Much Of A Muchness

Again, Pop Label did nothing, as once more someone in their infinite wisdom decided to enter him in a 1400m race, when he really needs a minimum of a mile, and preferably 1700m or 1800m to allow his power to make up for the fact that he couldn't get out of a gate briskly to save his life. His fifth place won't even cover his monthly bills, which is a crazy situation for a horse that was a juvenile champion - a champion that was raced not once, but twice with an ailment, which is why we're where we are now. He hasn't won for nearly three years (32 months straight to be exact), and my suggestion would be bring him back to Hakaku-san's care at Funabashi or just retire him, for it's sad to keep watching him being pissed about like this.

My complete and utter downer on Japanese racing has had a knock-on effect, too. Questioning the value of my racing activities without rose-tinted spectacles clouding my judgement, I've decided not only to not buy anything from any of the Japanese club catalogues this year (or any year thereafter come to that), but I've also decided not to renew my Irish contracts either. As such, you'll see both Danielle's Journey and A Touch Of Sparkle have been moved off to the right-hand listing, as I couldn't face another heap of bills going straight into the off-season - it reminds me too much of the ridiculous NF situation over here. I would like to do something in Ireland at some stage in the future, but my mind needs resetting first. Time to thoroughly enjoy my racing again, and if that means England and Australia only, so be it...

PS. The trainer report is saying that Pop Label might be better over a mile. Well, it's a conclusion that has come far too late for my liking, like stating the obvious after the answer has been whispered in your ear for weeks on end - it certainly can't be used as an excuse when I've been screaming for more distance for months, no more than the inside gate draw (something cited in the report) when a horse won from there by 1.5 lengths only two races before, and this is why you get to the point that you can't even be bothered to go and watch your own nags any more. Phosphorus at Urawa might be interesting, and then there's Trovao in early June, but after that, switching on the TV to watch races is as much effort as I can justify with my mind the way it is right now - I certainly don't want to waste yet more time and money only to be constantly disappointed. Simply making up numbers without a fight is not racing, and there's way too much of that going on. If even half as much effort was put into getting decent results as there is withdrawing money from my bank account every month, we might get somewhere.

CAUB III

As expected, Larressingle has been shipped off to Northern Farm, which basically means its career is as good as finished. There are the usual excuses of being tired, but there's no way on earth that a three-year old Thoroughbred is 'tired' after six races in seven months - look at Blacklister! I'm disappointed more than anything because I at least expected a bit of honesty from Ogata-sensei, as I sincerely felt he was better than the other JRA lot - why not just say the space was needed for a new horse? I'm sure there was pressure to throw in the towel after twice the normal level of entries for a horse that hasn't won, and there must have been relief in some quarters that it didn't bring in money for the first time, providing the perfect excuse for it to be shipped off to spread the costly keeping fees around the boys. If my experience of NF so far (which is naturally very, very extensive by now) is anything to go by, the "overhaul" will result in a nag that comes back months later absolutely useless, fails (doubtless, given a lack of real training and what will almost certainly be an unsuitable race after the last result), and ends up at NF again to be 'retrained'. As far as I'm concerned, you may as well retire the horse now and save us all the heartache and cash, for if it doesn't win, it will be sold anyway according to club rules, despite being a damned good pony, and far better than many that get kept due to one lucky or unworthy victory. Oh, but then NF wouldn't get their cut, and we can't have that, can we? Meanwhile, Rush Attack is being slated for a return to racing in autumn, which I'll believe when I see it.

Courtesy Townsville Turf Club

As we stand now, nine of my 13 Carrot horses (six of the seven JRA 'runners') are at Northern Farm for God knows how long, as well as three of my five Shadai nags (all NAR) - a pathetic situation that must surely serve as a wake-up call for even the most ardent supporter of the game out here. Although listed as being at the stable, Million Ways is also out of training, by the way (expected to be "walking" next week), so one can only conclude that Japanese racing - or what they have the audacity to call racing - has to be the worst value-for-money in the world.

PS. Raining Dollars (right, aka 'Ted') came a strong third in Townsville, Australia, and will run again next week over 1200m. No signs of tiredness, even after being crashed into the barriers a couple of weeks back. Strange isn't it, that only Japanese horses get so tired? On saying that, 'Bugatti' is a Japanese Thoroughbred, and today, after one day without training, he was running and kicking out his legs at all angles in the exercise ring, desperate to work off built-up tension - to the point, as it happens, that he had to go into the ring before tacking up, because he was that mad. As I said, it's all very strange. Or pure bull, of course...

