Win #24!

After an incredibly tense morning, in which every horse at the Tokoro stable seemed to feel Spring was in the air (particularly 'Bugatti', who decided to go back to yearling racehorse mode and give Louis the best rodeo practice he'll ever get short of riding a mad bull!), it was nice to get home with everyone in one piece. I've come to expect Louis to handle whatever is thrown at him, but I don't mind saying I was proud of him this morning, and I'm just as proud of Sophie - an 11-year old, who still mounted up later despite having seen what she'd seen. What a great team these three have become...

After putting the kettle on, I then checked on the JRA results, and with Massabielle running a 2000m debutante's turf race, the video was available, so that was what I watched first. Good clean start, I thought, and then disaster - he hit another horse, or at least baulked badly, and dropped back down the field as fast as the others went forward. Here we go again! But Masaki Katsuura held on, and the horse just kept going, albeit ten lengths down going into the third corner. It was then that he picked up the pace, going around the outside like a steam train, and by the time the uphill finishing straight arrived, he was already finding his line to the post. Katsuura-san never touched the whip, but still the horse found yet another gear as a challenger mounted his attack, and the win was his. When the picture I posted yesterday arrived, I said to the missus that it looked the part, but such a remarkable performance was beyond my wildest dreams. This is definitely one to watch!!

PS. Just looking at the post-race data, and Massa's 35.3 last 3F time was the same as that posted in the 12R - the same distance, but with the older, more experienced racers. Given that the jockey says there's a lot more muscle to come, it does make you wonder what we've unleashed.

Gutted!

Poor Beat The Boarder got a bad gate draw at TCK - yet again! The chances of constantly getting an outside berth must be almost the same as me winning the Eurovision Song Contest, but we keep getting an awful gate position - one that in Tokyo at the distance we was running is almost impossible to do well from. As a result, Shun Ishizaki just cruised her around, giving her a good dose of sand along the way so she could get used to it. It's bloody annoying, because she looked superb in the paddock.

To rub salt in the wound, Pop Label can't get a run at TCK on the 28th, so we'll have to wait for the next Funabashi meeting. I must thank Teruya Yoshida for his words in the Shadai magazine this month, though. Yes, it's time we got more organized and stopped being the poor relation to JRA. After all, NAR taught JRA everything they know, and then screwed up a good thing by chasing money and nothing else. Ganbatte NAR!

Courtesy Carrot Club

Meanwhile, Massabielle (pictured) makes his debut at Nakayama tomorrow with Katsuura-san in the saddle. They run in the 2000m 6R on turf, which should be interesting.

Next week, Belle Plage is lining up for the 1800m dirt race at Nakayama on the 4th, with Irish Harp running in the Kyoto 1400m dirt race on the same day. Fuma Matsuwaka has been named as the jockey for the latter, which raised a few eyebrows in the house - I shall reserve judgement for the time being. Hopefully, Harmony Fair and Kalliopeia should be out at Nakayama soon, and Eclat De Reve has arrived at Ritto, so should start her race career soon. One last bit of Carrot news - Time For Love's operation went very well, and light training has already started again. When racing will resume is another question, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

All Good Fun

Yesterday was the Tokoro Christmas bash, which always involves a fun-level gymkhana to give all members a chance to compete. In cool but pleasant conditions, assuming one has webbed feet, 'Bugatti' sensed that something was going on, and went into ultra-high tension mode, standing on his back legs and almost running to the tacking up area. Louis got him calmed down nicely, but Sophie got the most from him on the scoring side of things, taking the slower approach. Ironic! Then Miho had a go, and shocked everyone by attempting the cross. 'Bugatti' walked straight up to it and stopped dead - he knows the rider's limits better than the rider...

By the way, the Tokoro RC will be changing its name in the Spring, as it will be moving a few miles down the road. The name change is a sad necessity, as the current farm and stables we currently use have always carried the Tokoro moniker. The new, purpose-built stables will go under the Colza Horse Club name.

Another Double Drat...

The last blog entry raised the question about whether we'd get to see a perfect Harmony? The answer came this morning, with her as out-of-tune as the average K-Pop singer. In fact, she was almost as bad as a J-Pop one, and that really is saying something! The veteran jockey is suggesting everything went well, and apparently the sand didn't bother her, so why she had such a bad result (ninth) is something we can only speculate about. In my opinion, unless the statement on the sand has been added to parry a bombardment of complaints given her previous dirt runs, she's simply not a racehorse. Period. At the end of the day, practice times mean nothing - it is the performance on the track that counts for a horse to be able to be called a racehorse, and there she falls down badly...

Courtesy Townsville Turf Club

There was a ninth also for Pretty Gully (pictured) in Australia, who simply wasn't in the mood according to
the jockey. As a result, she'll be shipped off for a well-deserved R&R session now, as she's had a hard schedule recently - and I mean hard, not like JRA's definition of the term. Poor Jo, Pretty Gully's trainer, certainly had a bad day at the office today, so I'm sure she'll be looking for some sweet revenge in the New Year. Me, too!

PS. While Pretty Gully has an excuse for her lacklustre run, the trainer's report on Harmony Fair gave us no firm conclusions. Yes, turf would be better. No kidding! But finding a race in the overly-limited JRA calendar is another thing. If something can't be found soon, it will be Spring before she runs again, and personally, that just seems like a waste of time and money keeping her on the off-chance of a fluke. Run her ASAP, while she still realizes what a race is all about, and if she fails again, she has to go.

Perfect Harmony?

Courtesy Carrot Club

After a hard day in front of the computer, including almost an hour searching for what a specific Mercedes switch looked like (at least I now know it's extremely rare!), the day was brightened up around teatime by the arrival of some new bridals and lead ropes for 'Bugatti' - he now has a bright yellow and a bright red set to go with his traditional Newmarket stuff.

A couple of JRA dates for the diary, with Hiroshi Kitamura taking on Harmony Fair (pictured here at the start of last month) for the Chukyo 2R (1800m dirt) on the 20th, and Massabielle hopefully making his debut on the 27th at Nakayama in the 2000m turf race with Katsuura-san in the saddle. Given Harmony's superb practice time and a pair of good hands at the reins, this could be our best chance to get a four-year old victory, which is ironic, given that I'd given up on her when she was at her old place. If she does win, it will be a real feather in the cap of the new trainer...

Aussie Power

Our next race sees Pretty Gully out on Saturday, which should prove interesting. Raining Dollars (aka Ted), her stablemate in Townsville, should be back in action again soon. As you can see from the picture, he certainly looks the part, and I look forward to seeing him run his third race in the near future.

Beat The Boarder is due to run at he next TCK meeting, while Pop Label will hopefully get a berth in the gate for the 1800m 7R there on the 28th.

Nothing positive to report on the Carrot/JRA front, with a lot of cut and paste activity, and nothing much else. Harmony Fair was supposed to be out on the 21st, but that has yet to be confirmed.

Little Spark

Kota Motohashi saddled up on Phosphorus at a sodden Kawasaki tonight, and of 14 horses, drew gate 14! He overcame that unfortunate draw with a great start and a super position until the third corner, and then Phos-kun seemed to object to the wet dirt as Kota went to the inside. Ultimately, the pair had a bad line at the end, getting penned in, and came home in fifth. At least there was a spark of the old Phosphorus, and I hope today's race will set him up nicely for the next Funabashi meeting...

