Japanese Dirt Triple Crown

Natural Rise (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) earned his first black-type badge with an open-length win in the Listed Haneda Hia, the first leg of the Japan Dirt Triple Crown at Oi on Tuesday. A winner of both a newcomer race at Sapporo last July and the Cattleya Stakes (Cond.) at Tokyo in November, the colt was fourth at Kawasaki. He bounced back with a victory in the Keihin Hai locally near the end of March. Quickly into stride, the 3-10 favourite soon stalked in third as the field headed into the...

White colt Amante Bianco (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) ran out a one-length winner of the Haneda Hai at Oi Racecourse on Wednesday (video). Billed as the first leg of the NAR Japanese Dirt Triple Crown, the 1800-metre race was conducted over a sloppy surface. Second was Ammothyella (Jpn) (Bricks And Mortar), with Hraunfossar (Jpn) (Drefong) another eight lengths back in third. Bred by Northern Farm and raced by Silk Racing, the white colt was winning for the third time in five starts. He'd earlier taken the Cattleya S. in November, part...