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As William Buick completes his time in Japan on Sunday 16 Dec on a 61.0 poke in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity, Oisin Murphy arrives on a 14 day-licence from 15 – 29 Dec:
http://japanracing.jp/_news2018/181214-03.html
This covers the last two G1 races of the year, both at Nakayama: the Arima Kinen on 23 December and the Hopeful Stakes on 28 Dec:
http://japanracing.jp/en/racing/result/programme/2018.html
Oisin had a winner at Nakayama on Saturday and stays there on Sunday. [edit: three winners on Sunday.]
23 December 2018 is the last time for a while that the Emperor’s Birthday public holiday will be celebrated so close to Christmas Day (which is not a holiday in Japan), since in the end of an era (he has been Emperor since 1989) Akihito is departing the Chrysanthemum Throne on 30 April 2019 and his successor Crown Prince Naruhito was born in February. So no Emperors Birthday in 2019 and the next one will be on 23 February 2020.
Oisin rides Mikki Rocket in the Arima Kinen on Sunday 06:25 UK time – best followed in the HKJC simulcast here with downloadable pdf racecard, etc:
https://racing.hkjc.com/racing/overseas/english/racecard.aspx?para=/20181223/S1/1
Currently showing 21 on the JRA Tote, Mikki Rocket has attracted the following comments:
– from HKJC Japan expert:
“MIKKI ROCKET, 5YO colt by KING KAMEHAMEHA, defeated mighty WERTHER from Hong Kong when he won the G1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin on 24th June. Since then, he took four months off and finished fifth in the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn, finishing two and a quarter of length behind REY DE ORO. I reckon it was not bad effort by MIKKI ROCKET and his trackwork on uphill course at Ritto Training Center on 12th December was impressive. MIKKI ROCKET will be ridden by Oisin Murphy and he is my second choice.”– from his trainer:
“I actually had wanted to give him a 2,400-meter run but he was slow coming up to peak and I couldn’t race him in the Kyoto Daishoten, so his first start after the summer was the 2,000-meter Tenno Sho (Autumn). The late speed made it a tough race. He was sore after that so we sat out the Japan Cup and I first exercised him in the pool for the first week of training and then under saddle. Last week he worked in tandem and his time was good. This week the jockey was up and his movement was good. He’s back to where he was for the Takarazuka Kinen. He ran nice and straight too. I think the 2,500m is just right for him. The Tenno Sho (Autumn) was too busy for this horse, but this time the conditions are good. I hope the race unfolds to his liking.”from JRA preview:
“The 5-year-old Mikki Rocket, winner of this year’s Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen, is somewhat surprisingly taking on his very first Arima Kinen. Returning after 4 months off for the Tenno Sho (Autumn) he managed a very respectable fifth, just 0.4 seconds off the winner. Mikki Rocket will be back at Nakayama for his first time since his Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) run, where he flubbed the start and finished 13th of 18. With one race under his belt and much better at the break, improvement is likely.”http://japanracing.jp/_news2018/181218.html
not looking too bad a chance at 21.
Oisin fourth on Mikki Rocket as Blast Onepiece the only 3yo in the field takes the Arima Kinen by a neck from odds-on fav Rey de Oro.
video link here:
https://racing.hkjc.com/racing/overseas/english/Results.aspx?para=/20181223/S1/1pdf JRA report here:
http://japanracing.jp/_news2018/pdf/181223.pdfFriday 28 December Oisin rides seventh fav and 28/1 shot Mikki Black in the final JRA G1 of the 2018 season, the Hopeful Stakes for 2yos at Nakayama – which is also the venue for the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) that most here will be eyeing:
http://japanracing.jp/_news2018/181225-02.html
“The Black Tide colt is two wins from three starts, and one of his wins came over the course and distance of the Hopeful Stakes, when he won the Open Class Fuyo Stakes two starts ago in September. He finished fourth most recently over 2,000 meters in the Grade 3 Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nisai Stakes. Visiting jockey Oisin Murphy, who notched a double at Nakayama last Saturday, is lined up for the ride.”
two minor wins for Oisin to complete his JRA licence but managed only ninth in the big 2yo race the Hopeful Stakes – video link here:
seems like Oisin has got a quiet extension on his short-term JRA licence – no announcement in JRA news section but on Sat 5 Jan he won races 1 and 7 at Nakayama, putting himself into fourth place in the early JRA jockey rankings for 2019:
http://japanracing.jp/en/racing/news_media/jockey_rank/
he rides again Sun 6 Jan.
couple of winners today take Oisin from 7th back to 4th place in early 2019 JRA jockey rankings:
couple more wins and places on Monday take Oisin into third place, just ahead of Yutaka Take:
few more wins and places on Saturday mean that, going into Sunday’s racing, Oisin is top of the 2019 JRA jockey rankings !
5 winners at Tokyo today – including the feature G3 – see Oisin with a clear lead in both winner numbers and prize-money in JRA Jockey Rankings for January:
http://japanracing.jp/en/racing/news_media/jockey_rank/
that has not often – if ever – been done by a jockey visiting on a short-term licence.
(Joao probably could have done it but arriving mid-year he was always playing catch-up).
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