Mixed Bag

Mixed bag yesterday, with Sophie coming fourth, but mainly because 'Bugatti' was more interested in his lunch and having a conversation with another horse... In reality, she did well. Louis, too, with 53.333 in the L1 Trial giving him seventh - a good result considering how fresh 'Bugatti' is to the dressage game, and the incredibly stiff competition he was up against. 

War Chronicle came home in second at Nakayama in her debut race - close, but no cigar. On saying that, it was a superb finish from a filly weighing just 410kg - the colt that beat her weighed well over 500kg! She definitely has a future, being extremely strong mentally. All told, no champagne corks flying, but good, solid performances from everyone...

Reasons To Be Cheerful

Day One of the tournament at Tomisato over and done with, and plenty of reasons to be cheerful. Louis was well down the field in the kosher L1 category, but he was competing in a tough group full of professional-level riders with 'Bugatti' in his first ever L1 outing (we skipped A3). As such, both he and his mount can be proud of the 53.75 result, and I'm sure he'll climb up the league table tomorrow when he tries the L1 Trial Class as an experiment. As for Sophie, she had a great day, coming second and very close to victory in the her Class (Dressage Test B) in amongst the adults - 56.83 is a great achievement, and definitely something for her and 'Bugatti' to build on...

Rapid Round-Up

I've been tied up signing off a book project these last few days, although in reality there's been very little to report anyway. As always, we are left with more questions than answers going through the JRA/Carrot reports. Tenshinramman is not great, and her next race is scheduled for "before Spring." By that time, her tension will have gone through the roof, and she'll probably be in season, too, which will add to her mental problems. I may as well write her report for you now! My own stance on her hasn't changed - she should be pulled from her present stables or retired.

Miracle Rouge is supposed to be getting better, which is a good job, seeing as he's only raced once in the last six months! While Irish Harp has made it back to Ritto, Belle Plage is supposed to be going back to the racing stables soon, and J'ai Un Reve should also be making a move that way, too. Most of the others are doing less work than the average English dole waller, giving us just three Nakayama dates to log: War Chronicle on the 13th (1600m turf, with Nori Yokoyama in the saddle), Harmony Fair on the 21st (1800m dirt, although the race is poorly supported, which may equal out her hatred of sand in her hair), and Massabielle, set to make an interesting debut in a 2000m turf race on the 27th.

Meanwhile, on the NAR front, Phosphorus is due to run in a C1 race (the 1600m 6R) at Kawasaki on the 16th. I can't wait to see if he's back to the real Phosphorus, or still in sleep mode after his break. Unfortunately, I may not be able to go and cheer him on, though, as I have some work being done on the telephone line that day. If I can't make it, that would be the first race of his I'll have missed.

All quiet on the Irish and Australian fronts, but the new horses from Lord Ilsley in the UK are coming through. I've got some pedigrees on my table, so we can expect some news from England soon. As for 'Bugatti', the big fella makes his L1 Dressage debut over the weekend with Louis, as well as providing a partner for Sophie, who is looking to show a few doubters that she still has what it takes. These last few practice sessions have shown a revival of the brave streak, and she should do well - there were a few early encounters with Bugatti that understandably left her feeling ill at ease with the wild beast! For Louis, this is a practice run, nothing more, as he's jumping Classes with a raw contender, and it's not fair to expect too much from the pairing at this stage. Wish them luck...

Bugatti Burble

With the sudden cold spell, 'Bugatti' wasn't quite himself yesterday, but the light training and affection he received put him back in the mood today. He really has matured into his new role as a riding horse with remarkable speed. Everything you throw at him, he seems to revel in the challenge - such a willing partner must be a real rarity, and he even manages to inject some humour into tacking up, when he knows Sophie can't reach if he puts his head up high. In fact, none of us can reach! But once he's had his bit of fun, it's back to work mode with a level of deadly serious concentration that, to be frank, I've just never come across before. If we don't make it to the All-Japan Championships with him this year (as in 2015), I'm really not bothered. We'll put on a real show of Thoroughbred versatility when he's good and ready...

Slip Sliding

Poor ol' Pretty Gully. We knew we had a tough one on our hands, but the rain and gate draw simply made our task harder, as the ground was chewed up and not at all to the liking of our gal. In the end, Justin just cruised her in at the tail of the field so we can fight another day. A decision will be made shortly as to whether to give her a break or try again at the next Townsville meeting. Whichever way it goes, I'll stand by Jo Hassett's decision, as she's a damned good trainer...

Charting Progress

It was asking a lot of Pop Label (left) to win yesterday, being a race of the best selected horses from B2 and B3. However, having seen his run, it wasn't beyond his ability. Indeed, had he not thrown a wobbly in the gate, one can well imagine he'd have done better than the fifth place he picked up. First, he was the youngest of the NAR horses, and of the six JRA runners, we beat five of them with ease, including Sheikh Mohammed's pony. Add in the fact that he's still coming back from a long spell away from the track due to injury, and I believe it was a fabulous run yesterday - something to build on. Yuta Sato, his trainer, is suggesting a B3 race at the next Funabashi meeting, with his jockey recommending a mile. We shall see.

Meanwhile, Phosphorus should be lining up at Kawasaki about ten days from now, and Beat The Boarder should be out at TCK again at the end of the month, looking for a dry track and a better gate position to give her a chance.

Remarkably, I have a stake in 16 JRA horses, and - again! - nothing running over the weekend. I honestly believe I get better value on a weekly basis from running the two horses in Australia - at least they compete, deliver good results, and cost a fraction of what their Japanese counterparts do to keep. Some of them haven't raced for two or three months, and there's no excuse that's it's too hot now! Thankfully the Carrot Club NAR horse looks the part, otherwise the complete portfolio would be a waste of time and money...

Courtesy Carrot Club

Notes worth relaying on the JRA front include Kalliopeia passing her gate test, and J'ai Un Reve (right) is said to be getting there now - a good job considering the amount of money he owes me! Time For Love had a successful operation, but the chip was worse than everyone thought. To me, there's no alternative but to retire the thing, and let it have a new life as a riding horse ASAP. War Chronicle is supposed to be running in a mile turf race at Nakayama on the 13th with Nori Yokoyama in the saddle, but his last practice time was awful, so I don't think we can expect much there. Likewise, Harmony Fair is lined up for the 21st at the same track in an 1800m dirt race. The fact she hates dirt has obviously been lost in the old race notes, but I guess the new trainer has a right to try, and if she gets out the gate quickly, who knows?

As for Australia, Pretty Gully teams up with Justin Stanley at Townsville on Saturday, and that's definitely something to look forward to. She goes into the race with a 7-6-3 record, with two of those seven wins coming since she's been with me and her new, tight-knit team of shareholders.

DJ 0-2-0

Danielle's Journey was second by half a length, which, despite the fact that punters had her at Evens in the betting, is a pleasing result as far as I'm concerned. Firstly, this was only her second race, and it was also her first time outside Ireland - the long trip alone was a big test. Secondly, she was the only filly in the race, and the youngest in the field. All told, I think we can take this as another sign of having something special. Her time will come for sure...

