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Yasuda Kinen watch.....
Watch out Japan, here come the Raiders :cool: (plus one)...
http://japanracing.jp/_news2008/080509.html Dao Dao withdrawn, info on "retirements". |
The ballad of Good Ba Ba...
http://racing.scmp.com/freeservice/n...s20080519a.asp * * * How I spent my weekend, by Bullish Luck... 19/05/2008 Trotting Sha Tin SmT SmT 2 Round - Rev Fast C.H.Tse 18/05/2008 Gallop Sha Tin AWT 30.9 25.8 (56.7) R.B. 18/05/2008 Trotting Sha Tin TroR TroR Canter R.B. 18/05/2008 Swimming 17/05/2008 Trotting Sha Tin SmT SmT 2 Round - Fast K.L.Chui 17/05/2008 Swimming 16/05/2008 Trotting Sha Tin SmT SmT 2 Round - Fast C.H.Tse 16/05/2008 Swimming |
Major Cadeaux is out...
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Probables... Vodka, Super Hornet, Kiss to Heaven, Kongo.
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... and arrive!
http://japanracing.jp/_news2008/080528.html PPs, first nominated horses... http://japanracing.jp/_news2008/pdf/080529.pdf |
Take on Suzuka P...
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PPs, first nominated horses...
http://japanracing.jp/_news2008/pdf/080602.pdf (Other link screwed up). |
Company out (eye injury)...
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HKJC...
Yasuda Kinen 2008 - Trackwork Notes, Tues, 3 June 3 June 2008 The big news on Tuesday morning regarding the trackwork for the Yasuda Kinen 2008 concerned the reported withdrawal of one of the leading Japanese hopes, Company, from the line-up. An eye injury is said to be behind this significant defection and his possible absence will no doubt strengthen the chances of the Hong Kong runners Good Ba Ba, Armada and Bullish Luck, all of whom travelled to Tokyo Racecourse on Tuesday from their quarantine facilities east of Tokyo. Confirmation of the withdrawal of Company is expected on Thursday when declarations are published. The three envoys from Sha Tin have reportedly settled in very well in Japan and Bullish Luck had an easy gallop on Monday after a 1000m hit-out on dirt a day earlier to the satisfaction of work rider Cody Mo. Tokyo has entered the rainy season early this year but the long-term forecast for the remainder of the week seems to point towards a track that should ride no slower than good. Armada, runner-up in the Champions Mile, was due to perform fast work on Wednesday having completed light laps on Sunday and Monday. Andreas Schutz, meanwhile, trainer of the leading Hong Kong chance, Good Ba Ba, said his six-year-old star would likely to stick to work on the turf track at Fuchu with breezes slated for Wednesday and Friday morning. Among the locals, both Suzuka Phoenix and Derby-winning filly Vodka are said to be looking good, improved from their previous starts. Vodka, whose lighter-than-normal bodyweight had been cause for concern, has regained condition in the past week or so. Elsewhere, trainer Yoshito Yahagi, responsible for perhaps the leading home-based runner Super Hornet, is confident his five-year-old is the one to beat. "As Japan's number one representative, we want to beat the Hong Kong horses," he trumpeted. "He has become more muscled and powerful in the past year and he has never been better," Yahagi added of his runner-up in the Mile Championship last November. Super Hornet's previous inability to weather the haul from Ritto training center to Tokyo is no longer a factor as his solid win in the May 17 Keio Hai Spring Cup at the Fuchu circuit indicates. Taking no chances, however, Yahagi has kept Super Hornet training at the Miho training center near Tokyo following the Keio. Cutting transport time to a fraction of what it takes from his home base at Ritto is a strategy that can only pay off on race day, the trainer concluded. |
Some nice pictures of the locals...
http://www.hkjc.com/english/news/news_2008060419199.htm Training report, HK kids... http://japanracing.jp/_news2008/pdf/080604.pdf |
Cody Mo?
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Cody!
