News has just filtered through that Vertice, on the week of what should be its debut, has picked up a leg or hoof problem of some sort. Northern Farm strikes again! I cannot believe the incompetence of this place. So now, of my 11 NAR horses, we are down to just Shine Tiara (not running well), Another Door (doing awful) and Trovao (going okay). All the others are either fully injured, slightly injured, or walking wounded (I think we can include Phosphorus in this category given that it is going to be sent away on holiday for "mental rehab"). This is simply not acceptable!
On the JRA side, of the seven left, only one is 'running' - I say running, because it's at the racing stable, but then it has been since the start of May, and we've had one run in which it came tenth. It should be out again on the 2nd July, but - assuming the race isn't oversubscribed - I can't see anything spectacular happening other than another bill for upkeep. The others are either on holiday or injured, or being "retrained" - can't forget that classic proclamation. There are rumours that JRA is looking for foreign investors - we are suddenly welcome having been shut out for decades, which means they must be struggling. Whatever, from my bitter experience, my advice to anyone thinking of giving it a whirl would be to forget the idea completely...
PS. Yesterday's big race had me in stitches when it finished. Why? Well, we know the way things work now, and my wife had a theory that it was time for a Carrot Club win with the new catalogues due (the Shadai ones have already been released, of course). She was right! And naturally it was a Deep Impact kid to keep the flag flying and take attention from the multitude of Deep also-rans; a nice touch was a Miho TC stable, to stop folks keep looking at Ritto-based stables first to spread the wealth around. Oh boy.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Thursday, June 23, 2016
No Effort Seen
I'm not going to say "as expected," because Another Door's race on Thursday afternoon was even worse than I expected. To be perfectly honest, that was one of the worst all-round performances I've seen in a long time (and lord knows I've had more than enough experience of those in Japan recently), despite the supposedly better jockey. Indeed, having watched it again, it's no exaggeration to say that there wasn't one positive thing to come out of that race - unlike Lillyput's hard charge, it's difficult to see there was even any effort made in transforming this donkey into a racer. Had the horse cost 500,000 yen, it would have been disappointing, but at 16,000,000 yen, someone should be chopping their pinky off! It was an all too typical 'making up the numbers' entry. You'd have to be mad to keep buying horses at this price when they perform at this level...
Phosphorus, who runs (I hope that's the right word) on Friday, has been out 27 times, sporting a 5-4-3 record as a five-year old, which is an awful lot better than most will ever achieve. Yet he's still only brought in 9,500,000 yen, while the running costs for half of his career wipe that out completely, and we still haven't started eating into the purchase price and the hefty one-off insurance bill. Pop Label has pulled in about 12,000,000 yen from three wins, but only because he was a juvenile champion - he's just about covered most of his keep at that (you'd be a couple of million off - a figure that could buy a couple of nags in the UK!), but the 12,000,000 yen purchase price remains uncovered, and retirement looms. These are good horses and still can't approach paying for themselves, so what chance is there with the likes of Another Door, with two races and zero income? In conclusion, until the auction prices and cost of club horses (Shadai/Sunday in particular) start getting realistic, NAR is simply no longer viable as an enjoyable hobby when there are horses available for a fraction of the price abroad - horses that run more and break down a lot less.
PS. Once again, Phosphorus was incredibly disappointing. Things went well until the third corner, when he looked strong, holding the lead, but by the fourth he was starting to go backwards, losing by about nine lengths to come sixth and out of the money yet again! I really do despair. If it was up to me, I'd retire the bloody lot of them in Japan, with the exception of Trovao, for they're either has-beens, sickly or downright useless.
PPS. The post-race report hasn't cheered me up one iota. The jockey is saying he gave up, and that's why the result was poor, yet he whipped the hell out of 'Phos' on the home straight, so I don't believe that. In addition, the problem is apparently mental rather than physical, so a holiday is called for. Well, I'm sorry, sending a horse to Northern Farm is the worst thing I can think of. For the record, not that my opinion is worth much, I have literally asked for retirement. Had I been told he was going away for the summer because he doesn't like the heat, I might feel a bit better, but this barrage of BS is verging on nonsense! Another one down...