Today, Pop Label lines up at Funabashi with Mikamoto-san back in the saddle. I'm looking up at the pictures of his three victories on my office wall, and hoping I can add another one.

Phos-trated

A disappointing result from Phosphorus yesterday. He started as favourite, shot out the gate like a demon, and laid up in the perfect striking position all the way round until the last corner. To avoid an accident, he was pulled up sharp, and it threw his charge into oblivion. There's no doubt he was carrying a few extra pounds in his belly, too, but he had the power to overcome that. And there was me getting ready to straighten my tie for the picture in the winner's circle! There are thoughts of running him next week at Urawa - we're all looking for revenge for yesterday...

Next up is Danielle's Journey. She also starts as pre-race favourite, but we have to be realistic and be prepared for anything, as she's travelling a long way before reaching the track. Fingers crossed, though.

Pretty Impressive

Courtesy Townsville Turf Club

Pretty Gully strikes again, winning the 1200m race at Townsville today, with Justin Stanley guiding her across the line. What a superb little creature she's turned out to be, quickly putting her last unfortunate outing behind her to leave all the others eating her dust. She'd have almost certainly done the same in her last race, but when the track staff decided the turf needed some water, she objected to the mud being kicked up in her face. Well, what pretty lady wouldn't? So, at last, we move onto 23 wins, and with three superstars out next week, who knows...

New Dates

Some corrections and changes make the race calendar look quite different, with Phosphorus still lined up for the 1500m 5R at Funabashi on the 2nd December, but Pop Label now running there two days later in the 1800m 4R. In-between, Danielle's Journey is scheduled to run at Catterick in England on the 3rd, which will be a good test of her ability to travel...

Drat!

Beat The Boarder got hammered tonight, to an even worse extent than I'd expected. An unusual false start probably didn't help, but the ground and mud obviously didn't suit her - running her was a complete waste of time and money, as a wet TCK only suits power horses, and she's one of the lightest in the game.

From one that shouldn't have run to one that should have. Pop Label made room for TCK runners in the 8R, and two didn't make it to the start! And the heavy going would have suited him for sure. Not a happy bunny!!

On the JRA front, Irish Harp should be out again soon, while Harmony Fair is being lined up for a disaster - a horse that hates dirt being entered in an 1800m dirt race at Nakayama. Great! And it gets better. Time For Love picked up an injury that will put her out for six months. She should be retired as a result, but the plan is to get her back on the track - another waste of time and money, without doubt.

The only other news is that War Chronicle has arrived at Miho Training Centre, and will hopefully make her debut at Nakayama. Most of the others are doing lighter training than 'Bugatti'...

Damn

Once more, poor ol' Pop Label couldn't get a berth in the gate due to TCK horses having priority, so won't run in Tokyo tonight - we'll have to wait for the Funabashi meeting now. Beat The Boarder is in action there, though, running in the 7R. Given the wet weather we've had for the last couple of days, I think she'll struggle being a tiddler, so I shall probably watch the race at home rather than go across now...

At least Pretty Gully stands a chance in Australia on Friday. I have to do a profile on JLH Racing at some stage, as I'd like the equipe to have a bit of recognition for all the hard work and passion that goes into every entry. And then we have Danielle's Journey, who will hopefully run in Ireland over the weekend - another big hope.

No Complaints

Yuichi Shibayama guided Time For Love to fifth place at Tokyo-Fuchu a few minutes ago, in a race in which the betting was remarkably accurate - the top six favourites finished comfortably in the first six places, even though the most-favoured pony came in third.

Nothing much now until Pop Label on Wednesday, although Pretty Gully runs in Australia on Friday, and Danielle's Journey should be back in action in Ireland over the next week or so, too. Today's result was about what I expected, but I'm not complaining given that it wasn't worse than I'd reckoned on before the race - some of the recent JRA results have been a lot worse than expected! However, at least one of these three coming up soon should be able to get that 23rd win, and if we're really lucky, 24 or even 25 might be on the cards...

Gloomy Outlook

It's amazing that you can have so many JRA horses, and none of them doing anything except taking funds for extended holidays. Some have picked up injuries (Single Cask), others are simply dossing (the majority of them), and some don't even deserve to be called racehorses, such as War Chronicle, who stops eating at the first sign of work. Add in the usual problem of not enough races, meaning Harmony Fair might do a dirt race - despite hating dirt! - because there's no turf races available for ages, and my attempt at brightening my mood through looking at the Carrot Club reports after several long, hard days at the PC has failed miserably...

PS. Time For Love has suddenly been entered in the 2R at Tokyo on the 23rd - a 1400m turf race, with the same jockey as her last outing. That's all folks until the 26th!

A Real Shame

Poor Phosphorus couldn't get a berth in the gate at Urawa, so won't be able to run this week. Interestingly, True Motion (one of mine at one stage) is in the sixth, though...

Still Elusive

Ryan Moore came home third with Rush Attack this morning, leaving me on the 22 wins marker. To be fair, the hot pace probably didn't suit him, and although we started as favourite, the top three finishers were the three most fancied in the betting - even the third favourite held odds of 4.5:1! Until Phosphorus challenges Urawa, about the only other news of note is Kalliopeia arriving at Miho Training Centre, meaning the imminent start of another racing career...

PS. Having been able to study the Rush Attack race, it was the poor exit from the gate that blew things. The finish, however, was probably even more devastating than the debut one - boy, has this horse got some speed! Moving up to 1800m would probably be a good idea, but there's no doubt this particular pony has got what it takes.

Elusive Dreams

Courtesy Townsville Turf Club

Sonja Wiseman was awarded Townsville Turf Club 'Jockey Of The Year' today, and rode Pretty Gully in the race named to celebrate the fact. But even Sonja and a fired-up Pretty Gully (starting as favourite) couldn't do the business, and came home in fourth. Sadly, the Townsville folks had given the track a heavy dousing of water, and the poor horse hated the mud flying back in her face. Otherwise, you can guarantee the race was ours. Win #23 is proving to be very elusive...

Another Date

Phosphorus has been booked to run at Urawa in the 1400m C1 Class eighth race on the 19th, which will help complete his 'Nankan' education - he'll only have TCK left then, and he'll have raced at all the four Kanto NAR tracks. It would be nice, of course, if he could win, as he's won at Funabashi and Kawasaki, and I think he has the potential to be an all-rounder. Certainly, Yano-sensei - who clocked up his 600th win as a trainer the other day - wouldn't enter him if he didn't think the same way...

Meanwhile, today began with a superb clinic for Louis and 'Bugatti' with Miyaki-sensei - the pair enjoying the experience and learning a lot, as always. Three hours to go before Pretty Gully runs at Townsville, so time to get some work done after a mug of tea!

Book This One

Although the Morioka bash didn't come to fruition, it's been confirmed that Pop Label should be lining up at TCK on the 26th against JRA competition, which should be fun. Yuta Sato, ex-jockey turned trainer and all-round good guy, has been doing the training himself, and knowing the level of preparation he is capable of (most of Kawashima-sensei's legendary horses were entrusted to Yuta), this could be a really interesting test for Pop. We'll know once and for all if he'll rekindle the champion in him after this run! For sure, book a date in your diary to watch this one...

