Voleur

Starting as favourite, Larressingle was ridden far too conservatively, failing completely to take advantage of the inside gate and the decent exit from the stalls, and finished second by 0.4 seconds - the Yoshida-owned winner (starting from gate 10) led from the start to the post, in what could almost have been a staged finish. Yes, the horse was 10kg heavier than the last race, but it certainly seems strange having cleared the gates so well that Miura dropped back a good 20 lengths to go around the outside instead of pushing forward when there was a clear path ahead.

The end for Larressingle? As I've said before, this is about the only JRA horse worth keeping (War Chronicle, Perfumer, Massabielle and Rush Attack never seem to get off the injury list for more than five minutes at a time, running poorly when they are fit, while Belle Plage has seemingly lost the plot), but without that win, it will have to go as soon as the trainer throws in the towel. It's damned annoying when you're forced to keep junk like Perfumer, and Harmony Fair before that, and have to give up a nag that keeps bringing in its keep. Crazy. But then Japanese 'racing' as a whole is crazy - just wish I'd learnt that fact a lot earlier. Anyway, I await the post-race report with a great deal more anticipation than usual...

PS. The jockey doesn't give us much insight, just a jumble of typical bull from the JRA Book of Quotations, although he did state that the winner was strong to cover his ass. Yes, surprisingly strong, given that it was running a furlong-and-a-half longer than ever before, and took up the pace from the start to boot, while Larressingle was running at what looked like an ideal length - something borne out in the vast difference in the final 3F times. Anyway, the Yoshida OC horse will now keep going next year due that first win, and Larressingle (in the paupers' Carrot Club) won't, so at least the world order has been kept intact - everyone in JRA can breathe easy again. Well, I guess if the regular pattern pans out, it would do nothing in its second year other than waste money anyway (none of the others have run well beyond the first season other than Belle Plage, which is also damned nowadays), so we might as well say goodbye to it now.

PPS. Masterson came a handy fourth in an ultra-competitive race at Ripon, adding a few more pennies to his winnings. The race was run at a cracking pace, and the poor thing just had nothing left in the tank when the final sprint for the line came. Back in Japan, Phosphorus is not eating, which isn't a good sign, as he likes his food as much as 'Bugatti'. A comeback therefore seems a long way off, while that for Pop Label should come within three weeks. I haven't had to reserve space for a winning photo of this particular Sunday Thoroughbred Club horse for years - literally! - and I don't suppose I'll have to after this coming race either, for you can bet that even if it is fit, it will be entered in something totally unsuitable or teamed up with a jockey that can't communicate with it, as usual...

PPPS. No comment from the trainer regarding Larressingle, and the same comment on #10 being strong from the club. As I've said, I'm not convinced it was that strong. Anyway, the important thing to come out of a very short note was a "next time" line, which means at least one more chance. I guess we'll know more in the next few days, although it's cutting things very fine indeed. Amazing, though, how when two years of easy money is at stake, the JRA horses can run every couple of weeks. The all-too common three-month breaks are in aid of what then? To be honest, I'm sick of all the bullshit and conflicts of interest. If it wins next time out, great (I guess it depends on how a lot of factors beyond the ability of the horse fit into the shape of things on the day). If it doesn't win, I won't shed a tear, and sincerely look forward to saying goodbye to the other JRA 'runners' at the earliest possible opportunity.

Swift Round-Up

Ettie Hart is being placed on light duties for a while to give her a bit of a well-earned break, but Masterson is out in England on Saturday (Sunday JST), and Larressingle has a go on Sunday proper here in Japan. Glad to report that 'Bugatti' is back to full fitness, too, after a bout of colic brought on by the oppressive heat - he clipped an ankle thrashing around, but some TLC has allowed him to come back as strong as ever.

In Australia, Raining Dollars is back from his short spell away after a hectic few months, while All Rosie appears to be making a return to the form that made him so appealing in his early days - the latest jump-out result was seriously impressive. Both should be out again soon, along with The Jazz Singer in Ireland.

East Coast Setback

Lillyput and Ettie Hart both struggled at Yarmouth on Thursday. Looking at the race videos, both ran hard early on, although the jockeys gave up a furlong or so out when it was clear that they'd been outclassed on the day - at least that's better than simply running out of steam, which is what has been happening with the Japanese nags. The other difference, of course, is that they'll both be back to fight another day very soon instead of once a month (if you're incredibly lucky) or, as is often the case, once a bloody season.

