Andrew Le Jeune

LJ Confidential: Romantic Warrior and Sol Oriens worthy Group 1 favourites

Asian Racing Report’s Andrew Le Jeune takes a look at short-priced favourites Romantic Warrior and Sol Oriens and asks if there is any way either can be beaten in their respective Group 1 assignments.

Adrian Webber

Keiba Diary: no loneliness for popular Liberty Island

Adrian Webber reflects on a brilliant Oaks win, looks ahead to a taste of Royal Ascot at the Japanese Derby, and celebrates a grand old retiree.

Homan Ho

JRA Blackbook: big tracks, bigger future for Lebensstil

Some of the early form around Sol Oriens was franked as a son of Real Steel made a mess of his opposition at Tokyo, while a daughter of Arrogate belied her breeding to continue her new-found fondness for turf.

Adrian Webber

Keiba Diary: Joe Fujii keeps fighting

Adrian Webber caught up with Joe Fujii for this week’s Keiba Diary as the popular jockey continues to readjust to home life with his wife and children after suffering severe spinal injuries in a race fall last year.

David Morgan

Uchida takes the NHK Mile Cup applause on a weekend for veterans

Frankie Dettori and Hiroyuki Uchida are both 52 and they both won a Group 1 at the weekend, but only one has the stated intention to continue riding indefinitely.

NHK Mile Cup G1 Guide

Tokyo's NHK Mile Cup in May provides a still-testing 1600m Group 1 option for those perhaps lacking in the requisite stamina to take on Japan's best staying three-year-olds over the Classic distances.

David Morgan

Breeze-ups could be a measure of Hong Kong interest

While unraced two-year-olds take centre stage in Newmarket midweek, across town on Saturday Auguste Rodin will attempt to further enhance Deep Impact’s incredible legacy

Video

Asian Racing Review: Hong Kong stars to chase Yasuda Kinen glory?

Michael Cox and Andrew Le Jeune dissect the week's happenings in Asian racing as they bring you the latest on possible Yasuda Kinen starts for two Hong Kong stars, and address the 'puzzling' speculation surrounding Joao Moreira's future.

Asian Racehorse Rankings

2023 Tokyo Yushun rankings: Satsuki Sho shake-up

The first leg of the colts' Triple Crown has been run and won, pushing a worthy new leader to the top of the board as five previously unranked three-year-olds enter the top 18.

David Morgan

Sol Oriens is another feather in Kitasan Black’s cap

The brilliant Satsuki Sho winner is by the impressive young sire Kitasan Black out of a mare that has surprised her former trainer in establishing her place as a proven producer of quality racehorses in Japan.

Adrian Webber

Keiba Diary: another Classic stunner as Sol Oriens shines

JRA broadcaster Adrian Webber recaps all the weekend action and picks through recent happenings, including the reopening of the revamped Kyoto racecourse.

Video

Asian Racing Review: corporates grilled at inquiry, but where was the racing industry?

Andrew Le Jeune and Michael Cox talk Japan's latest turf superstar, the seemingly forgotten broader context of Anamoe's G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes defeat, and the at times 'heated' government inquiry into Australia's corporate bookmaking sector.

Adrian Webber

Keiba Diary: idols in the vending machine but Liberty Island is the real deal

Adrian Webber takes a look at the Satsuki Sho prospects and has news of the injured and returning, along with a well-known jockey’s daughter starting out at the JRA school.