Masterful

Shun Ishizaki rode with a masterful touch at TCK tonight to guide Beat The Boarder to third place, despite the pair being far from fancied in a strong field. It was a truly superb run, with the horse looking good carrying a few more kilos, and some perfect timing from the jockey. In many ways, tonight's performance was even more impressive than the win they clocked up last time out. Brilliant!

Now we can look forward to Pretty Gully in the heat of Australia on Saturday, with a JRA race for Rush Attack added on Sunday. He runs in the mile opener at Tokyo-Fuchu with fellow Brit, Ryan Moore, in the saddle. As a result, I've got high hopes for both weekend warriors...

We've Got Two, Anyway...

Not much happening on the racing front, with all but one of the JRA horses on holiday - wish I could get a lengthy break for doing a few minutes work! The only worry amongst them is Single Cask. Like all the Carrot Club horses recently, her last race was awful, but she may at least have an excuse. Although there are no breakages, she's in pain, and it doesn't look good. This could be the end of her racing career, or the start of what could prove to be a lengthy rehabilitation session.

But at least Beat The Boarder is in NAR action tomorrow in the 8R at Tokyo's TCK track. Shun Ishizaki is in the saddle, so it should be an interesting race. And on Saturday, Pretty Gully runs Down Under. Sonja Wiseman takes the reins in a 1300m Open race at Townsville, which is definitely something to look forward to...

We're Back!

No idea what happened yesterday, but we're back! I'm afraid that although I'm mechanically-minded, computers and suchlike are akin to black magic as far as I'm concerned, so I'm very much at the mercy of software giants not moving things on too quickly - I prefer to stick with what I know works, and recently I'm hitting all sorts of problems downloading material from bigger companies that move with the times. I even struggle to see some regular sites nowadays, including the 'Yes! Come On Funabashi' one, although my second PC and mobile both pick it up okay. If nothing else, the scary moment has encouraged me to back everything up, as I do with my work files.

First the good news while we were away - Belle Plage was given a full page in the Eclipse magazine, and 'Bugatti' has been learning all sorts of new tricks to enable him to compete in L1 dressage tests. If only I was as quick at learning computer stuff! Then we have the bad news, as we had another awful run of JRA results. First, Single Cask was last, despite starting as sixth favourite. Her performance was so bad (2.2 seconds off the pace), that she was checked over for injuries, but it was just a case of poor preparation by the sound of things. Harmony Fair, meanwhile, was tenth, never really keeping up with the runaway leading group, although I think the jockey is at fault on this one, as he hung too far back for the fast pace and stronger competition. As expected, she was much better in the truck and her tension was just right thanks to the back-to-back run, but the advantage was wasted and now she'll go for an R&R session, taking us back to square one again. Ummm. I'm saying nothing...

Modern Technology

Struggling to access the blog from my PC at the moment. Please bear with me until I can get rid of the gremlins...

PS. I'd tried to check-in very early in the morning, and was told Safari couldn't find the page. For a little while, at least, my mobile could get it, enabling me to get out the message, but that died, too. When I tried late at night, still nothing, although it's as if nothing happened this morning - we're back to firing on all cylinders.

Pop Culture

Well, Tenshinramman looks as good as finished, and Miracle Rouge has gone for an R&R session, although why I don't know - after the effort used in the last race, she should have still been fresh enough to fight on the following day. Pathetic really, but there we go...

Courtesy Sunday TC

Despite what seems like the holiday season for the Carrot Club horses, we have two runners at Fukushima on the 8th, at least, with Single Cask in the 1200m turf 8R, with Harada-kun stepping up again in a young jockey race. Harmony Fair did manage to get a berth in the 12R somehow - the Saigo Tokubetsu over 1800m on turf. We've got the same jockey as last week, and the same distance, so you never know. Notwithstanding, though, my money will go on Rush Attack if he gets the planned mile run at Tokyo-Fuchu on the 16th.

Beat The Boarder should be in NAR action in the 8R at Tokyo TCK on the 13th (a 1200m C2 race), and Phosphorus will hopefully run at Funabashi in the first week of December. Meanwhile, Pop Label (pictured) is registered for the Morioka Derby Grand Prix on the 24th as first reserve. If that falls through, there's the big race with JRA at TCK two days later, although Tokyo horses have priority in that one. As another back-up, there's either a regular race at TCK, or Funabashi on the 2nd December. At least there are options in NAR!

50,000

Today, the visitor counter for the blog, which I started in September 2012, has just clocked up the 50,000 mark, with people from more than 70 countries taking a peek. Some of what I've written may be a little controversial, but it comes from the heart. My work is judged publicly, all over the world - I don't see why others should be able to hide in an ivory tower when they're taking our money in beefy chunks. I suppose I'm too straight for my own good sometimes - if I like something, I say so, and stay more loyal than a Dobermann. By the same token, if I'm not happy, people know about it pretty soon. This may not be the Japanese way, but it's my way, and I'm too damned old and cussed to change! Thankfully, though, most of the blog's content contains happy memories - looking back on pictures of 'Jaguar' and the kids never fails to bring a warm feeling inside, for the relationship between a Thoroughbred and its owner and/or rider will always be something special. The speed with which a bond has been created with 'Bugatti' has frankly amazed me, and I look forward to reporting on his progress over the next few years - he's a superb animal.

About the only other news is that River Spirit, a charming filly, was sold last night, leaving me with nothing running in England at the moment. As soon as I post this, the 2015 UK flat season plans will be put into action! Please keep tuning in...

Comical

Well, I've had my little moan for the day, and now it's time to look at something a lot more lighthearted. As you may remember, 'Bugatti' was working hard over the weekend, doing dressage and show-jumping duty, so even though Monday was a Bank Holiday, we thought we'd give him a break. Notwithstanding, he needs his exercise, so we dropped a saddle on him and left off the reins, leading him around the small training area as if it was a parade ring. Usually, he's way too highly strung to try this - he wants to go as soon as the tacking up is completed - but after the eventful two days, his tension was just right, and both Louis and Sophie gained some valuable practice with a quite different beast to 'Jaguar', walking him, and even taking him up to a controlled light trot on the lead. I only wish I'd got Megumi's graphic instructions on camera, as they were truly comical! Even Benny Hill would have been proud...

Shocked? Not Really...

Absolutely nothing to report on the racing front of any significance, although Harmony Fair's preferred next race is heavily oversubscribed, so I guess she'll now miss the perfect opportunity to prove herself, sit doing nothing for weeks, probably at a holiday camp, and then return to the tracks as a novice again - it's a waste of shareholders' money and a horse's potential. Still left wondering when on Earth the JRA people will begin to realize the system simply doesn't work? Unless you're looking at it from a civil service point of view, of course, or the eyes of an accountant, and then it works perfectly!

