Sprint Challenge Moves To Japan

Sunday's renewal of the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Racecourse, the third leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, is a wide-open affair, with 18 signed on to take up the challenge. Red Falx (Jpn) (Swept Overboard) looks to notch a second Group 1 win, having taken the Sprinters S. last October when riding a three-race win streak, but the 6-year-old will have to bounce back from a disappointing effort when beating just one home in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint when last seen on Dec. 11. Trainer Tomohito Ozeki expressed confidence, however, saying, “I thought he would give us a solid run in the Hong Kong Sprint, but he mustn't have been fully recovered from the Sprinters S. Since then, we haven't overworked him and we're going straight into this race. On Mar. 16 I gave him a long workout and his movement was good. He's had a nice bit of time off and his recovery has gone well. He is very well suited to Chukyo and I'm looking forward to the race.”

Let's Go Donki (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) recorded her first win since taking the 2015 G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) last time in the G3 Kyoto Himba S. on Feb. 18. She will have to improve on her previous record at this 1200-metre distance, which has resulted in two second-place finishes. Melagrana (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) indicated she could be a mare on the rise with two straight victories most recently, including a class jump to the G3 Ocean S. last time on Mar. 4. jockey Keita Tosaki said after that win, “Riding her again after three months, I feel she has matured even more from her previous race. She's a clever horse and I think she can handle any kind of race.”