HKJC... Racing News Yasuda Kinen 2008 - Trackwork, Thur, 5 June 5 June 2008 The Hong Kong trio for the Yasuda Kinen worked out nicely at Tokyo Racecourse on Thursday morning to the satisfaction of their respective trainers. Good Ba Ba performed one and a half laps of cantering on the turf track with rider Sammy Hui on board. Although the barriers will not be drawn until Friday, trainer Andreas Schutz has already singled out fellow Hong Kong contender Armada and Japanese Derby-winning filly Vodka as the strongest opponents in Sunday's race. "Of course, apart from my horse, all other horses engaged in the race are our rivals. But I would say Vodka will be the serious one, and Armada is also hard to beat as his form is improving," Schutz said. Trainer John Size rode Armada for one and a half laps of cantering on the dirt track, before schooling him in the paddock at Tokyo Racecourse this morning. "Though he's exercised on the dirt track today, he still responded well. He's now more accustomed to the environment here and there is nothing negative about him up to this moment," Size said. Rider Cody Mo :{>: :D gave veteran runner Bullish Luck a hit-out from the barrier, which was followed by a 600-metre gallop. "Last year, the horse was affected by minor leg injuries. But he is fresher this year as he's just had five gallops, including a barrier trial over 1,000m two weeks before coming to Japan. He's just given 85 percent in his previous run in the Champions Mile, and I'm confident his form will improve further this time in the Yasuda Kinen," his trainer Tony Cruz said. In addition to highly favourable opinions regarding the three Hong Kong participants, the lion's share of the attention continues to focus on three of Japan's hopefuls for Sunday's Yasuda Kinen, the final leg of the Asian Mile Challenge -- Vodka, Suzuka Phoenix and Super Hornet. Vodka and Suzuka Phoenix were given their final fast workouts before the race, with Vodka working up the hill course at Ritto. A time of 52.8 seconds up 800 meters of heavy dirt with little urging received acclaim, as did the Derby-winning filly's condition. Carrying good weight again, Vodka looked much improved from her last run in the Victoria Mile, in which she finished second in an all-female field. Paired with new rider Yasunari Iwata, expectations are high that Vodka can show the strength she did last year in her historic Derby run. Suzuka Phoenix clocked 52.6 seconds over the same hill course, but with strong urging. With a sharp wrap-up furlong under 13 seconds and given the condition of the ground after days of rain, opinions were high. Rider Yutaka Take, off Vodka and staying with Suzuka Phoenix for the Yasuda, acknowledged the "difficulties" of the 6-year-old's recent races. Suzuka Phoenix has failed to make the winner's circle since December, turning in a second and two third-place finishes in his last three starts. "He has the ability and the power," Take said. "And I'm looking forward to giving a Group 1 winner's interview again." |
The barrier draw...
http://japanracing.jp/_news2008/080606.html From our friends at SCMP..... Friday, June 6, 2008 Old warhorse still young enough to shock handler ALAN AITKEN He might be nine years old, but it wouldn't seem a top-class mile event in the region without Bullish Luck and he was still young enough to spring a surprise on long-time handler Cody Mo Wai-kit at Fuchu yesterday morning. The old warhorse tipped Mo off when he unexpectedly leaned down to the track on his way off the course after he completed a 600m test starting from the barriers. "I think he was tired of his normal food and trying to get a mouthful of real grass," Mo said after the harmless incident and that accords with trainer Tony Cruz's assessment of what Bullish Luck has been about in Tokyo. "At first, loneliness was a problem but he got used to it - as long as he has his food he is not worried," laughed Cruz. "I'm very happy with him and I liked his work this morning." The loneliness has come about by quarantine protocols which saw Bullish Luck separated from Armada and Good Ba Ba in the quarantine station and at the racecourse - due to Bullish Luck's participation in Dubai - but, strangely, he was allowed to travel alongside the other horses from Hong Kong to Japan and from the quarantine centre to the racecourse. Bullish Luck is back for his third Yasuda Kinen after a win two years ago and a fourth the year before that and the only reason he isn't looking for four in a row was injury. "He was galloped on in Dubai last year and I wasn't able to get him fit to run in the Champions Mile, so he wasn't invited," Cruz said. "His win was brilliant