The situation highlights something I wrote to a friend in the racing game Down Under not so long ago, after yet another disastrous performance. Basically, I noted that the gap between good English trainers and the majority of those out here is wider than the Atlantic Ocean. By and large, the Japanese trainers are like politicians - family background counts for 80% of entry criteria, and once you're in, you're set for life, regardless of ability. Although there are some good ones, and a handful of really good ones, I don't think half of them know the slightest thing beyond passing a paper test, although, in all fairness, the system (JRA restricts the number of races each year) certainly doesn't help. At least in England, you can book maybe three races in a week, each at an ideal distance, then choose which is best in view of the weather and competition. Here, they just stick a horse in wherever there's an all-too-rare slot. If a horse likes fast ground, tough luck that it's been raining hard for a week, because if you don't run it on the booked date, the distance option goes. I had one trainer state one of mine hated dirt after a single attempt, but it's next race was dirt anyway, simply because there were no turf races available. The system is pathetic - good horses being wasted, because there's too many of them in the country and nowhere near enough races to cater for their numbers. The simple maths should tell people that JRA isn't going to work in terms of Thoroughbred development, only in terms of making obscene amounts of money for the chosen few...

So, why have I still got shares in so many JRA horses? Well, most of them were bought before I realized the system was so out of synch - it all looks sweet from the viewpoint of a pure spectator, full of glitz and glamour and nice tracks. Then, having bought into an NAR horse, a couple of others in the catalogue were too tempting for the boy and I to look the other way - one for bloodlines, the other to support a trainer who has done well with Belle Plage. There won't be any more, though. I look forward to going back to enjoying JRA as nothing more than an enthusiast, with no financial interest or deep thoughts on what's going on. Yes, I really did enjoy it once, which is why I wanted to get more involved! Meanwhile, thank God for the beauty of NAR racing, otherwise I'd be going insane while I'm patiently waiting for my JRA era to end.

Another Reunion

Just going through the photos of yesterday's competition, and this one jumped off the screen, as it captures a special moment for me. Louis can be seen adjusting the reins before 'Bugatti' did his first ever show-jumping round (they ultimately came third), but it's great to see Noguchi-san holding him at the front - a throwback to racing days when Noguchi-san was his groom and he was called Segesta instead of Bugatti. The mutual love and respect between these two is precious - an object lesson for all horsemen...

Great Journies

What a superb start for Realta HRC - their first race with their first horse, and they come a remarkably close second in a classy field in Northern Ireland's premier meeting. Steven Crawford did a super job from the saddle in a race that lasted over four minutes, making the most of Stuart Crawford's preparation. The future looks very bright for Danielle's Journey, that's for sure, and I eagerly await her next entry...

Silver Lining

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Well, we may have had one of the blackest, most overcast race days in our Carrot Club history, with good horses unable to show their potential for all sorts of reasons that would never be allowed to surface outside JRA circles, but at least Louis and 'Bugatti' had a super day in the Prefecture Inter-City Tournament at Tomisato, close to Narita Airport. Before lunch, he was second with 61.110 in the A1 category for his team, in which he was up against a couple of friends from Funabashi Keiba, making it all the more interesting. Then, in the afternoon, he braved the pouring rain and foggy conditions to take gold with a 60.734 in the private A2 Class, which is exceptional given that 'Bugatti' is still so new to the dressage game. A ray of sunshine that made the early start worthwhile...

Disaster

Well, first I had to stomach an 11th place for Miracle Rouge, which was bad enough. But even that didn't prepare me for the result Tenshinramman recorded - 13th, and she looked like she'd run three miles instead of 1400m at the finish. I guess now she'll go for yet another long break, and that is the root of the problem - a lack of race conditioning. That has to be one of the worst performances I've ever seen - on a par with Mephisto Waltz, but at least that donkey had an excuse for bad results, as it was downright useless. Frankly, I cannot believe that this is the same horse that I had a couple of years ago - she has been ruined, physically and mentally. As far as I see it, there are only two options left. Number one would be instant retirement and broodmare duty. And number two would be a change in trainer, as Harmony Fair has proved that she is far from useless now she's getting the right guidance. There are no other options - the current combination simply does not work.

PS. Having just read the trainer's report for Tenshinramman, apparently it was the rain that made this animal slow down to a canter on the final straight. Now I'm sorry, that's just pure bullshit! If the rain was a problem - and we're not talking the rain 'Bugatti' had to contend with either - why did she sit in such a good position until the final straight? It was a pure lack of muscle, brought about by a lack of racing - it's a GII horse, for God's sake, and running in the poxy class she's been relegated to due to mismanagement, we should be measuring her victories in multiples of lengths. And now, after an excuse that a five-year old would consider a bit too childish to use, the idiot wants to send her away for another break, which means the next race will be exactly the same. Even the groom has a bloody degree with this pony (and I'm not joking), but what we need is someone with commonsense training the horse. My previous statement stands, with even greater conviction - the current combination simply does not work.

Looking Ahead

Porthos Du Vallon has been sold (he's gone to Turkey by the sound of things), so that leaves only River Spirit in England now. There is a remote chance she might have one more run, but it's probably fair to say her time with me is over. Unlike some other experiences, ownership has been a real pleasure with this little lady and the Channon family, and I look forward to next year's offerings with eager anticipation.

As we've already mentioned, Danielle's Journey will be making her race debut in Ireland on Saturday, which is definitely something to look forward to. Also, in Japan, Miracle Rouge has been confirmed for the sixth race at Fukushima (2000m over turf) on the same day, and Tenshinramman teams up with Hiyato Yoshida in the 12R at Tokyo-Fuchu, which is a 1400m turf run.

Rush Attack, who showed a great deal of promise in his first race, should be out again soon, which is good to see. Also, Harmony Fair now has a proper trainer, who not only got a decent result from her last weekend, he's looking to run her again at Fukushima on the 8th - these long breaks do no good at all, and at least he realizes that. On the same subject, Irish Harp is now in another R&R session, so I'm hoping Sugai-sensei isn't going to slip into a typical JRA pattern with a win under his belt, as that would be disappointing on a number of levels. We can also look out for Single Cask in the 1200m turf race at Fukushima on the same day.

Next up, Beat The Boarder should be running at TCK in the meeting held in the week beginning the 10th November, while Pop Label will hopefully to be out at TCK in the meeting held there in the last week of November, almost certainly in a B3 Class race. In the following week, Phosphorus should be in action again, with big things expected of the big fella.

Results And A Big Weekend

Phosphorus delivered a typical return run from a long lay-off, with Kota Motohashi letting him cruise in in eighth. He had looked pretty handy until the last corner, but then his lack of race conditioning showed through and there was no point pushing him hard - there's always the next race. Talking of the next one, there were thoughts of running him at the next Kawasaki meeting, but after Kota's post-race debriefing, it has since been decided to wait for the next Funabashi one instead (in the first week of December), by which time he should be back in tip-top condition.

My favourite girl, River Spirit, was third in England yesterday, but came very close to victory. From 15 runs, she will end my term with her with a 1-2-3 record, and that's something she can certainly be proud of. With her spirit - excuse the pun - I'd love to run her in NAR out here. For sure, her next owners will be getting a special little fighter...

Danielle's Journey should be in the 4:10 at Down Royal on the 1st - a two-mile flat race that will mark her debut, appropriately enough in Northern Ireland's most prestigious meeting. Tenshinramman and Miracle Rouge should be in action in Japan on the same day, both looking to recover some long-lost form.

Winding Down

Porthos Du Vallon was fourth at Leicester in his last race with me - he will now go to auction. The sad thing is he didn't really try, but at least he clocked up two wins for me. Our final run in England this year will be with River Spirit in the Live The Moment Handicap, which is the 6:25 at Kempton Park on the 29th; Joe Fanning has been booked as the jockey.

