SLIP, SLIDIN' AWAY 
Yesterday, training went really well apparently, and today was another good day in the saddle for the kids. The ground was pretty awful, however, with Jaguar slipping a few times, which kind of makes the heart flutter. With conditions as they are, not wanting to risk the horses, it's been decided to delay Louis' show-jumping debut (still plenty of time), although he'll compete in the Dressage events next weekend with Jaguar, as planned...

This picture shows Arai-kun bringing Jaguar up from the lower stables ready for tacking up. This is the one bit of Tokoro that was in good condition today - a small section of the outer track, with plenty of snow still visible in the background. Met up with Arai-kun at TCK the other day, and we were able to watch some racing together with Louis.

INHARMONIOUS 

Well, it was never going to be an easy race, given that all the horses entered in it had already won one apiece, but today was a little disappointing to say the least. Harmony Fair fluffed the start and was never really in contention after that, Ebina-san choosing to stay on the inside (the shortest route by far at Nakayama given the large radius on the bends), but never seeing an opening thereafter. There was a brief sign of a sprint for the finish, although, even ignoring the wall of horses in front of her, the starting point was too far back to make an impact. Having looked good in the paddock and started as fourth favourite, tenth is nothing short of a disaster, and in all fairness the jockey seems to be as gutted as I am. Reasons for failure to mull over: Soft ground, longer distance, bad timing... who knows? Hopefully she'll do better next time.

PS. Our first folks from New Zealand have tuned into the blog, the 44th country to register...

FINGERS CROSSED 

Courtesy Carrot Club

Harmony Fair races at Nakayama in the ninth race tomorrow (a 2:25pm start), facing a very strong field. In fact, all 16 runners have won one race each, which is a fascinating situation. All I can do is keep my fingers crossed for her, as this one is almost impossible to predict.

Also had another batch of reports come through from Carrot Club, including one on all the yearlings. Of the youngsters, the Cecil Cut filly (No.27) stands out from the pack in the JRA stakes, while the NAR filly (No.92) is said to be strong in training but still a little immature.

Some of the Carrot Club newcomers have put on a lot of weight during this last month - a good sign, as a horse that's off its food will never achieve peak condition. Today's picture is of the Celtic Harp filly (No.71), sired by Special Week.

JOCKEY STYLE 
There's a certain music video that has taken the world by storm called 'Gangnam Style' - if you haven't seen it, you've almost certainly heard of it. Well, this is brilliant - a jockey version, by a gaggle of professional jump jockeys:
youtube.com/watch. There is also a longer version with a few of the misses on camera, but I recommend you watch this first, then it puts the other one into perspective.

THE 200th POST 
I was hoping to show you some beautiful pictures of Jaguar trotting around the Tokoro outer track with snow in the background for this landmark post, but the conditions were frankly dreadful - a gentle walk on a lead rope was all that could be done today, as I'd forgotten to pack the water wings. It seems amazing that they raced at Urawa in similar conditions!

Courtesy ForumGarden.com

Lithuania has joined the list of countries that have tuned into the blog now, while Britain's blogger network has been set alight by news of several well-known supermarket chains that have been supplied with beefburgers that have had horse meat added to them - up to 30% in some instances. The level of outrage this story has caused is a sign of the affinity we have with horses back in Blighty, for there are a number of countries in mainland Europe and areas in the States, for example, where the thought of eating horse meat doesn't even raise an eyebrow. Some of the comments and Photoshoped images have been quite witty, but I shall refrain from posting any here, knowing how we all feel about horses. Oh, go on then, just the one...

Meanwhile, Lourdes No Hitomi looks almost ready to race now. The trainer has said to give her another few weeks, and she'll be making her debut as soon as a suitable event comes up. Harmony Fair is all set for combat on the 19th at Nakayama it seems, with Ebina-san in the saddle, while Tanaka-san will handle Tenshinramman at Tokyo-Fuchu on the 27th. Both of these dates are now positive fixtures.

QUADRILLE'S DEBUT 
We mentioned a few days ago that there were thoughts of entering Quadrille in an 1800m turf race at Tokyo-Fuchu on the 27th. Well, a race slot still hasn't been booked as yet, but the way her training is going, she now has every chance of making her debut at this meeting. With Louis in competition with Jaguar on the same weekend, not sure how to go about supporting both of them!

SNOW STOPS PLAY! 
Well, there's a new one, especially in the supposedly temperate Tokyo Bay area. But today, instead of racing at Urawa, I was treated to visions of stable staff snowboarding off the river embankments at Kawasaki. Needless to say, Jaguar will have a lonely day today - perhaps tomorrow, as there's a chance of more snow forecast for Thursday...

Meanwhile, reports have come in for Quick Bread, Mosto Verde, Miracle Rouge and Mistoffelees. Nothing out of the ordinary for the first two, although Mistoffelees is said to be looking good now he's getting bigger and stronger. The next race for Miracle Rouge was supposed to be soon, but with her current form, it has yet to be decided - a little longer in the training camp appears to be the best course of action at the moment.

WOW! 
They say what a difference a day makes, and they weren't kidding. From warm winter sun yesterday to heavy rain all night, and a snowy waste by lunchtime. Having been so wet, I can't believe how quickly everything went white. Needless to say, no horse racing today, and definitely no training with Jaguar. Wherever you are in Japan, take care...

Just learned from Carrot Club that 28 horses are booked for Harmony Fair's race on the 19th, and with 16 slots in the gate, you don't have to be Einstein to figure out the maths doesn't add up. While she has a high chance of making the cut, I wouldn't make any travel arrangements until a positive confirmation comes through.