and his unlucky run when he was fourth was also very good." Friday, June 6, 2008 Ba Ba ready to take his Yasuda revenge Alan Aitken in Tokyo Good Ba Ba's light canter at Fuchu yesterday left trainer Andreas Schutz and on-lookers to believe the world's joint top-rated miler is ready to take revenge for his Tokyo defeat last year. Hong Kong's star entry for the US$1.85 million Yasuda Kinen on Sunday was never set a task, but it was the way he went about the leisurely jog rather than the work itself. Good Ba Ba punctuated both his path from the quarantine area to the track and the canter on the track itself with snorts and playful bucks more in keeping with a horse fresh from a break than after a long campaign, and his bright appearance underscored Schutz's confidence. "There is a big difference between 2007 and how he has come here this year and I couldn't be happier. I don't think he's even close to empty and he's the best chance I've had in five visits to win a major in Japan," the German said. Schutz took the opportunity to use Fuchu's turf track despite not asking Good Ba Ba for much of an effort but there was deliberate method to the move. "With heavy rain on Wednesday, the dirt was very sloppy but the main reason for going on the turf was to keep Good Ba Ba happy," Schutz said. "Last year he gave the impression that he preferred the turf. He travels quite strongly on the dirt but is more relaxed on the turf. Also, going around the racetrack, he learns more about the track - the undulations in the back and in the straight are quite significant." In last year's seventh to Daiwa Major, Good Ba Ba had left his best at home after a tough season and Schutz is confident that isn't going to happen this time. "His jockey Olivier Doleuze and I have talked about this a lot with the owner," Schutz said. "Last year, the horse had a stable change during the season and came to me as a Class 1 horse and had some tough races getting through to the top grade. He then came to Japan off a disappointing run in the Champions Mile and was on the way down. This time, he has been racing since October in top company but has done it all so easily. Even in a close finish in the Hong Kong Mile, Olivier only used the stick once and he has said all season that he has not had to be so hard on the horse." Victory would earn Good Ba Ba a US$1 million bonus as the winner of the Champions Mile at Sha Tin, as well as the title of Asian Mile Challenge champion and certainly Hong Kong's Horse Of the Year - a title which may already be his anyway. A dominant foreign win may even see his ranking as world's joint top miler adjusted to give him a clear margin. John Size, meanwhile, gave Armada a canter around on the dirt track in equally quiet fashion and is just as pleased with his runner. "All the weight he lost on the way over he put straight back on. He's enjoying the cooler weather and I'm not concerned about his condition," Size said. "He looked around a bit this morning on the track but I don't think he'll do it in a field. And he's comfortable with the left-handed direction. I'm looking for something to worry about and haven't found it yet." Declarations were taken for the race yesterday with Japan's highly-rated Company missing, as expected, due to an eye injury. |
Good Ba Ba / Vodka / Bullish Luck with either I'll Love Again or Kiss to Heaven 4th.
HK Raiders training vids... Good Ba Ba http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/08.asx Bullish Luck http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/18.asx Armada http://www.jra.go.jp/keiba/thisweek/...raining/02.asx |
Why yes, yes i will just keep right on talking to myself here.....
Anyone staying up? Edit - someone on another forum (in Japan) says Bullish Luck is 53/1 there.:eek: |
Well since I'm the only one here,
GOOD LUCK HONG KONG RAIDERS!!! |
Vodka lookin good!
Armada 2nd... |
It's bad enough TVG cuts away every second to show Los Al..... now they're ******* up Armada's name and calling him After the Dance?
Idiots. Replay... http://www.jra.go.jp/JRADB/asx/2008/...803050611h.asx |
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I was wrong about Vodka, she hadn't peaked already she ran a hell of a race under Iwata last night.
Great for Hong Kong that After the Dance got up for second under D Whyte, a little dissapointed in Good Ba Ba's race. |
pretty strong finish. i don't know who it was though. the announcer sounded like the Japanese version of Vic Stauffer though.
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Here is the English version for those who can access the link:
http://66.209.93.91/racereplays/repl...d1a2b1f2237e1a |
HKJC.....
