ANOTHER RACE WEEKEND
Miracle Rouge's race on the 8th has been confirmed now, so I'm Nakayama-bound on Saturday. In other Carrot Club news, Lourdes No Hitomi has returned to the Miho Training Centre, her hoof problem apparently sorted. She can now begin gate training in earnest and hopefully get on the road that leads to G1 in the very near future.

Courtesy Carrot Club

Quick Bread has arrived at the Konishi Stable, and everyone is happy. Indeed, Konishi-san feels he looks a lot better than when he last inspected him. After a settling-in period, he's scheduled to have more gate training next week.

And the last item for today, Mistoffelees has gone to the Northern Farm Fukushima facility for some R&R. I've been looking at the data for that last race (in the accompanying picture) and it really is a mystery - he was 4kg lighter, running 200m (one furlong) less, and yet covered the last three furlongs 1.3 seconds slower, which is an eternity at this level. Let's hope things come together in time for the next outing, as he certainly has the potential to be a winner.

PS. I've since watched the race again, and come to the conclusion that Mistoffelees needs to be let go and run at his own pace at this stage. He obviously doesn't like being surrounded, and it was actually a bump with another horse on the final run-in that completely destroyed his rhythm. Had he just been let run, like the first race, that wouldn't have happened. It's easy to say these things in hindsight (it looked like a textbook set-up for an easy win until the closing furlongs), but with horses given so few chances to show what they're made off, it's a waste of potential if allowances aren't made for a particularly nervous character...