FUNABASHI OPEN DAY
Today was the annual open day at Funabashi Keiba track, where the jockeys and trainers let their hair down to mingle with the public. There's no standing on ceremony or sharp suits - just sportsmen showing their human side in a way that so many branches of professional sport no longer allow. The Funabashi guys are aware that it's the fans that keep things going, and this is their way of saying thank you. They were signing anything put in front of them, posing for pictures left, right and centre, and even having a drink with folks once all the official duties had ended. This is in complete contrast to the likes of modern F1, where I - despite being an invited member of the press - couldn't get a photo of one of the drivers because the allocated two minutes was up. It's this homely atmosphere that makes Funabashi special...

Although I didn't manage to sell any paintings or sculptures today, I did buy a few things, including a pair of racing goggles and a selection of saddle cloths used by a number of famous horses, and a couple of them signed - one by Shotaro Kawashima and the other by Kota Motohashi. As it happens, Kota couldn't make it to Funabashi in the morning, but he made a sterling effort to be there in the afternoon to keep his fans happy. Sophie, in particular, had a smile a mile wide when he turned up!

THE RACEHORSES #3: LOURDES NO HITOMI

Lourdes No Hitomi shares the same Symboli Kris S sire line as Harmony Fair, so no doubts on racing potential from that angle. The dam is a young horse called Mejiro Lourdes, who was never raced, but seems to pass on at least a little bit of the Sunday Silence blood of her father and the Mejiro Dober DNA of her mother if the performance of her other foals can be used as a reliable reference. Of course, the family tree makes Lourdes No Hitomi a Hail To Reason cross (4Sx4D), and if this plus point (at least in my eyes) and the win rate of the horses two generations back combines to give a magic formula, things should get interesting.

Courtesy Carrot Club

Based with the Ogasa Stable at Miho Training Centre, this beautiful filly (sporting a shiny coat in my favourite colour for a horse) has been restricted to treadmill work recently after a minor leg problem surfaced in September. The vets have confirmed there are no injuries, though, she's just a little tired. One quickly learns with so many condition reports coming in and experience with the horses at Tokoro that Thoroughbreds are fickle things, like any high-performance machine. 

Anyway, after a precautionary rest, Lourdes No Hitomi should be back to her constant (May through August) 15-second furlong times again really soon, and it will be a joy to watch her on the track, of that I'm sure...

ANOTHER NEW BOOK
Couldn't concentrate on work at all in the afternoon for some reason, so I slipped away from the library early to stop off to see the photography exhibition at Funabashi-shi Shimin Gallery that we mentioned earlier. Greeted by Yoshiko Ando at the entrance, the gallery featured some lovely atmospheric shots - the kind of images you can only get from behind the scenes and over a long period of time. Well worth popping along, especially if you're going to the track for tomorrow's event, as it's fairly close by.

Another new book just landed today. When I saw the box, which was huge, I thought I'd need another bookshelf, and it came as a bit of a disappointment to find such a regular-sized book in the bottom of it. Still, flicking through the pages made the order worthwhile.

Rather like the earlier Ammonite Press title, illustrating 100 years of horse racing via the Press Association archives, When Racing Was Racing uses pictures from the Daily Mirror newspaper. There's that same wonderful atmosphere provided by monochrome photography from the days of yore, but this newer book also contains a lot more text to help put things in perspective.

Looking at the costumes and working conditions through the ages, When Racing Was Racing is almost as much a piece of social history as it is sporting history. Perhaps tellingly, it finishes in the 1980s, as things became more and more commercialized. For those who hark back to the good old days of sport, when colourful characters abounded, footballers took the bus to matches instead of driving their brand new Ferraris there, and business managers and PR representatives had yet to enter the scene, transforming sportsmen into plastic, untouchable products, this is a nice lighthearted book to browse through whenever the fancy takes.

KEEPING PACE WITH FACEBOOK
Although the storm last night seems to have knocked out the electricity for a while, as the computers in my office were decidedly sleepy and needed restarting in the morning, before that happened and I slipped away into the land of nod, I had an E-mail from David Geenty in England to say a new batch of sculptures were winging their way to Japan as we speak. This is one of my favourite pieces by David, which I have on display at home - it's a shame to leave such a beautiful thing in a box until the right show presents itself.

