Japan

The sales action rolls on to Baden-Baden this Friday for Germany's major yearling auction, the BBAG September Sale. If the talk in the build-up is to be believed then there will be more overseas visitors than ever landing at Karlsruhe airport to make the short journey to the sales grounds and its neighbouring racecourse during a lively week of action in both spheres. They surely can't all be going solely for the excellent eve-of-sale barbecue, featuring the traditional jumbo bratwurst and Elvis impersonator. Far more important than that fun night...

SAPPORO, Japan -- While other racing nations are becoming accustomed to lauding the overseas success of Japanese runners and looking on with awe at the huge financial clout of the country's domestic racing programme, it would be folly to think that Japan's racing scene does not face its own specific issues. Indeed, the host nation for the 40th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) was put under the spotlight in Sapporo on Thursday when leading trainer Yoshito Yahagi and breeder Kenichiro Mishima took to the stage to discuss ways in which Japanese...

Insel Racing's Awesome Result (Justify) made Tuesday's $365,264 Listed Breeders' Gold Cup her seventh victory from as many trips to the post and likely earned a trip to Del Mar for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 2. The same race was used as a springboard to victory in the same event by Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) at the seaside oval in 2021. Favored at 1-10 off a maiden stakes success in the Listed Empress Hai at Kawasaki May 8, Awesome Result broke a bit sideways, causing Yutaka Take...

SAPPORO, Japan -- "Wherever you are, the important thing is that aftercare is recognised as a shared responsibility for owners, breeders, participants and the authorities." So said Michael Owen, the keynote speaker at the eighth annual conference of the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR). The words of the former England footballer underlined the message that has been at the forefront of IFAR since its inception in 2016 under the drive of the charitable wing of Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum's Godolphin operation. Its formation has brought about a...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Niigata Racecourse: Saturday, August 17, 2024 5th-NII, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT ECORO SIEG (c, 2, Twirling Candy--Lily Pod, by Bernstein), bred on a variant of the highly successful cross of Candy Ride (Arg) over Storm Cat, cost $95,000 at...

Last seen finishing the distant runner-up behind Tuz (Oxbow) in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan Mar. 30, Don Frankie (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) turned in an ideal prep for an expected date in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint with an all-the-way victory in Wednesday's $353,808 Listed Cluster Cup at Morioka Raceourse on the National Association of Racing circuit. An agile individual for a horse that tipped the scales Wednesday at 607 kg (1335 pounds), Don Frankie was ridden for speed from gate seven by Kenichi Ikezoe and made...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for Sunday running at Niigata Racecourse: Sunday, August 4, 2024 2nd-NII, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, f, 1600mT T O NILSSON (JPN) (f, 2, McKinzie--American Legend, by American Pharoah) was purchased by Tomoya Ozasa for the equivalent of $84,390 at last year's JRHA Select Sale and...

The upcoming Asian Racing Conference at Sapporo on Aug. 28-30 will feature Japanese industry members' views on the future of racing in Japan. The business programme will consist of nine sessions, and there will also be three dedicated sharing sessions. Opening speeches will be delivered by Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, ARF chairman and Masayoshi Yoshida, president and CEO of the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Officials from the JRA, National Association of Racing in Japan, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc., Shadai Farm, Northern Farm, and Big Red Farm, will be sharing their insights during...

HOKKAIDO, Japan--Expectation rather than trepidation. Pre-JRHA Select Sale nerves are different to the ones we go through back in Europe, that's for sure.  A quick scan through the over 500-strong catalogue of foals and yearlings will remind you just how small the world is with many familiar names cropping up on any given page.  However, a morning spent in the company of JRHA chairman and Shadai Farm boss Teruya Yoshida followed by a trip to Northern Farm, which will consign a massive 180 lots at the sale, pegs into light...

5th-Fukushima, ¥13,720,000 ($84,982), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800mT, 1:49.9, gd/fm. DEL AVAR (c, 2, Frankel {GB}--Amour Briller {MSW-Jpn, $2,317,880}, by Smart Strike) came from a seemingly unlikely position at a late juncture to graduate in highly impressive fashion at first asking. Away a half-step slowly from gate four, the homebred colt lingered in the latter third of the 16-strong field racing around the first turn and was shuffled back to about third-last after overracing as they reached the backstretch. Still only 11th at the third corner, Del Avar caught the eye with...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Fukushima and Kokura Racecourses: Saturday, June 29, 2024 6th-KOK, ¥13,720,000 ($85k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1000m OTOMENA SHACHO (f, 2, Speightstown--Mylady Curlin, by Curlin) is the second foal and first to the races for her dam, who validated 5-2 favoritism for Sather...

Making his first start since finishing well down the field in the G1 Saudi Cup at the end of February, reigning Japanese champion dirt horse Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) resumed with a two-length victory in Wednesday's Listed Sakitama Hai at Urawa Racetrack about 20 miles north of Central Tokyo. Crunched into $1.20 (1-5) favouritism, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling acquisition was away without incident from barrier seven and was content to track pacesetting Alain Barows (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) through the early sections of the contest, run over a two-turn,...