Japan Cup  Sun 26 Nov 6.20 am

[wit]

IMO the reason the Japanese are lauding DI is that :

(a) he’s a "stretch runner"; and

(b) against his fellow 3yos, he was the first unbeaten Japanese triple crown winner in 21 years.

pre-Breeder’s Cup, the IFHA agreed with you re Pride (yet to opine on position after):

http://www.horseracingintfed.com/resour … Horses.asp

best regards

wit

(Edited by wit at 2:17 pm on Nov. 27, 2006)

[indocine]

Any explanations proferred post race on the dismal run of Hatsukrai? Did conditioner report prior to race he has had soft palate problems? Did he run in a tongue tie? Tx.

[yeats]

The race gave further evidence if any was required at what a poor ride he received in the ARC and that those that said the jockey wouldn’t be a problem at Longchamp ( Paul Haigh for 1) were somewhat wide of the mark and those that said he didn’t receive a poor ride there even further wide.

Having said that I think Take has given the horse far too much to do in some of his races in Japan, given that he has come from the tail end of fields he has given the horse an unneccesarily hard race to get there (Kyoto), having to resort to plenty of use of the whip on much the best horse. A decent jock would have been winning hard held with no whip.

[Aidan]

I must have been watching a different race. Deep Impact needs every assistance to get past the eventual second. I really cannot see how anyone can describe it was impressive or easy.

[Zorro]

The second is a good horse Aidan. So is Ouija. And he picked them up pretty easily off an undemanding pace although I accept he was driven out in the end.<br>Maybe he’s not a Phar Lap or a Sea Bird, but he’s still very, very good.<br>It will take a lot to persuade me he ran to anything like his best form in the Arc.

[wit]

hi z

the IFHA table above puts DI’s Arc run on a par with his best Japanese form, in the Takarazuka Kinen in June.    what would you rate him at his best?

have you heard any explanations for the poor show by Heart’s Cry ?      

only his 3rd run this year, and first since UK in July, so possibly not conditioned, but then the question is why so few runs?  

best regards

wit

[Gareth Flynn]

And what happened to Meisho Samson? On the Derby form with Dream Passport he should have been right up there with Deep Impact.

[Aidan]

It will take a lot to persuade me he ran to anything like his best form in the Arc.

So how much better was his Japan Cup run? Just how highly can you rate him off that?

DI could well be a superstar, he looked so good before the Arc. But it seems to me people (have to say including yourself Zorro) are jumping on the win as proof of his absolute brilliance without looking at the race itself. Like I said on his earlier runs (and maybe he just is over the top now) he looked brilliant but its impossible (in my view) to describe DI’s win in the terms being used right now. Describing his Japan Cup win as "impressive" or "awesome" actually takes aways from the times when those phrases have been justified for the horse in the past….<br>

[Gareth Flynn]

The RP have taken a low view of Ouija Board’s effort, putting her at 117. Deep Impact gets 127+.

[Zorro]

Aidan I agree he’s run better races than he did in the Japan Cup. It was his runs in the Spring Tenno Sho and the Takarazuka Kinen that convinced me he was well out of the ordinary. Like many I wish he was coming back for another Arc.<br>Delta Blues’ Melbourne Cup suggests he was an incredible two miler.<br>Heart’s Cry apparently has a wind problem indocine.

[Aidan]

Aidan I agree he’s run better races than he did in the Japan Cup.

But where was that in any of the articles? Before seeing the race it sounded like DI won in a hack canter and was back to his imperious best. It seemed the "win" however it was achieved was enough to convince people he was pegasus again. To be honest (and I really dont mean to be rude) much of the race reviews were just lazy…they had the story they wanted (DI winning) and that was that.<br>

[johnjdonoghue]

Can someone please enlighten me as to Hyperbole Ouija Board won cartier horse of the year award in 2005? Was Hurricane Run not eligible?

JohnJ

[Gareth Flynn]

She didn’t, she won in 2004 and again this year.

[johnjdonoghue]

Apologies……she did deserve that year, it was a poor flat season to be honest.

[wit]

hi indo,

i’ve no information on Heart’s Cry re Japan Cup, but according to his trainer in the October issue of the Japan Racing Journal:

http://japanracing.jp/journal/index.html

the reason he didn’t win the King George was:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Unlike when we took him to Dubai, there were no horses to keep him company…..he was clearly lonely…..crying and upset…..

….we got him into "good condition" but not "top condition"…<br><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

the rest of the issue is given over to Deep Impact’s Arc run and "Sunday Silence and DI".

there may be more in the next issue, though somehow it doesn’t seem the kind of publication that goes into medical detail.

best regards

wit

[wit]

JRA ratings for the Japan Cup (and other high value November races) just up:

Deep Impact 125<br>Dream Passport 120<br>Ouija Board 115<br>Cosmo Bulk 117

…..Heart’s Cry 99

(box at the foot of this page):

http://www.jra.go.jp/datafile/ranking/j … -g1.html#6

best regards

wit

[Gareth Flynn]

Enjoyed your rant in the Post this morning, Zorro – did you not ask the RP’s international handicapper to justify his ratings?

[Author]

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