Yea, I'm talking to myself!!!
Where the hell are you, Sunday Star?
Form....
I'll Love Again (left)I'll Love Again: A model of consistency, and was rewarded in March when he broke through for his first win at Principal race level (The Ocean Stakes). He has won his only start at Hanshin, he has a good record at Nakayama which has a steep ascent in the final stages which is similar to that here at Hanshin, and he comes into this race after a nice return from a spell when finishing well for 4th in the 1000m dash down the straight in the Ibis Summer Dash in mid July. He usually races on the pace, and looks very hard to hold out here.
Agnes Raspberry (1st from left)Agnes Raspberry: Another consistent performer who has been in fine form this summer, finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in her past 3 starts - all at Principal race level. She has finished 1st and 2nd in her two starts at Hanshin, so she will handle the track, but she does have a tendency to get back in her races which may be the biggest factor against her on Sunday. She definitely has the ability to win with the right run.
Kinshasa no Kiseki (right)Kinshasa no Kiseki: An Australian bred 4yo son of Fuji Kiseki, this lightly raced horse is no doubt one of the best horses racing in Japan that is yet to win a Grade race. He was 3rd in the Grade 1 NHK Mile Cup for 3yos when he was 6 months younger than the rest of the field (due to his southern hemisphere origin), and was very impressive last start when winning in open class over 1400m. Coming back to 1200m for the first time since his easy win on debut, but as he can tend to over-race, that may suit even better than the 1400m -1600m races he has been contesting throughout his career. Looks the standout in the field on current ability, but as with Agnes Raspberry, the question will be whether he gets too far back in the early stages.
Orewa MatteruzeOrewa Matteruze: One of only two Grade 1 winners in the field, and although his form has been ordinary over the past year, he will have his followers here on Sunday with the announcement that top jockey Yutaka Take has been booked to ride him in this race. He is now a 7yo, but older horses have been performing well in Japan in recent years, and he showed earlier in the year that he can still run fast time when finishing 3rd in the Grade 2 Keio Hai Spring Cup in the time of 1:20.1 for 1400m. He has never won at Hanshin, but has 4 placings from 5 starts. Many fans will be hoping that Take can bring the son of Sunday Silence back to life on Sunday, and there is no doubt that at his best, he would be an odds-on favorite in this field.
Kanoya ZakuraKanoya Zakura: A 3yo filly who comes into this with 3 wins and 1 second from just 8 starts. After finding the 1600m too far against Japan's best fillies in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) in April, she was brought back to 1400m and won well in open company, before being well fancied when running in the Kitakyushu Kinen last start over 1200m. Although she finished 5th there, the form out of that race may prove to be false as the inside part of the track was terribly cut up that day. This track will be a very different story, and with her early pace and light weight of 53kgs, she may be one to include in multiples.
Kyowa RoaringKyowa Roaring: Winner of the race mentioned above, the Kitakyushu Kinen, when finding the best part of the track. That was his first principal race win (at his 30th career start), and this race will show us whether the 6yo Sunday Silence entire is a late maturer who can be a force in these principal race level sprints, or whether last start was a one-off. Considering the state of the track last start, most fans will presume the latter.
Fusaichi Richard (left)Fusaichi Richard: Equal topweight here with Orewa Matteruze on 58kgs, as the only other Grade 1 winner in the field. That was back in 2005 when he was crowned Champion 2yo of Japan, but after starting well in his classic year, he has been in a long slump, with just one victory since his 2005 Grade 1 victory. He has been tried under various conditions (including finishing 6th in the Godolphin Mile on dirt in March this year), and is now being raced over 1200m. A horse with a lot of ability, but this does not appear to be the right race for him.
Meisho TopperMeisho Topper: Difficult to evaluate his chances here. Looked like a future star when blitzing the field in the time of 1:07.7 over 1200m at Kokura in late July, which earned him second favoritism last start in the Kitakyushu Kinen mentioned above, but he could only finish 10th there. His work before that race had been poor though, and the inside part of the track where he raced was the worst part of the track. If he is back to the condition he was in two starts back, he could well be the knock out chance here.
Golden CastGolden Cast: Winner of this race in both 2004 and 2005, when it was run at the Hanshin racecourse. Last year he did not perform when the race was run at Chukyo, but back at Hanshin, the conditions may suit better. He is now a 7yo however, and it has been over a year since he was last placed in a race.