Phosphorus, who runs (I hope that's the right word) on Friday, has been out 27 times, sporting a 5-4-3 record as a five-year old, which is an awful lot better than most will ever achieve. Yet he's still only brought in 9,500,000 yen, while the running costs for half of his career wipe that out completely, and we still haven't started eating into the purchase price and the hefty one-off insurance bill. Pop Label has pulled in about 12,000,000 yen from three wins, but only because he was a juvenile champion - he's just about covered most of his keep at that (you'd be a couple of million off - a figure that could buy a couple of nags in the UK!), but the 12,000,000 yen purchase price remains uncovered, and retirement looms. These are good horses and still can't approach paying for themselves, so what chance is there with the likes of Another Door, with two races and zero income? In conclusion, until the auction prices and cost of club horses (Shadai/Sunday in particular) start getting realistic, NAR is simply no longer viable as an enjoyable hobby when there are horses available for a fraction of the price abroad - horses that run more and break down a lot less.
PS. Once again, Phosphorus was incredibly disappointing. Things went well until the third corner, when he looked strong, holding the lead, but by the fourth he was starting to go backwards, losing by about nine lengths to come sixth and out of the money yet again! I really do despair. If it was up to me, I'd retire the bloody lot of them in Japan, with the exception of Trovao, for they're either has-beens, sickly or downright useless.
PPS. The post-race report hasn't cheered me up one iota. The jockey is saying he gave up, and that's why the result was poor, yet he whipped the hell out of 'Phos' on the home straight, so I don't believe that. In addition, the problem is apparently mental rather than physical, so a holiday is called for. Well, I'm sorry, sending a horse to Northern Farm is the worst thing I can think of. For the record, not that my opinion is worth much, I have literally asked for retirement. Had I been told he was going away for the summer because he doesn't like the heat, I might feel a bit better, but this barrage of BS is verging on nonsense! Another one down...
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Wet Weather
Went across to Funabashi yesterday for the first time in a long while - not that I had anything running, of course (one friend said they were happy to pick up a second place - I said I'd be happy to have something that wasn't crippled), but at least it got me out of the house for a bit and I managed to see a few folks that I wanted to have a word with; more than anything, it gave my Mum, who's visiting, an evening out.
As the time difference caught up during my sleep, Sayesse came a handy third - we were a bit worried about the soft ground, and indeed it slowed his pace just enough to lose by a length. But he needed the run, and ideal conditions are hard to find in the UK at the moment, as the rain has been heavy for a while now. Later in the day, Lillyput - the only weak link in our English campaign - ran her heart out, and it's a shame she couldn't be rewarded with anything better than last having seen how hard she ran. Unlike some of the recent Japanese races, the effort was clearly visible - she can go back to the stables with her head held high after a performance like that, and you can be sure she'll be out again in the next week or so (maybe Monday) rather than having to wait months for a shot at revenge.
Lots more English racing to come over the next few days, and, for a change, something is happening in Japan, too. Another Door runs at Monbetsu on Thursday, but I'm not expecting much to be honest - another heavily overpriced nag that has failed to live up to expectations if the first run is anything to go by, and injuries are around the corner if the pattern I've seen far, far too often kicks in. Whatever, I shall be watching the race with interest, that's for sure, as it will have to improve an awful lot just to finish in the top three! Phosphorus is out on Friday, too, although I'm disillusioned with this one as well - the spirit that made him a winner has gone completely since his operations and NF excursion. For that reason, even though I love the trainer to bits, I'll be staying at home to watch his race.
