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News.com.au
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Japanese frontrunner Meisho Tabaru books 2025 Cox Plate start with Takarazuka Kinen win
Meisho Tabaru could be the latest Japanese galloper to have a crack at the Cox Plate after his frontrunning win in the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin. Meisho Tabaru finished fifth in the Group 1 Dubai Turf (1800m) at his previous run before leading throughout under Japanese riding legend Yukata Take to notch his first Group 1 win in the ¥651,000,000 (approx. $A7 million) feature. 'My plan was to take the lead, and although I was unsure about the pace, I think we were able to race at just the right pace,' Take said. 'I knew the other horses were going to make a bid early but my mount had good momentum going around the fourth corner and I was hoping that he would manage to push through.' Australian-based jockey Michael Dee finished third aboard Justin Palace while Damian Lane steered Chuck Nate into fifth. Winning the Takarazuka Kinen earned Meisho Tabaru's connections a subsidised invitation to run in October's Cox Plate at The Valley. Bookmakers installed Meisho Tabaru as a $15 chance in Cox Plate betting after the stallion qualified for the $5 million showpiece. Lys Gracieux won the Takarazuka Kinen before heading to Australia to win the Cox Plate with Lane aboard in 2019, becoming the first Japanese horse to win Australasia's weight-for-age championship. Prognosis was the latest Japanese performer to tackle the Cox Plate but bumped into Via Sistina in peak form, finishing eight lengths adrift when second to the star mare in 2024. Via Sistina is the $2.30 favourite to win the Cox Plate for the second straight year on October 25. The Takarazuka Kinen is the first of three 'win and you're in' qualifying races for the Cox Plate. The Juddmonte International at York in August and the Saratoga Derby in New York on September 1 will also offer subsidised Cox Plate starts to the winner.
Japan Forward
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Hong Kong Racing: Tastiera Returns to Top Level with Victory in QEII Cup
Damian Lane guided Tastiera to a 1¾-length victory over Prognosis in the lucrative 2,000-meter G1 race at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong. Tastiera, piloted by Damian Lane, triumphs in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong on April 27, 2025. (©The Hong Kong Jockey Club/via SANKEI) It was FWD Champions Day in Hong Kong on Sunday, April 27 and among the competition from around the world, Japan sent eight runners to contest the three G1 races held on the day at Sha Tin Racecourse. Prior to the big event, it looked as if Japan's best chance of a win might come in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (aka QEII Cup), a race that has given the country winners on numerous occasions, with the most recent being Loves Only You in 2021. Three of Japan's best middle-distance horses were entered for the race, and each one of them was looking to find a way to get their careers back on track, having not quite lived up to expectations recently. The 2025 QEII Cup looked to be at the mercy of one of the Japanese runners, but they would have to beat the French-trained Goliath, winner of the 2024 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, and a respectable sixth-place getter in the Japan Cup, the last time he ran, when connections felt things didn't go his way. It was Tastiera that proved to be the best of the Japan-trained runners, with the 2023 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) champion winning the QEII Cup under jockey Damian Lane, riding once again for trainer Noriyuki Hori. Always racing in a handy position, Tastiera went on to win comfortably. Lane had nothing but praise for the trainer: "He's an amazing conditioner of horses, and I just feel privileged and lucky to be here on these days, as well as getting to ride these top horses. It's very rewarding." Hori was also pleased with the outcome. "It's been a while since the horse has shown his best here in Hong Kong," Hori said. "With the different environment, it's not always easy to bring out the best in him. Maurice has been the only horse I've brought here that could win at the first attempt. I have to thank Damian as well, being a key man for our stable." Japan's other two runners in the race, Prognosis and Liberty Island, both trained by Mitsumasa Nakauchida, couldn't match up to the might of Tastiera. Prognosis, ridden by James McDonald, finished second in the race for the third consecutive year. Liberty Island, a multiple G1 winner in Japan, had to be pulled up by jockey Yuga Kawada, just when it seemed the horse might have a chance turning for home. According to Jiji Press, Liberty Island was diagnosed with a torn ligament in her left foreleg. After the race, the 5-year-old was euthanized. Ka Ying Rising (Zac Purton's ride) claims victory in the Chairman's Sprint Prize. (©The Hong Kong Jockey Club/via SANKEI) The first of the G1 races on the day, the Chairman's Sprint Prize, saw Japan field four runners in a bid to lower the colors of champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising. But the 4-year-old gelding, trained by David Hayes, proved to be just that and some more, when running away with the 1,200 meters contest. Before the race, Joao Moreira, hot off G1 success in Japan, thought he might be able to get a bit closer to the champion on Satono Reve (also trained by Hori). But it was just wishful thinking, even though he was still pleased with this year's G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner. "We've probably just bumped into the best sprinter in the world," the Brazilian ace commented. "I couldn't have been happier though, with the way my horse performed." Japan's other runners, Lugal, Danon McKinley and A Shin Fencer, all started slowly, although the latter was driven up to be closer to the pace by jockey Craig Williams. And while Lugal and Danon McKinley gained ground on the inside later in the race, they were certainly no match for the latest sprint sensation in Hong Kong, who won in a time of 1 minute, 7.88 seconds, 2¼ lengths ahead of Satono Reve. Not too much was lost in defeat, with winning jockey Zac Purton saying: "I applaud the Japanese. They're willing to travel and take anyone on anywhere in the world." FWD Champions Mile winner Red Lion (left) and runner-up Voyage Bubble compete in Hong Kong. (©The Hong Kong Jockey Club/via SANKEI) Gaia Force was the other runner for Japan on the day, and he contested the G1 FWD Champions Mile. Up against the likes of Hong Kong's Voyage Bubble and Australia's Mr Brightside, the striking 6-year-old grey by Kitasan Black put in a good run before fading to ninth at the finish. Trainer Haruki Sugiyama shrugged off the wide draw for the horse, and he looked to be right, with Kawada getting Gaia Force into a good position, where he could run to suit his racing style. He was, however, unable to keep up the momentum, with longshot Red Lion and Voyage Bubble doing battle to the line, and it was Hugh Bowman on the outsider that just prevailed, but he did have to survive a stewards' inquiry. Of Gaia Force, Kawada said: "He started well and kept up the pressure, but just lost some power towards the end." Official results: Sprint, Mile, Cup Please visit the Hong Kong Jockey Club website for the latest news and further information. Author: JRA News