Thank You Mick

Blacklister continues to provide some excellent sport - a horse that cost next to nothing compared to Japan prices (just over 5,000,000 yen in 2014), and has already run 19 times in the last year to pick up a 1-7-1 record so far. I'll spell that, because the JRA-related folks will assume it's a typo - not once, or even nine times (itself an unlikely figure in circles where three runs a year is all too common), NINETEEN. And I guarantee, he wouldn't go near a track if there was any question over his health, as I know how caring and professional Mick's stables are. Tired and in need of a three-month break after running six furlongs is pure bull - 'Bugatti' did a lot more work than that on Saturday and was bouncing off the walls wanting to do the same the next day, and he's not even on a racing diet any more! How on earth JRA trainers have got away with pulling the wool over people's eyes for so long is beyond me. Or maybe it's not that big a surprise, knowing the score. Anyway, last night saw Blacklister finish a strong second against a class pony, and watching some of his videos before the race simply brought home how much pleasure I get from the Mick Channon string - that horse, whether he was first or close to last, was given his best chance and gave his all in the heat of battle. No stupid excuses, no need for 'retraining' between races, just the thrill of pure sport. This is what racing is all about - a win is simply a bonus...

PS. Infinity Love is supposed to resemble a racehorse, at last, and is being lined for a mile turf race on the 28th, which is fine. It's even a bit exciting given that the Yahagi disaster is over and a new page has been turned. The problem is going to be getting a berth, for we can guarantee a prime race like that will be oversubscribed. At least we have some more UK runners to come in the week, Raining Dollars in Oz tomorrow, and Pop Label on Friday. 

Time For Pure Sport

Ettie Hart was a very strong fifth at Brighton on Monday, having forced the pace from the off. With a run like that, probably a furlong over her best distance now we have some experience with her, her time will definitely come. I should add at this point, after seeing yet more silly, artificially-high prices at Funabashi auctions yesterday, that she is providing some excellent sport for a horse that cost 1,000,000 yen! Yes, one million, when yesterday the cheapest nag of over 60 sold was nearly five times that - the one I fancied was 50 times the price. People keep saying the purse is high in Japan, and indeed it is. But you have to win to claim it, and with monthly bills, time-outs, et cetera, you have to win everything in sight at those prices, and that's not going to happen in the real world - in JRA, there aren't enough races, and in NAR, those big prizes simply don't exist. Last year's auction star, Matsurida Bach, which cost the best part of $2,000,000 US, and has since eaten up a good 3,600,000 yen in stable fees at a very conservative estimate, has so far won 9,500,000 yen - most of that coming in a debut win, while its last race (its fourth to date) saw it finish last, 1.9 seconds down on the winner. Only 198,000,000 yen to go, and the owner will break even, assuming it can get it all back in one race today, as those stable fee invoices keep on coming. Seeing as the winner of the last race Matsurida Bach ran in picked up 10,350,000 yen for the victory four months ago, I think we can see the maths doesn't add up. Not by a long way. Time for some sense to start kicking in if you ask me - silly money and those that keep dishing it out without thought, are simply ruining the sport, and Shadai Farm, which fielded 90% of the horses yesterday, are the only ones getting rich from it...

PS. Another joke element of Japanese racing is the reliance on Northern Farm - another part of the Shadai empire, of course (what isn't?), and somewhere I have no trust in whatsoever. Five of my seven JRA runners with Carrot Club are there, mostly on holiday, apparently "tired," which is basically an annoying excuse to make up for the lack of races and lack of space at Miho and Ritto (in other words, a byproduct of there being too many horses in training, naturally created by Shadai greed). What about the other two? Well, one has just got back from NF a week ago, and I'm waiting for a report to say Larressingle has been shipped off - a diplomatic delay no doubt. Racing my ass! The only other thing to report is that Lotus Blossom has passed the race proficiency test, but guess what? Sore shins are a possibility, and she has been shipped off to Northern Farm, joining Vertice and Chocolat Sucre - between them, half of my NAR Carrot horses, and keeping company with the ultra-expensive Magic Key and Kealoha, who are also there for months. Seriously fed up! I may rename this piece CAUB III once I have calmed down.