The next race for us now is Masterson at Ripon, and then we have one in Japan as it happens, with Larressingle racing at Sapporo on Sunday. It's a shame that this is probably the best Carrot horse we have (most are now junk, either from being ruined somehow or not really good in the first place but lucky on the day, so they get kept as a 'winner'), but if it doesn't win this time out, it will almost certainly have to go. Let's see what happens with Kosei Miura at the helm.

PS. Vertice has landed at TCK, but it still has tests to do, so it will be some time before we know what we have on the books. Meanwhile, Kealoha is now back at Funabashi, and Magic Key should be returning there soon. Progress, at least, as both need to start earning their keep (Magic Key, in particular, as this was another ridiculously expensive nag) and then some to help start covering Another Door's bill as well, as it doesn't look as if the latter will be able to contribute earnings by itself. Together, these three horses add up to a 42,000,000 yen catalogue price - from what I've seen so far, their true combined value would be closer to 10,000,000 yen at the very most. Kealoha was the cheapest of the three, yet, with 2,400,000 yen in earnings, it has brought in 20% more than the other two between them. Even that, though, doesn't cover much more than half a year of running costs on one NAR horse, so you can see why the catalogue values desperately need a long-overdue reality check if NAR is to survive beyond the short-term thinking of the Shadai organisation, brought on by greed. If everyone stopped buying for just one year, that much-needed downward adjustment would happen, but as long as people keep paying silly money out in the knowledge that there's virtually no chance of ever seeing any kind of return, nothing will change until NAR ceases to exist. 

Another Door Fourth

Well, what can I say about Another Door? Fourth is hardly going to cover a couple of days on running costs in such a low level race, and therein lays the problem - although the start was good, a horse that runs out of steam in a poxy 1000m race against poxy opposition isn't going to stand a chance in the Nankan arena. Is this what one is supposed to get for 16,000,000 yen, plus a hefty monthly bill? I don't think so...

PS. The post-race report blames heavier sand on the inside of the track, but other horses overcame it easy enough later in the day, so I don't accept that as a valid excuse. I think we can safely say that had an outside gate been drawn, that would have been cited as the reason for the poor finish! Let's face it, this horse is nowhere near as good as it should be given the elite bloodlines and catalogue hype, not to mention the extortionate price (which is now becoming the Shadai/Sunday norm, by the way) that said hype brought with it. Ultimately, it's time someone pressed a reset button on Japanese racing, making the prices more realistic, especially in NAR. This horse literally needed to win everything in sight from the off to get anywhere near justifying its cost, and that includes a classic trail. So far, from four races (0-0-1-3), it has brought in 225,000 yen, which covers about two to three weeks of running costs and nothing else. Sayesse in England, from the same year, cost 15 times less, yet has brought in seven times more, despite the modest UK pots. 

Anyway, what is needed now is a set of questions and a positive plan of action for this disappointing nag. It's all very well saying it will be out again in a week or so, but if nothing changes, there's no meaning in that statement. Is the trainer at fault? Well, being stationed at Northern Farm all the while certainly isn't helping. Is it just a donkey? If so, give it a couple more runs and if nothing improves (and it shouldn't be hard to improve on useless), ditch it for broodmare duties, and let it serve as a warning to others not to be taken in by unwarranted talk of a superstar. 

Blacklister Again!

Blacklister was ridden beautifully by Paul Hanagan at Leicester yesterday (today JST) to allow the fighting gelding to claim three wins from three outings within just three weeks. The Shadai magazine was celebrating the fact that auction prices are still high (aka astronomical) in the editorial of the latest issue, despite Brexit, although quite how high prices benefit owners is beyond me, especially when horses run about as often as solar eclipses come around in Japan. Blacklister was expensive by UK standards, but with the ridiculous exchange rates, he cost about 4,500,000 yen - at regular rates he would have been about 6,000,000 yen, when horses with six zeros are almost impossible to find out here nowadays, even in NAR. In 14 months, he has run 24 times in one of the most caring stables you'll come across, clocking up a 4-7-1 record along the way, recouping two-thirds of his cost already, and he will almost certainly sell for a profit rather than a huge loss (the norm in Japan, because the original purchase prices are far too high). Now that is real racing, and real value for money.

PS. It looks like the 16,000,000 yen Another Door will be having another go at Monbetsu on the 10th. Surely, it can only improve, as so far the horse has proved to be pretty awful. In other news, sense has prevailed, and Infinity Love has been retired. Wasting members'  money has been cited, which is a good step forward, as it's the first time I've heard value for members considered - the same thoughts should now be applied to Perfumer at the very least, please...