Potential

Time For Love was fifth, with the jockey blaming her high tension in the gate and thereafter for her mediocre performance, but Rush Attack was superb. Granted, fourth doesn't sound like a cause for celebration, but Miura-kun found himself penned-in off the last corner and had to adjust numerous times before finding a sprint line. Looking at the video, the speed in that final bit of straight was magnificent. Had he found the line earlier, the race was definitely ours!

Next up is Porthos with Paul Hanagan in the 2:00 at Leicester on Monday. This should be his last race with me, so it would be nice to go out with a bang. Then we have Phosphorus on Tuesday, before going back to England to see River Spirit in action on Wednesday. This will also be the last run for the filly before she goes to the auctions, so she'll be last English runner for a while... 

Mixed Middlin'

River Spirit had another luckless run to come home in fifth - as usual, she ran well, but just lacked that rub of the green that makes the difference between winning and losing. Our time with All Dolled Up has finished, having never made it to the track. With River Spirit and Porthos Du Vallon going up for sale soon, that will reduce my UK flat runners down to zero in the next few weeks. I've decided my 2015 English campaign, and every year thereafter, will be handled solely by Lord Ilsley Racing, which has given me a lot of bang for the buck and a great deal of fun thanks to the camaraderie created by Mick Channon Jr.

Irish Harp was very disappointing with Masaki Katsuura, starting as third favourite but finishing ninth. In all fairness, she had ran a heavy schedule before, and the long break she was returning from probably did more damage to her race form than if she'd have continued at a cracking pace. We'll see what happens in her next outing. Later on, Kyosuke Maruta got a great result from Harmony Fair - fourth, and within inches of a third place finish, despite starting as 12th favourite. I've been calling for this lady to be retired for ages, but this is a really inspiring run for her new trainer. Having given her one last chance last time out, due to her fresh surroundings, it looks like she's finally starting to show some speed again. It's the best result she's had by far since winning almost two years ago...

In Australia, poor Raining Dollars faced some stiff competition, and while he kept up with the field nicely until 100 yards from the post, he quickly ran out of puff thereafter and finished at the tail-end of the pack. Pretty Gully couldn't get the line she wanted (she loves the outside straight) and finished fourth, but with real speed, so she still has what it takes, there's no doubting that.

International

In England, River Spirit is running in the 6:15 at Wolverhampton today with Sam Hitchcott in the saddle, and has also been named for the 5:55 at Kempton Park on the 29th. Porthos Du Vallon should have been up for  a race on the 25th, but looks set to run at Leicester in the 2:00 slot on the 27th at least. Across the water a bit, Danielle's Journey is lined up to make her debut in Ireland on either the 31st October or the 1st November.

Moving to Japan, Fukushima plays host to Irish Harp in the 1700m dirt 3R on Saturday, and Harmony Fair in the seventh (1800m over turf). Tokyo-Fuchu provides us with two runners on Sunday - Time For Love, who did well in her debut, will be in the 2R miler, and Rush Attack takes to the track for the first time in the 4R (another mile race on turf) with Miura Kosei taking the reins.

Looking further ahead, Phosphorus should be in NAR action in the 1600m 7R at Funabashi on the 28th, and on the JRA front, Tenshinramman should be in the 1400m turf race at Tokyo on the 1st November, while Miracle Rouge is being lined up for a 2000m run at Fukushima on the same day. Single Cask may well be running that weekend, too, as she is now back at the racing stables.

Heading south, both Pretty Gully and Raining Dollars are lining up at Townsville, Australia, on Saturday the 25th, giving us a total of four runners to shout for tomorrow. Raining Dollars is up first, in the 1:37 2R, which looks like a tough one for the youngster, but Pretty Gully in the 1400m 5R (with a 3:37 start time) must be one to look out for. In both races, Jeff Felix jumps in the saddle to add some experience to the equation. Good luck, Jeff!

Popping Along

Went across to Tokyo's TCK track last night to watch Pop Label in the main race. Although he came fifth, it was an admirable performance, not only because of the incredibly stiff opposition he faced up to, but also because he's still not 100% perfect - everyone has been treading lightly with his training to make sure the injury that laid him up for so long is completely cured. As such, I think we can look forward to a super 2015 season with him, by which time he will be running with Yuta Sato's new stables and Funabashi's Taito Mori (who rode him with expert hands last night) will be his regular jockey.

On the subject of TCK, Beat The Boarder is back there now, so we can expect a race entry for her soon. Meanwhile, in Ireland, Danielle's Journey is due to make her debut at Down Royal on either the 31st October or the 1st November, which should be an exciting meeting for all concerned. Good luck, DJ!

Busy Bunny

The 'Ganbatte Kochi' race was won by Toshihiro Nishigawa on Saturday, with the delightful Mai Beppu a very close second. Poor Mai-chan was second last year, too. Third time lucky, eh? At least everyone got home safely, and I look forward to continuing this as an annual event - the good folks at Kochi certainly deserve some support.

Pop Label runs at TCK on Tuesday with Taito Mori in the saddle. The Sunburst Cup has an awful lot of strong racers in it, so it will be a real test that will go a long way towards telling us if Pop can regain the form of his youth.

In JRA racing, Harmony Fair's races are all heavily oversubscribed at the weekend, of course. However, Irish Harp, Time For Love and Rush Attack will hopefully be in action. In Australia, too, a busy weekend in store, with both Pretty Gully and Raining Dollars lining up at Townsville.

In England, River Spirit will be running in the Class 5 Monsterbet Selling Stakes race over six furlongs, which is the 6:15 at Wolverhampton on Friday, while Porthos Du Vallon should be there on the following day. There's a chance he'll also run at Leicester on the 27th!

Kempton Blues

River Spirit was eighth at Kempton in the UK, but they were all close at the end, so the result looks a lot worse on paper than it was in reality. Kempton Park doesn't seem to hold any luck for the girl, and that's sometimes what it boils down to. I'm still looking forward to see what she can do next time out, as she's a fighter...

Pretty Gully, meanwhile, ran another scorcher to come home in second by a nostril at Townsville, Australia. Jo Hassett can be proud of the way this dame has turned out, with a string of superb results over the last few weeks.

Back in Japan, we have the Kochi race on Saturday, and Pop Label is supposed to be running in the 11R at TCK on the 21st October. Hopefully Phosphorus in action at Funabashi in the week beginning the 27th, by which time Rush Attack should have made his JRA debut, and there is a plan to run Miracle Rouge at Fukushima on the 1st November in a 2000m turf race.

PS. Some more JRA dates have been added this afternoon, with Fukushima on the 25th playing host to Harmony Fair in an 1800 turf race and Irish Harp in a 1700m dirt run. At Tokyo-Fuchu on the following day, we have Rush Attack lined up with Kosei Miura in a turf mile, and Time For Love, possibly in the same race with Yuichi Shibayama in the saddle, which should be interesting.

PDV PU

Porthos Du Vallon did well in the earlier stages of his jumps debut, but was pulled up before the end - he just couldn't stay the distance, which is sad. But at least he has jumped, and that's something I was beginning to think would never happen.