As the time difference caught up during my sleep, Sayesse came a handy third - we were a bit worried about the soft ground, and indeed it slowed his pace just enough to lose by a length. But he needed the run, and ideal conditions are hard to find in the UK at the moment, as the rain has been heavy for a while now. Later in the day, Lillyput - the only weak link in our English campaign - ran her heart out, and it's a shame she couldn't be rewarded with anything better than last having seen how hard she ran. Unlike some of the recent Japanese races, the effort was clearly visible - she can go back to the stables with her head held high after a performance like that, and you can be sure she'll be out again in the next week or so (maybe Monday) rather than having to wait months for a shot at revenge.
Lots more English racing to come over the next few days, and, for a change, something is happening in Japan, too. Another Door runs at Monbetsu on Thursday, but I'm not expecting much to be honest - another heavily overpriced nag that has failed to live up to expectations if the first run is anything to go by, and injuries are around the corner if the pattern I've seen far, far too often kicks in. Whatever, I shall be watching the race with interest, that's for sure, as it will have to improve an awful lot just to finish in the top three! Phosphorus is out on Friday, too, although I'm disillusioned with this one as well - the spirit that made him a winner has gone completely since his operations and NF excursion. For that reason, even though I love the trainer to bits, I'll be staying at home to watch his race.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Catalogue Of Disasters Part 2
No UK racing after all due to a waterlogged track, but at least there was an intention to run two horses - in Japan, there isn't even intent, just Northern Farm reports on treadmills and the odd canter. In fact, 'Bugatti' works a lot harder, doing more in a warming up session than the average JRA horse that's supposed to be "in training" - if it wasn't so annoying, it would just be a funny joke that no-one outside Japan could believe possible for Thoroughbreds that are supposed to still be racing. No-one outside Japan could believe my NAR injury list either:
Shine Tiara: Second first time out, then a win, followed by three very disappointing runs. Doesn't seem to like sand being kicked up, which is hardly an ideal scenario for a dirt racer. Supposed to be running at Kawasaki in the first week of July.
Chocolat Sucre: A sickly child, which was third before winning, although the next two runs were poor. Off since the start of May with a throat operation having just been done. Will she come back strong? She'll definitely be off for a while yet, then need building up, and then have to overcome race-rust before we find out.
Trovao: The only horse that has been doing well, although the Tokyo Derby was disappointing, not so much for the team behind the nag, but JRA stealing the show - and naturally the prize-money, which is all JRA people care about. Next is the Japan Dirt Derby, when hopefully the NAR runners will allow the NAR horses to run freely instead of being stupid and mark them out of the race again! Looks like veteran star, Matoba-san, will be taking over the reins for the next run...
Pop Label: A Juvenile Champion that was wrongly run when it was injured. As such, after six months out for a knee operation, it hasn't won since August 2013! Recent results have been worse and worse, and the horse is now on the walking wounded list. Aiming for a late-August return.
Million Ways: Apart from one silly outing, it did well in six runs (winning twice), before awful races in April and May. Now having treatment that has taken the horse out of training, so what we'll get on its return is another big question mark. If we're lucky (and I mean lucky), it will return to the track at the end of July or start of August.
Kealoha: A late starter, but looked promising with a third and two wins. Now at Northern Farm with sore shins.
Phosphorus: This horse had a super record until the middle of 2015, then it had six months out for an operation on both front knees. Never done anything of note since, other than a second in April. I'll guess, as a five-year old, he'll be retired on a low note, like Pop Label.
Magic Key: A very expensive horse (although 16,000,000 yen is now becoming the norm - odd when you can buy a Prince Of Wales Stakes winner in the UK for 6,000,000 yen), which was fiddled out of a first race win, then after winning at last went straight out for six months for a knee operation.
Another Door: Another expensive one, but one wouldn't know it from the first race. Due out again on the 23rd, when we will know whether to expect something worthwhile or not, assuming it doesn't get injured five minutes into its career - something all too common out here, as you'll have seen by now.
Vertice: Due to debut soon, maybe on the 30th.
Lotus Blossom: Ironic that I bought into this to show support for NAR. Supposed to be making its debut, but it's being held back at Northern Farm due to sore shins. Great.
