Keiba Diary: Sprinters weekend means Group 1 racing is back
Adrian Webber has the latest from the JRA including a look at the first Group 1 of the autumn season and an update from Paris.
There was no renaissance for Titleholder in last weekend’s G2 All Comers at Nakayama, but to be fair he certainly gave it his best shot and finished an admirable second on his comeback from injury. The ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the crowd probably spurred him on in his customary runaway style.
His jockey Kazuo Yokoyama measured things out quite skilfully in his quest for the win, but Christophe Lemaire and Rousham Park always had him in their sights and were able to get the upper hand by just over a length at the end. Rousham Park won impressively in the Murasaki Sho at Tokyo on Derby day and has just been on an upward curve ever since.
— Team Iwata (@JayRAye02) September 24, 2023
There was a red-hot finish to the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai at Hanshin on the same day and applying the streaks of fire with a perfectly-timed ride was Yuga Kawada aboard Satono Glanz. The winner’s sire is Satono Diamond who also won the same race before going on to win the G1 Kikuka Sho the same year (2016), so things bode well for the Yasuo Tomomichi-trained Satono Glanz going into that final Classic.
As for Kawada, he made it six winners for himself over the weekend and goes back to the top of the jockeys’ table.
Brisk sales in Hokkaido
Although there have been a number of sales taking place throughout the world recently, the Hokkaido yearling sale here in Japan still attracted plenty of attention over its three days last week.
The sale has only been in existence since 2019 but this year saw record sales of ¥2.3 billion for 402 yearlings sold from a total of 532 offered and an increase of over ¥200 million on last year’s figure. A total of 213 fillies and 189 colts were sold, with colts setting the highest price paid over the three days. Day one saw a yearling by Suave Richard bought by Capital System Co. Ltd for ¥27.5 million (the record for this year’s sale) and on the final day a colt by Sinister Minister went for ¥22 million. The Hokkaido Autumn Sale is next up on October 16 for those still looking to buy a horse.
Returning jockeys
News that Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand will be returning to Japan this autumn is being welcomed by many racing fans in the country who had the chance to see them last year on their first ever visit.
The husband and wife jockeys will head to Australia first but they are both scheduled to be back to ride on short-term licences in Japan from November 11 through ‘til the day of the last JRA Group 1 of the year, the Hopeful Stakes on December 28.