As an aside, if they're gonna call him After the Dance, they should call Bullish by his former name too I suppose... :rolleyes: I heard from someone there that Good Ba Ba looked awful before the race. * * * Armada second to Vodka in Yasuda Kinen 8 June 2008 John Size's first overseas foray ended happily as Armada emerged with huge credit to run second to tearaway winner Vodka in the 58th running of the Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo on Sunday. Good Ba Ba, however, on whom the majority of Hong Kong's were pinned, delivered nothing but anticlimax. The horse that had strung together four straight major titles to rank among the world's top ten could finish only 17th. Bullish Luck, meanwhile, also disappointed and trailed home in 14th place. A widening three and a half lengths separated Vodka from Armada in second and Size, though very proud of his runner's courageous performance, said the victorious mare - winning for the first time since the Japanese Derby a year ago- was "different class". Reflecting on the race, Size said: "I asked Douglas [Whyte, jockey] to press on from the wide barrier and to put him in the race and he did everything right. In the run I was extremely pleased, but it would have been impossible for him to beat the winner on the day - she was explosive. She was well drawn in five and followed Armada but then went past him like he was standing still before the 200m." Size, in touching distance of a fifth Hong Kong trainers' premiership in seven years, has been buoyed by the positive outcome and may consider a return trip. "I'll bring him back if he's in good form next year. I was confident that he'd travel well and deliver on the day and he has done the best that he can do. You can't ask for more than that," he said. Andreas Schutz was naturally deflated by Good Ba Ba's no-show but refused to specify any particular excuse. "It's a disappointing end to the season because we haven't seen the true Good Ba Ba today. If he had finished fourth you could say he's beaten by better horses on the day, but to finish where he did.... I think we should scratch the form and look forward to next season. "He was a little further forward than I thought he would be but he was tracking the winner," Schutz continued, "and going into the turn Olivier said he sort of stumbled on the loose track and suddenly he had no more horse underneath him when the winner kicked. In the straight he was squeezed by Bullish Luck but basically the race was over for us by then. "I don't think it was a case of him coming here after a long season. What worried me was that he got very excited at the start and he didn't do that last year [when seventh in this race]. Olivier said to me after the race that he could feel inside that he was not quite right. "Armada has run second today and we beat him fair and square in the Champions Mile by a length with something still in the tank. So on Hong Kong form we could have performed like Vodka did - but today was just an off-day." Bullish Luck was another to endure a sub-par performance and his finishing position came as a surprise to jockey Brett Prebble. "At the 700m I thought I would win, he was going so well. But then in the straight he hung in very badly and it felt like he might have been feeling something," Prebble said. "I know he's an older horse but that run wasn't like him. He probably didn't really appreciate the sort of shifty, used ground out there but it was the way he hung in under pressure that concerned me." As regards Vodka, her victory was another major title for Katsuhiko Sumii and jockey Yasunari Iwata who famously combined to win the Melbourne Cup in 2006 with Delta Blues. Iwata said he only found out he was riding the mare in the newspaper in the days leading up to the race as previous rider Yutaka Take was committed to the mount on Suzuka Phoenix. Vodka will now have a break and return in the Autumn with a crack at the Tenno Sho her initial objective. |
"He (Bullish Luck) owes no one anything," Brett Prebble on Bullish Luck. :)
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As an aside, just cause I bring him up every chance i get, the year Armada won most improved... http://www.hkjc.com/english/special/...sp?cat=2&chn=7 ... was the same year Bulldozer (swoon) was up for champion griffin. http://www.hkjc.com/english/special/...sp?cat=2&chn=6 He didn't win. Trying to remember why Armada was gone for a year... Check out who he beat home here... http://www.hkjc.com/english/racing/r...2007&raceno=08 and here... http://www.hkjc.com/english/racing/r...2006&raceno=08 Stellar fields! He was 2nd to Ba Ba once (or twice? Would have to check). Excerpt, Top 50 as of June 6th... can't wait to see the next list! God I love these guys. :{>: :D :) 130 SACRED KINGDOM G268 P F Yiu 129 GOOD BA BA E201 A Schutz 129 VIVA PATACA G096 J Moore 126 ARMADA E246 J Size 123 BULLISH LUCK C155 A S Cruz 123 FLORAL PEGASUS G011 A S Cruz 123 PACKING WINNER E334 L Ho 121 HELLO PRETTY E210 A S Cruz |
You make a good case for Armada, I don't remember that one in which he beat both Viva Pataca and Bullish Luck.
I'm a little partial to Viva Pataca, at 2200 Metres he's as solid a horse there is in Hong Kong. |
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