If after reading through this lot, people still think that I should be silent and supporting Japanese racing, well, you are welcome to try and talk me around. Just don't expect me to change my decision to finish my campaign here without being armed with some very good reasons not to...
Shine Tiara: Second first time out, then a win, followed by three very disappointing runs. Doesn't seem to like sand being kicked up, which is hardly an ideal scenario for a dirt racer. Supposed to be running at Kawasaki in the first week of July.
Chocolat Sucre: A sickly child, which was third before winning, although the next two runs were poor. Off since the start of May with a throat operation having just been done. Will she come back strong? She'll definitely be off for a while yet, then need building up, and then have to overcome race-rust before we find out.
Trovao: The only horse that has been doing well, although the Tokyo Derby was disappointing, not so much for the team behind the nag, but JRA stealing the show - and naturally the prize-money, which is all JRA people care about. Next is the Japan Dirt Derby, when hopefully the NAR runners will allow the NAR horses to run freely instead of being stupid and mark them out of the race again! Looks like veteran star, Matoba-san, will be taking over the reins for the next run...
Pop Label: A Juvenile Champion that was wrongly run when it was injured. As such, after six months out for a knee operation, it hasn't won since August 2013! Recent results have been worse and worse, and the horse is now on the walking wounded list. Aiming for a late-August return.
Million Ways: Apart from one silly outing, it did well in six runs (winning twice), before awful races in April and May. Now having treatment that has taken the horse out of training, so what we'll get on its return is another big question mark. If we're lucky (and I mean lucky), it will return to the track at the end of July or start of August.
Kealoha: A late starter, but looked promising with a third and two wins. Now at Northern Farm with sore shins.
Phosphorus: This horse had a super record until the middle of 2015, then it had six months out for an operation on both front knees. Never done anything of note since, other than a second in April. I'll guess, as a five-year old, he'll be retired on a low note, like Pop Label.
Magic Key: A very expensive horse (although 16,000,000 yen is now becoming the norm - odd when you can buy a Prince Of Wales Stakes winner in the UK for 6,000,000 yen), which was fiddled out of a first race win, then after winning at last went straight out for six months for a knee operation.
Another Door: Another expensive one, but one wouldn't know it from the first race. Due out again on the 23rd, when we will know whether to expect something worthwhile or not, assuming it doesn't get injured five minutes into its career - something all too common out here, as you'll have seen by now.
Vertice: Due to debut soon, maybe on the 30th.
Lotus Blossom: Ironic that I bought into this to show support for NAR. Supposed to be making its debut, but it's being held back at Northern Farm due to sore shins. Great.
If after reading through this lot, people still think that I should be silent and supporting Japanese racing, well, you are welcome to try and talk me around. Just don't expect me to change my decision to finish my campaign here without being armed with some very good reasons not to...
Catalogue Of Disasters Part 1
While I'm waiting for some proper racing in England, I thought I give a summary of the Japanese horses I have a stake in. First off, the JRA/Carrot Club donkeys, with a look at the NAR lot another day when I've calmed down:
Rush Attack: All downhill since August 2015. Last ran in March 2016, with hoof problems delaying a return to the track. No idea when it will ever return (certainly not as quickly as the sickly sweet Carrot Club reports imply if experience with this particular problem is anything to go by), and it feels like we are being used simply to pay for the recovery period until it can be sold following what will inevitably be a bad run when it does finally make a comeback.
Massabielle: Looked unbeatable until a miserable G2 race, followed by a very disappointing G1 debut. Sent to Northern Farm (NF) in October 2015 and came back totally useless five months later. On holiday for 'retraining' since March 2016, by the same people that made the beast useless in the first place, and no sign of it coming back any time soon! The question of why a horse of this calibre should need retraining has never been posed, let alone answered, but a lack of race runs is obviously at the heart of the problem. Now we have a muscle problem on the flanks, too, so another delay meaning the comeback could be months away yet. One really does wonder what the NF staff get paid for!
