, which will be initially available on Sky Digital in May 2002. Meanwhile a number of other developments are in hand including a telephone betting service.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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