Eighteen To Do Battle At Kyoto

A full field of 18 runners go to post for the second race in the Japan Autumn International Series of races ,the G1 Mile Championship. It's 16 years since a 3-year-old won the race and only one horse, Lord Quest (Jpn) (Matsurida Gogh {Jpn}) represents the Classic generation on Sunday. This colt has some worthy form to his credit most notably when finishing a close second to Major Emblem (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo in May. However he does have to bounce back from a disappointing effort when a well beaten favorite in the G3 Fuji S. at Tokyo Oct 22. His trainer Shigeyuki Kojima thinks that run is best ignored and said,“It was a slow pace in the Fuji Stakes and he lost a bit of ground at the start,” He was just 0.5 seconds off the winner in the end, and the jockey [Kenichi Ikezoe] sees no cause for any pessimism.”
The versatile Mikki Isle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is already a Group 1 winner over Sunday's trip when successful in the G1 NHK Mile Cup over two years ago and he showed he retains all his ability when second last month in the G1 Sprinters S. over six furlongs at Nakayama. His trainer Hidetaka Otonashi is keen to see the 5-year-old break well and get into a nice rhythm and commented, “He didn't start so well last time. It took some time for him to find his own pace, so consequently he wasn't able to race the way we know he can.” There are six European jockeys taking part in the race and Ryan Moore, successful recently on Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) in the G1 Tenno Sho at Tokyo, has picked up the mount on the Noriyuki Hori trained Neorealism (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}). Although sampling his first Group 1 race Neorealism has taken the notable scalp of the aforementioned Maurice when beating that five-time Group 1 winner in the G2 Sapporo Kinen at Sapporo Aug. 21 and his trainer's assistant commented, “He won the Sapporo Kinen starting from gate 13, showing no hesitation to get to the front and maintaining that position throughout. I think he's in the same form he was in the summer.” Isla Bonita (Jpn) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}) is a Classic winner courtesy of a victory in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in 2014 but it's a while since he has gotten his head in front. His last run when narrowly beaten by the re-opposing Young Man Power (Jpn) (Snitzel {Aus}) in the G3 Fuji S. suggests both he and the winner have strong claims for success.