Just as Facebook passes the one-billion user landmark, we've clocked up 1500 hits. OK, maybe we'll never worry Facebook as a competitor, but I reckon in another 100 years or so, we could be hovering around the million hits mark at least! And who knows, maybe half of them will have visited the page because they want to, rather than stumble on it by accident and wonder what the heck I'm raving on about. But the bottom line is, I'm happy enough with our steady pace of daily traffic considering the blog is in English and based in Japan...

Time for me to grab a little something to eat and drink, and then do my human sardine impression on the train to Tokyo!

THE RACEHORSES #2: HARMONY FAIR 
Harmony Fair is an attractive little filly by Symboli Kris S out of First Chair. Symboli Kris S has proved to be an excellent stallion, with Roberto as his grandfather, and Hail To Reason and Seattle Slew in the next generation back. The latter can be held up as something very special, being a Hall of Fame member thanks to his feat of becoming the tenth horse in history to take the US Triple Crown (only one has done it since then, by the way). On the mother's side, First Chair was sired by Jungle Pocket (with Tony Bin as his father), while the dam line is dominated by Sunday Silence.

This looks like the first foal of First Chair's to live long enough to reach the tracks, so it will be fascinating to see what such strong bloodlines can do as a combination. Even going back just four generations, we have an Epsom Derby winner, two Kentucky Derby winners, two Preakness Stakes winners, a Belmont Stakes winner, a Japan Derby winner, and an Irish 1000 Guineas winner in the mix.

Courtesy Carrot Club

Based with the Maki Stable at Miho Training Centre, Harmony Fair is getting closer and closer to being race-ready by the day. With regular 14- to 17-second furlongs clocked on the indoor course, she's obviously more than just pretty face - she could actually turn out to be a handy little racer!

In the next mini-profile, we'll look at another Symboli Kris S kid - Lourdes No Hitomi...

EXCUSES, EXCUSES!
I've been wanting to write a few things down - honest! - but the downloading sessions for the new Mercedes book have tied up the computer for the last few days. When servers are talking to each other nicely and PCs are playing the game, experience tells me it's best to make the most of it while the going is good. Still, working like mad until just after lunch allowed me to get finished and go to Tokoro in the afternoon (Jaguar has an infection in an insect bite, though, so no outing for him today). It also keeps tomorrow clear for a trip to Tokyo that I'm very much looking forward to - a rare combination of business and pleasure...

The Carrot Club newbies were confirmed in the post today, so there are now officially 20 racers in the Long stable - 16 JRA runners, and four destined for NAR duties. Keeping track of them in a language I can understand is what this blog is all about, and hopefully you enjoy them with me. 

Tenshinramman has just had her next race muted as being on either the 14th or the 21st October (both Tokyo fixtures). If it's the 14th, that's the same day as Mistoffellees makes his debut at Tokyo. Another trip to the capital in the offing?

One of the things I picked up at Tokoro today is the latest copy of Poco Poco. Inside, there's an article on Yuta Sato (who we profiled last month), eating noodles as usual, and an advert from Shadai TC for the remaining shares in Mejiro Venus' foul (number 82 at the bottom of the page). The last time I heard there were only three shares left, but having checked the website today, I see all the shares have now been sold, probably thanks to Poco Poco. Then, on the last inside page, we have an advert for the Tokoro shop with a picture of Louis beaming like a Cheshire Cat in his journalistic debut. Poco Poco is one of those wonderful enthusiast publications in which a lot of nice people do an awful lot of work for very little pay. Please support it to ensure it continues.

THE RACEHORSES #1: TENSHINRAMMAN 
It's been another day of downloads, followed by me running around in circles like a headless chicken. I need a break, so here we are with the first of the mini-profiles of the horses I have a stake in. We'll start with the JRA contenders, taking them roughly in the order they appear at the bottom of the page for ease, which means it's Tenshinramman's turn today...