Belle Plage: Probably the most consistent of the JRA ponies, I suppose she has done enough, and recent poor results set her up nicely for retirement, allowing newcomers from the multitude of new catalogues to take her place.
Larressingle: Was doing well, but now has a "bad back" which, if it's true (and not just an excuse to make space at the stables), means that a 0-3-1-2 record is probably the end of it. In the meantime, we'll keep paying out until the recovery is complete so that someone can pick the horse up for a song at the auctions.
PS. Apparently, according to a new report published after this original piece was written, it will "take time" to get Larressingle back to the race arena. Well, in case no-one has noticed, due to the way Carrot Club works (keeping only winners, regardless of whether it was a worthy or lucky win, while good horses get tossed out if they haven't clocked up a victory), time is running out...
War Chronicle: Born in 2012, yet still only raced six times! On holiday since the end of April, and doubtless will be for months and months still to come. This horse will probably go down in history as the least run nag of all time!
Perfumer: Being kept because of one lucky win in a JRA-NAR joint race following a dismal first outing. Eight months off followed by two joke-level races and one half-decent one, and then another NF holiday since early May. As of the 21st June, that holiday looks like it will continue for a long time.
Infinity Love: Two disgusting outings under Yahagi, in which the horse ran as if it hadn't been trained at all, then a four-month break before a new trainer took it on. It was a fair bit better in its May debut, but we are still waiting for a second run under the new guy's watch. At least it is at a racing stable - the only one of all the JRA 'runners' that is not fading away at Northern Farm.
Somebody once said, why did you buy into so many JRA horses? Well, if you buy into one, you might get three races out of it in a year, simply because there aren't enough meetings for the amount of horses they keep breeding. Not much fun in that, is there? Next up, the NAR collection...
Rush Attack: All downhill since August 2015. Last ran in March 2016, with hoof problems delaying a return to the track. No idea when it will ever return (certainly not as quickly as the sickly sweet Carrot Club reports imply if experience with this particular problem is anything to go by), and it feels like we are being used simply to pay for the recovery period until it can be sold following what will inevitably be a bad run when it does finally make a comeback.
Massabielle: Looked unbeatable until a miserable G2 race, followed by a very disappointing G1 debut. Sent to Northern Farm (NF) in October 2015 and came back totally useless five months later. On holiday for 'retraining' since March 2016, by the same people that made the beast useless in the first place, and no sign of it coming back any time soon! The question of why a horse of this calibre should need retraining has never been posed, let alone answered, but a lack of race runs is obviously at the heart of the problem. Now we have a muscle problem on the flanks, too, so another delay meaning the comeback could be months away yet. One really does wonder what the NF staff get paid for!
Belle Plage: Probably the most consistent of the JRA ponies, I suppose she has done enough, and recent poor results set her up nicely for retirement, allowing newcomers from the multitude of new catalogues to take her place.
Larressingle: Was doing well, but now has a "bad back" which, if it's true (and not just an excuse to make space at the stables), means that a 0-3-1-2 record is probably the end of it. In the meantime, we'll keep paying out until the recovery is complete so that someone can pick the horse up for a song at the auctions.
PS. Apparently, according to a new report published after this original piece was written, it will "take time" to get Larressingle back to the race arena. Well, in case no-one has noticed, due to the way Carrot Club works (keeping only winners, regardless of whether it was a worthy or lucky win, while good horses get tossed out if they haven't clocked up a victory), time is running out...
War Chronicle: Born in 2012, yet still only raced six times! On holiday since the end of April, and doubtless will be for months and months still to come. This horse will probably go down in history as the least run nag of all time!
Perfumer: Being kept because of one lucky win in a JRA-NAR joint race following a dismal first outing. Eight months off followed by two joke-level races and one half-decent one, and then another NF holiday since early May. As of the 21st June, that holiday looks like it will continue for a long time.
Infinity Love: Two disgusting outings under Yahagi, in which the horse ran as if it hadn't been trained at all, then a four-month break before a new trainer took it on. It was a fair bit better in its May debut, but we are still waiting for a second run under the new guy's watch. At least it is at a racing stable - the only one of all the JRA 'runners' that is not fading away at Northern Farm.
