Japan Cup 2008
November 26th 2008 08:09
The 2008 Japan Cup will be run this Sunday on November the 30th.
The Japanese horses have dominated this race over the past decade with eight local horses being successful. The overall standing is skewed differently with overseas horses winning 14 of the past 27 Japan Cups (the 2400m Japan Cup was inaugurated in 1981 in an attempt to improve Japanese horses enough to enable them to compete on the world stage. An aspiration that has proven to be very successful).
The trend towards a victory by the home-grown Japanese product looks to be repeated again this year as the Japanese entries are full of local classic winners and champions.
Heading the list of local favourites is the sensational 4 year old mare Vodka, who was the first filly in more than six decades to defeat the colts and win the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) last year. She continues to impress at each appearance and will prove very hard to beat.
Meisho Samson was the winner of the Tokyo Yushun in 2006. Most recently he ran in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and was well beaten when 10th behind the incomparable Zarkava. Soon to go to stud and this would be a valuable addition to his already impressive resume. He is reputed to be working brilliantly.
Deep Sky is the 2008 winner of the Tokyo Yushun. This truly expresses the depth of this race to have the last three Derby winners contesting an international feature race. Could you imagine such a situation in England or the US with the last three Epsom Derby winners - or Kentucky Derby winners - lining up against each other! What a race that would be. Deep Sky was defeated by Vodka in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) but his very close third placing to Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet, in a race recognised as one of the best ever in Japan, elevates this 3 year old into a position of serious prominence. Especially because his trainer Mitsugu Kon suggested that his Agnes Tachyon colt was not even at peak fitness on that occasion. He receives a 2kg handicap relief to further aid his prospects. A 3 year old has not won the Japan Cup since Jungle Pocket in 2001 - but Deep Sky does appear to be exceptional.
The depth of Japanese entries further illustrated by the likes of Oken Bruce Lee, a Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) winner who is also a 3 year old and is hotly contesting the title of best 3 year old in Japan. Some good judges are predicting that the 3 year old colts might fight this race out. There is also the Sunday Silence stallion Matsurida Gogh who has proved unbeatable when running clockwise - but is yet to win running in the counter direction (of the Japan Cup). His trainer believes he has worked out the reason for his (from only three attempts) failure when running counter-clockwise - and he would be hard to beat if that is the case.
To exemplify the depth of this year’s race the very tough Sunday Silence gelding Pop Rock - who was narrowly defeated by his stablemate Delta Blues in the 2006 Melbourne Cup - is only given an outside chance of victory. He was runner-up in the 2007 Japan Cup and is a proven horse at this level.
This year the overseas entries are well-respected horses who have had a share of international exposure - and a degree of success - with strong efforts in prestigious Group Races in Europe and North America. The Montjeu 5 year old Papal Bull was second in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes of 2008 when 2nd behind Duke Of Marmalade. He finished 7th in the 2007 Japan Cup behind Admire Moon.
Sixties Icon is a 5 year old by Galileo who has a Group 3 win in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes (winning by 2 /4 lengths) as he best recent form - and he is a St Leger winner (by 2 1/2 lengths) in 2006.
Purple Moon is Luca Cumani’s 5 year old gelding who went close to winning the 2007 Melbourne Cup. He has only raced twice since and his last start 2nd at Longchamp in the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris behind Crossharbour has given Luca some cause for optimism that a stable favourite might prove very competitive once again when racing in the Asia Pacific region of the world.
Marsh Side is the US trained representative who was a surprise winner in the Canadian International. It would be another (this time huge) surprise he if could upset such a stellar field in the Japan Cup.
Latest Coral odds for the 2008 Japan Cup:
Vodka 7/2
Deep Sky 4/1
Meisho Samson 5/1
Matsurida Gogh 7/1
Papal Bull 10/1
Oken Bruce Lee 12/1
Purple Moon 14/1
Pop Rock 16/1
Asakusa Kings 20/1
Marsh Side 20/1
Sixties Icon 20/1
Toho Alan 20/1
others 33/1 to 150/1
Here is a link to a previous story I wrote about Vodka - an article which includes a video of her brilliant win in the 2008 Yasuda Kinen:
VODKA
Vodka: favourite for 2008 Japan Cup
The Japanese horses have dominated this race over the past decade with eight local horses being successful. The overall standing is skewed differently with overseas horses winning 14 of the past 27 Japan Cups (the 2400m Japan Cup was inaugurated in 1981 in an attempt to improve Japanese horses enough to enable them to compete on the world stage. An aspiration that has proven to be very successful).
The trend towards a victory by the home-grown Japanese product looks to be repeated again this year as the Japanese entries are full of local classic winners and champions.
Heading the list of local favourites is the sensational 4 year old mare Vodka, who was the first filly in more than six decades to defeat the colts and win the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) last year. She continues to impress at each appearance and will prove very hard to beat.
Meisho Samson was the winner of the Tokyo Yushun in 2006. Most recently he ran in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and was well beaten when 10th behind the incomparable Zarkava. Soon to go to stud and this would be a valuable addition to his already impressive resume. He is reputed to be working brilliantly.
The depth of Japanese entries further illustrated by the likes of Oken Bruce Lee, a Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) winner who is also a 3 year old and is hotly contesting the title of best 3 year old in Japan. Some good judges are predicting that the 3 year old colts might fight this race out. There is also the Sunday Silence stallion Matsurida Gogh who has proved unbeatable when running clockwise - but is yet to win running in the counter direction (of the Japan Cup). His trainer believes he has worked out the reason for his (from only three attempts) failure when running counter-clockwise - and he would be hard to beat if that is the case.
To exemplify the depth of this year’s race the very tough Sunday Silence gelding Pop Rock - who was narrowly defeated by his stablemate Delta Blues in the 2006 Melbourne Cup - is only given an outside chance of victory. He was runner-up in the 2007 Japan Cup and is a proven horse at this level.
This year the overseas entries are well-respected horses who have had a share of international exposure - and a degree of success - with strong efforts in prestigious Group Races in Europe and North America. The Montjeu 5 year old Papal Bull was second in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes of 2008 when 2nd behind Duke Of Marmalade. He finished 7th in the 2007 Japan Cup behind Admire Moon.
Sixties Icon is a 5 year old by Galileo who has a Group 3 win in the Cumberland Lodge Stakes (winning by 2 /4 lengths) as he best recent form - and he is a St Leger winner (by 2 1/2 lengths) in 2006.
Purple Moon is Luca Cumani’s 5 year old gelding who went close to winning the 2007 Melbourne Cup. He has only raced twice since and his last start 2nd at Longchamp in the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris behind Crossharbour has given Luca some cause for optimism that a stable favourite might prove very competitive once again when racing in the Asia Pacific region of the world.
Marsh Side is the US trained representative who was a surprise winner in the Canadian International. It would be another (this time huge) surprise he if could upset such a stellar field in the Japan Cup.
Latest Coral odds for the 2008 Japan Cup:
Vodka 7/2
Deep Sky 4/1
Meisho Samson 5/1
Matsurida Gogh 7/1
Papal Bull 10/1
Oken Bruce Lee 12/1
Purple Moon 14/1
Pop Rock 16/1
Asakusa Kings 20/1
Marsh Side 20/1
Sixties Icon 20/1
Toho Alan 20/1
others 33/1 to 150/1
Here is a link to a previous story I wrote about Vodka - an article which includes a video of her brilliant win in the 2008 Yasuda Kinen:
VODKA
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