We've already mentioned Tenshinramman a few times, as it happens, as she was the first of the new racers to make her debut, and is soon to challenge the tracks again. Anyway, to recap, she's by Heart's Cry out of Hana Ramman. Heart's Cry was the first horse to beat Deep Impact, and also won the 2005 edition of the Arima Kinen, which, although not a classic race in the true sense, it's a classic of sorts as it brings the best of the best together at Nakayama to provide a stunning G1 finale for the end of the year.

Courtesy Carrot Club

Anyone that knows me will appreciate the value I place on Hail To Reason blood, and Heart's Cry's father is US Hall of Famer, Sunday Silence, who was sired by Halo, who in turn was fathered by Hail To Reason. On the dam's side, we can see Tony Bin and Northern Dancer blood combining.

Tenshinramman's mother was sired by Sakura Yutaka O, himself a legend, but his bloodlines read like a who's who of the golden age of British horse racing - Hyperion, Nasrullah (by Nearco out of Mumtaz Begum), Big Game, Never Say Die, and a list as long as your arm of heroes from an earlier era. The mother's dam was Fight Boron, bringing Nasrullah into the equation again, this time via Mill Reef - winner of a number of major races, including the Epsom Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in England, and the l'Arc de Triomphe in France.

This picture shows Tenshinramman in her first race, when she came second in a classy field at Niigata. Based with the Ito Stable at Miho Training Centre, let's hope she can go one better in the next race!

NEWS UPDATE 
The three JRA newcomers have been added to the bottom of the page now - a bit ahead of time, but seeing as there are still plenty of shares available in each of them, the sales should be straightforward enough. You'll notice the spelling of 'Sophi' isn't quite right for a perfect match with Sophie the future jockey, but it's close, and with Grand Prix Sophi the daughter of Agnes Tachyon and Manfath, it will be fascinating to see what her own children can achieve on the tracks over the coming years.

Another piece of news just in - the blog now has a link within the Carrot Club homepage. With this sign of approval, I can add Carrot Club pictures of the horses I have shares in, which should make things a bit more interesting. I've already added a photo of Mistoffelees to an article from earlier in the week, and I'll start creating mini-profiles for the rest of them one-by-one over the next month or so, as well as the Shadai Thoroughbred Club and Sunday Thoroughbred Club horses listed at the foot of the page.

PS. Just had an E-mail from the charming photographer and writer, Noriko Abe, telling me about a photography exhibition being held at the Funabashi-shi Shimin Gallery, close to JR Funabashi Station. With great pictures from Noriko and other photographers who regularly work at Funabashi Keiba track, it should be an interesting way to pass a couple of hours. The exhibition is already open, and runs until teatime on the 7th. 

NEW ARTWORK ARRIVALS
Today, I've been working away on the new Mercedes book, downloading images and catalogues from the German archives - not difficult work, just time consuming, allowing my mind to wander towards something distinctly British, albeit in Japan.

On the subject of British things, the delivery man (who must be getting fed up of visiting my place by now!) dropped off a batch of Lisa Miller prints this afternoon. These really are beautiful, and I hope to have a few framed up and ready for the special event held at the Funabashi Keiba track on the 6th. A lot depends on the weather, though, as the Tokoro shop is outside on this day, rather than on the second floor indoors, and with typhoon number 19 on the horizon, it's hardly a good idea to display limited edition prints in the middle of a storm with only an open-sided tent for protection!

Anyway, this is one of the paintings now in stock - a Brigadier Gerard print, limited to just 350 copies worldwide, all individually signed and numbered. As with the art of Jacqueline Stanhope and David Geenty, I'm proud to say that Lisa's work is only available from stock in Japan via myself. Be sure to drop by at the Tokoro shop at Funabashi on race days to see for yourself just how good the quality of her paintings are...

KOTA MOTOHASHI
Continuing the occasional series on Japanese jockeys, today we'll have a look at Kota Motohashi - Sophie's favourite jockey in the whole world!