Somebody once said, why did you buy into so many JRA horses? Well, if you buy into one, you might get three races out of it in a year, simply because there aren't enough meetings for the amount of horses they keep breeding. Not much fun in that, is there? Next up, the NAR collection...
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Death Of An Old Flame
A few people have asked me why I've gone so quiet on Facebook recently - it's easy to explain, because I've stopped using the account! As far as I'm concerned, JRA is a waste of time and money from a racing point of view (this conclusion was reached long ago), while NAR died for me after the Tokyo Derby. For people working in NAR to say nothing of the underhand trickery from the TCK trainer (perhaps to leave the JRA transfer option open for themselves) and heartily congratulate Yoshihara is a stinging slap in the face for owners that pay a lot to support NAR, yet very, very rarely get any kind of financial reward for doing so. It's as if we're expected to keep paying out, watch events stolen from under our noses, and accept that those taking our hard-earned money are quite happy to stand by and watch what is supposed to be their patch being raped by greedy invaders. One's love of the sport can only keep offsetting the constant disappointment of a multitude of injuries and poor results for so long. If the NAR folks can't see their livelihood at risk by stupid rules biased in favour of what should be the enemy (or can see but do nothing to fight them, which is the same thing), and put the loose 'friendship' of necky workmates that are supposed to be rivals ahead of the thoughts of those that ultimately pay their wages and keep them in business, then I don't see why I should work around the clock to keep supporting them - only a mug would continue to go without things themselves in order to support NAR if that's the kind of appreciation we can expect to get, especially in view of the rapidly escalating costs and dismal pots remaining the same. It's as simple as that...
Another World II
Louis was fourth in his jumping category on Sunday, with Sophie a pleasing second. Enjoying his freedom to pick up he pace, 'Bugatti' was ready for another go (maybe several more runs judging by his eyes), and reared up when he got back home - still in high tension mode, and breaking the holding ropes in the wash bay. If he was a JRA horse, if one is to believe all the drivel and bull in post-race reports, one would have expected him to be so tired after jumping once that he'd need a three-month rest after spending so much energy in the extreme heat, and a second jump session would have been out of the question. Yeah, right...
Seeing as I've got nothing running in Japan - yet again! - we may as well report on the Ascot meeting in England where Deep Impact wunderkind A Shin Hikari started as red hot favourite in the Prince Of Wales Stakes - it promptly finished sixth (as stated in Japanese reports), or last (as stated in European ones), for there were only six runners. Something also not banded about in Japan (I wonder why?) is that the winner went through the Goffs UK 2014 Breeze Up Sale for £40,000, the equivalent to 6,000,000 yen, which wouldn't buy anything in Japan today, other than horses that have already ran and failed. Reality strikes. As the Arabs have learnt (sadly far too late, for their mindless buying habits have pushed auction prices up and up), dreams can't be bought in England - you have to earn victories with the tools available. Meanwhile, A Shin Erwin was tenth in the Queen Anne Stakes, which was vaguely in line with the race's betting.
Seeing as I've got nothing running in Japan - yet again! - we may as well report on the Ascot meeting in England where Deep Impact wunderkind A Shin Hikari started as red hot favourite in the Prince Of Wales Stakes - it promptly finished sixth (as stated in Japanese reports), or last (as stated in European ones), for there were only six runners. Something also not banded about in Japan (I wonder why?) is that the winner went through the Goffs UK 2014 Breeze Up Sale for £40,000, the equivalent to 6,000,000 yen, which wouldn't buy anything in Japan today, other than horses that have already ran and failed. Reality strikes. As the Arabs have learnt (sadly far too late, for their mindless buying habits have pushed auction prices up and up), dreams can't be bought in England - you have to earn victories with the tools available. Meanwhile, A Shin Erwin was tenth in the Queen Anne Stakes, which was vaguely in line with the race's betting.
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