We have River Spirit running in the 5:45 at Kempton on the 15th - the RUK Nursery Handicap Stakes - with Sam Hitchcott in the saddle. We'll be looking for some revenge on that one...

Still nothing much happening in Japan, although Irish Harp has landed back at the Ritto Training Centre, which means another race should be imminent. Four days to go until the 'Ganbatte Kochi' race, and then Pop Label is in NAR action at Tokyo's TCK track on the 21st. With luck, we'll be able to go a week without another typhoon blowing through!

Communication

'Bugatti' and Louis had a wonderful training session with Kelly Layne today. As one of the best dressage riders in the world, and with a super feel for what the horse is trying to say, the time she gave was a real benefit for Louis, taking on such a raw beast as his new partner. We seem to have found a new cog in his gearbox, although the power he puts down is still in a different league to the other Thoroughbreds at Tokoro, who seem dainty by comparison. But he seems to have the natural elegance of a born athlete, and watching him perform today another step closer to the goal of perfection, it really made me feel quite emotional. OK, we may never win top prizes, but the beauty of a Thoroughbred strutting with conviction and relative freedom - as one with the rider - has to be one of the most awesome sights there is...

On the racing front, there's a chance Pretty Gully is in action in Australia again next week, Porthos should be jumping, and River Spirit is booked for the 5:45 at Kempton on the 15th - a Class 6 RUK Nursery Handicap Stakes race (the 7f 2:30 at Redcar on the 17th has been named as a back-up). A few days later we have the annual 'Ganbatte Kochi' race to look forward to, too.

Pretty Handy Alright

Despite a huge flow of reports, there's very little to report on the Carrot Club front, although it's worth noting that Massabielle has passed the gate test. River Spirit was declared a non-runner yesterday, but River Gully went like a train to pick up a superb second place in Australia this afternoon. This little lady has really come good thanks to the patience of Jo Hassett, with two seconds in her two Open Class races so far...

With bad weather managing to end the hopes of riding with 'Bugatti' recently, tomorrow should be something special as we have a special training clinic lined up. The only other bit of news relates to Porthos Du Vallon, who is booked for the 2:10 at Sedgefield on the 13th, which happens to be a Juvenile Hurdle race. I'm not going to get excited until two o'clock on the day, because the plan will have probably changed ten times between now and then.

PS. Another batch of reports have been filed a couple of days on from the original notes, and we find that all three four-year olds have returned to Miho Training Centre, along with Time For Love. Tenshinramman is not perfect by the sound of things, and Miracle Rouge is nowhere near ready to race, although there are thoughts of running Harmony Fair at Fukushima soon. Time For Love is supposed to be looking really good, so fingers crossed on that one.

Mixed Bag

Glint Moment was 12th after all that hassle we went through having him gelded, and so on. He really has been a complete waste of time and money from the 'glinting' moment he was bought, and, for some reason, he's still limping along as a JRA horse, despite retirement being the obvious move.

River Spirit is back in UK action in the 5:55 at Kempton on Wednesday the 8th in a six-furlong Class 6 claiming stakes race, and then Pretty Gully takes up the fight in Australia on the following day, competing in a 1300m Open race.

Pop Label should be starting in the 2000m Starburst Cup at TCK on the 21st, while Phosphorus is back at Funabashi, and should be returning to the track in the near future. Had a wonderful day at Funabashi yesterday, by the way, bumping into lots of folks and buying a ton of stuff, including a beautiful 1996 trophy from Kawashima-sensei's stable. And don't forget the Kochi event on the 18th, too - that should be a lot of fun...

PS. It was announced late on Sunday that Glint Moment had been retired.

Until Next Time

Just moved my office from one room to another, so these reports are a bit late filing through. Anyway, Raining Dollars had a pleasing debut in Australia - sixth, but with slightly different timing, he'd have been in the top three. He definitely showed he has potential and a nice temperament, so Jo Hassett's time and patience is starting to pay off. With that run under his belt, he'll be one to watch for in the future.

Poor ol' Lord Ilsley is a bit miffed with River Spirit, who came fifth at Kempton in England last night. This was her first outing at six furlongs, and the race scenario wasn't kind. Ultimately, she was still driving for the finish at the end, so I'm fairly happy with the little lady. She's a dame!

In Japan, Joyful Step couldn't get a race, and has been retired. No big shakes! Glint Moment is up for action at Hanshin on the 4th, with Sakai-san taking the controls in the 1800m dirt 3R. Unless he wins, that will be the end of his career, too. At the other end of the scale, Rush Attack is due to make his debut on the 26th in a mile turf race at Tokyo-Fuchu. I think he has a better chance of victory than Glint Moment...

Was That A Pin?

It's so quiet on the Japanese racing front, you could hear a pin drop. Beat The Boarder (a Sunday TC horse) is slowly but surely regaining form, although there's little else worth reporting beyond that. Of the Carrot Club 4yo runners, well, none of them are running! Tenshinramman is still dithering, but might be out again at Fukushima or Tokyo. I'm assuming that means the 2014 Fukushima or Tokyo, which would see something happening in the next few weeks, but plans surrounding 'Tenny' are as reliable as those surrounding Porthos. Harmony Fair should be back at Miho Training Centre in the next week or so, meaning an entry is imminent, while Miracle Rouge - who last raced in June - is moving from one R&R centre to another...

With Belle Plage going on holiday, Irish Harp is the only 3yo with something worth mentioning, and that's the fact that her training programme is being changed to bulk her up a bit. There is a plan to run Joyful Step at Niigata over the weekend, but the no-hoper brigade are struggling to get a berth in the gate.

As for the 2yo crop, Massabielle is doing gate training and will take a test soon. Meanwhile, Time For Love is apparently a changed horse after the debut run, with sharper reactions and a generally sweeter movement. No mention of another race, though, for her, or any of the six others in her age group. Let's see if anything positive comes up on Thursday.

22, Not 21!

Firstly, I have to admit a big mistake - I'd said Pretty Gully was my 21st winner, when in fact, she was my 22nd. Poor Agua De Vida - running at the same time as Pop Label in Hokkaido, everything tended to be overshadowed by this magnificent creature, but Agua did win one, and that shouldn't be forgotten.

Porthos Du Vallon was fourth at Ayr, which seems more than reasonable given that it was a Class 3 race with 13 runners. There are plans to race him one more time at Musselburgh before entering a Junior Hurdle event, although I've heard this before, and I'm not building up hopes of it ever happening - ultimately, that's why Danielle's Journey ended up being bought, adding more expense to the racing budget. At least we've got River Spirit to brighten things up in the UK on Thursday. Running at Kempton in the Barn Dance Handicap Stakes, Sam Hitchcott has been named as the jockey - the gentleman that gave this charming filly her first win.

Back to Australia, where we've been having a lot of success with the JLH Racing team, and Raining Dollars makes his debut in the 2:00 on Thursday at Townsville. This is a 1000m maiden handicap race on turf, and we've got the highly-experienced Jeff Felix lined up as jockey. Now, we're not expecting a great result here - simply a practice run - but you just never know what will happen in these initial outings. One thing is for sure, though, Raining Dollars (aka Ted) has a super team behind him, and if anyone can pull something out of the hat once the gates open, I'd say Mr Felix is your man. Watch this space...