Born in Chiba Prefecture in November 1988, Kota qualified for his jockey licence in March 2006. He won one of the races on his first day as a professional, and had already won an S1 race by the time 2008 drew to a close, which surely shows the potential of this young fellow.

Watch him in action, and you can see he reads races well - a talent that has brought him 370 victories so far and an impressive win rate of 11 percent. His love of horses shows, too, which must be a great advantage for the Yano Stable outfit he's attached to - he settles them down nicely, and never pushes them beyond their limits, only right up to it.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again - the win in the 2012 Tokyo Derby on Pretiolas was truly magnificent. I have a feeling that Kota will be winning for a long time to come, and if his career is as lengthy as that of some of the veterans in NAR racing, you can expect a win tally in the thousands rather than the hundreds by the time he retires. Ganbatte, Kota!

SYMMETRY
Creating a list of abbreviations for one of my new car books is stressing me out, and wanting to level off the bottom of the blog's page anyway, I've ordered shares in another three JRA horses this afternoon. Any excuse, right? I'm not going to give details as yet, as the sales haven't been confirmed, but it's another interesting mix of blood, that's for sure.

Just as the call to Carrot Club was finished, a delivery truck turned up with a couple of new books from Amazon in the States to add to my collection, including Masters Of The Turf by Edward L. Bowen - that should be a good read, although I have to crack on with one of my own titles first! In time, I'll introduce you to some more literary wonders on my shelves, especially those with really nice pictures. With most of the blog's readership being based in Japan (although it also receives a lot of traffic from the US and UK, as well as Russia), heavily-illustrated books are probably easier for the majority of people to enjoy thoroughly, wherever they happen to be living...

PS. Six pages and 240 entries later, and today's work is done! Just checked on the Carrot Club site, and it looks like my new purchases are okay - Zenno Rob Roy and Conduit bring new blood to the Long racing stable, and Symboli Kris S features once again. However, it's the dam line of the yearling that adds interest this time around, plus a name that can't possibly be ignored in this house. Be sure to watch the bottom of the page over the next week or so...

RACING PROGRAMME TAKING SHAPE
Tenshinramman is due another outing soon, although a race has yet to be booked. At least the same jockey that took the filly to second place on her debut has been secured, and it will be interesting to see how the odds move after that wonderful performance first time out. 

Courtesy Carrot Club

Mistoffelees (pictured left) has been signed up for a JRA debut at the Tokyo track on 14th October. He's been ready to race for a while in reality, but had a skin complaint that delayed things. He's scheduled to run in the fourth race of the day, which is 1600m on turf. Sired by Dance In The Dark, a Japanese St Leger winner, he's a Northern Dancer cross (4Sx4D), with Nijinsky and Sunday Silence blood on the father's side, and Secretariat and Majestic Prince blood on the mother's side. On paper, it's a particularly interesting mix - let's see how it translates into speed on the track...

Fairy Robe is close now, too - an NAR runner due to make her debut at one of the Minami-Kanto tracks. Sired by Symboli Kris S, and out of Angel Robe (by Admire Vega), Fairy Robe is a pretty little thing, with the likes of Hail To Reason, Seattle Slew, Tony Bin, Northern Dancer, Princequillo, Sunday Silence and Roberto in her blood. I have my fingers crossed for a Funabashi debut, as this is the place that basically amounts to my home track.

FOR SALE: ONE MINT CONDITION BETTING SLIP, NEVER CASHED
I have in my pocket a betting slip, that in Japanese characters reads: "Nakayama 11R. Number 14. Curren Chan. Win only."

For a little while, as the pack sorted itself out after the last bend, it looked like I was going to win enough money to buy a couple of Snickers bars (the last of the big gamblers, eh?) as Curren Chan started to charge, but Lord Kanaloa had the most strength at the finish, and was always in command from as far as two furlongs out from what I could see.

But at least the weather stayed fine until the big race had ended, which is a real stroke of luck given that the Osaka meeting was cancelled due to the typhoon that's currently blowing past my house. If you happen to find a Dobermann in a big wooden kennel in your garden in the morning, he answers to the name of Dobie...