The 2013 Crop #5: No.78

Courtesy Carrot Club

I've never met Yahagi-sensei or managed to have a horse with him, but I've seen a number of documentaries on him (as well as his famous red hat in the paddock a few times), and I like the way he works and thinks. With that in mind, the chance to have a Falbrav filly with his stable in Ritto was another temptation that was impossible to resist. So this is the second - and last - JRA runner with Carrot Club that I've bought a stake in this year.

The sire on this particular horse (a Northern Dancer, Nijinsky and Hail To Reason cross) is Falbrav, who won some big races in Italy before going on to take the Japan Cup, the Eclipse Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Going back three or four generations, we have Seattle Slew, Nearco and Ribot, so there's some classic bloodlines in the mix, although it is in the dam line where Nijinsky - my favourite racehorse of them all - comes into the equation. The dam is Starlit Love, who never had much of a race career, but she passes on that coveted Nijinsky DNA via Maruzensky, as well as that of Hail To Reason through her sire, Special Week. If this newcomer performs half as well as Special Week, I shall be a happy bunny...

The 2013 Crop #4: No.5

Courtesy Carrot Club

I've really admired what Ogata-sensei has done with Belle Plage this past year, so when the opportunity came to have another King Kamehameha filly with him, I couldn't resist it, even though I had made a decision to concentrate on NAR racing only in Japan. This is still the long-term plan, ultimately, but it looks like we'll have at least one more season of JRA racing running in parallel, unless something suitable comes up with Sugai-sensei again, and that might extend the campaign by another year...

Anyway, there's no need to go too heavy on introducing King Kamehameha, as we profiled him when we first looked at Belle Plage. It is interesting to note, though, that King Kamehameha won the 71st Japanese Derby and passed the post first in all but one of his eight races. He also has some fabulous bloodlines.

As for the dam, we have Aubergade - a French mare that was shipped to Japan after achieving a 2-2-2 record from 12 starts. Her sire was Kaldoun, one of the Aga Khan's horses that won five races and went on to be a Champion Sire in France. Watch out for this little lady, who will be based at the Ogata Stables at Miho Training Centre.

PDV at Ayr

Porthos Du Vallon has been declared for the 5:30 at Ayr tomorrow (the 30th), with Tom Eaves in the saddle. This is a Class 3 handicap over a mile, with 14 runners eager to claim the fairly hefty prize for passing the post first. What happens after this depends a lot on the result, I guess, but there's even a rumour that he may jump after all...

The 2013 Crop #3: No.83

If you've been following the blog, you'll know that I love Vermilion. You may also know that I had a Vermilion kid that died only hours before it's debut (the only grey I'd ever fallen in love with), and the replacement I had in mind was so oversubscribed, I had no chance of getting it and went for an alternative strategy with Shadai. I had said that I wasn't buying any more Carrot Club horses, but this fella gave me the chance to get a Vermilion colt - that desire was seriously strong, and if you buy one, you might as well buy three, right?

Courtesy Carrot Club

As we said in the Monsoon Trough profile, Vermilion has just started his career as a sire, and with him winning so many big dirt races for the Sunday Thoroughbred Club (including the Japan Cup Dirt, Teio Sho, and JBC Classic no less than three times), if he's a good father, his services will cost an awful lot more than they do at the moment...

Vermilion gets his speed from a combination of El Condor Pasa blood, who was his sire, and Sunday Silence, who acted as damsire. El Condor Pasa we covered in Miracle Rouge's profile (a Sadler's Wells cross, and our most recent winner), while Sunday Silence is one of the most well-known US Triple Crown winners of them all, having a huge influence on Japanese bloodlines.

On the dam side, despite being unraced herself, Simple The Best has a good record for producing winners, and adds yet more Northern Dancer blood into the mix in this case. The damsire, Thunder Gulch, won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, only just missing out on a US Triple Crown, so this is another reason to be hopeful that we've got a potential NAR star on our hands here.

Danielle's Journey

Courtesy Realta HRC

Danielle's Journey is an exciting little filly born in 2010, and fielded by a brand new syndicate - the Realta Horse Racing Club in Ireland, which is focusing on National Hunt racing. This guarantees me having secured the jumper I've been after for a long time, especially having the highly-experienced Stuart Crawford at Newlands Farm as the trainer.

Danielle's Journey was sired by Presenting, who has a reputation for producing excellent National Hunt offspring, including Denman and War Of Attrition. Presenting was a handy racer himself, winning six flat races, and boasting Mtoto as his sire - a Donatello (by Blenheim) cross that won the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Coral Eclipse Stakes. Presenting's damsire, Persian Bold, picked up a 6-3-1 record from 16 starts, and brings a good mix of classic English blood into the equation.

Harringay, the Henrietta Knight-trained 

dam, was a good racer in her day, and comes with strong National Hunt bloodlines. Her sire was Sir Harry Lewis, winner of the Irish Derby, who continued the DNA of Alleged. As we can see, the blood is right, the enthusiastic team is right. Now all we can do is wait and see how she does on the track...

Nothing Tomorrow After All

River Spirit has been pulled from Musselburgh tomorrow, and declared for a race at Kempton on the 2nd October instead - a Class 6 Nursery Handicaps Stakes Race over six furlongs, which should be fun. With any luck, Raining Dollars should be making his debut in Australia at a similar time, give or take a bit, and that's something I've been looking forward to for a while now. Fingers crossed for the JLH team!

A few weeks later, the annual 'Ganbatte Kochi' race will be held, taking place on the 18th. I really do love the spirit at Kochi racetrack, and as long as I'm alive, I'll keep sponsoring a race to show my support for the super folks that keep it ticking over against the odds, through guts and sheer enthusiasm. I'll give you more details as I get them...

Had Better Days...

True Motion started fifth favourite, but ultimately finished ninth, about ten lengths down on the winner. That should signal the end of her time with me. At least I had a good morning doing some jumping practice with 'Bugatti' that took the edge off any disappointment, although it's not really surprising to be honest.

Meanwhile, Belle Plage had been firm favourite in her race since the day before, but today, the race scenario just didn't click - outside gate, long way around combined with a forced pace. You name it, it was against her. But as her first Black Type race, we can all be proud of her performance. The future is definitely bright for this horse, and we've got at least another year in which to prove that...

Courtesy Carrot Club

In the background, War Chronicle (right) passed her gate test, and - at last, after a rather annoying false start last year - I've managed to secure the hurdler I've been after her ages. Running in Ireland, I'll do a profile on her and the other newcomers over the next few days.

PS. True Motion has indeed been retired. If we can get rid of 
a few more that aren't doing any good - like Joyful Step and Glint Moment, along with Harmony Fair from the older horses - plus an end of contract here and there, we'll start to have the numbers at the bottom of the page coming down to manageable levels before the newcomers are added.

Saturday Sluggers

Glint Moment has been held back until the 4th for a 1400m dirt race at Hanshin, while Joyful Step is pussyfooting around. At least True Motion is definitely in the 4R at Niigata on Saturday (an 1800m dirt race) with Daichi Shibata in the saddle, and Belle Plage has been confirmed for the Kashiwazaki Tokubetsu Race at the same meeting. Here's hoping Masaki Katsuura has a winning ride!