Transcend can take advantage of the absence of many of Japan’s best dirt horses to win the $3 million Japan Cup Dirt at Hanshin on Sunday when the 1 1/8-mile, Grade 1 test will have its 11th running minus defending title-holder Epsoir City as well as Furioso, Smart Falcon, and the recently retired Kane Hekili.
Olivier Peslier will replace Christophe Soumillon in the Cathay Pacific International Jockeys Championship at Happy Valley on Dec. 8. The Hong Kong Jockey Club made the announcement on Tuesday, one day after Soumillon was suspended for four days by the Japan Racing Association for careless riding aboard Buena Vista in the Japan Cup.
Jockey Christophe Soumillon had insult added to injury on Monday when he was suspended for four days by the Japan Racing Association for having caused the incident that led to the disqualification of his mount, Buena Vista, in the Japan Cup on Sunday.
Buena Vista had the $5.7 million Japan Cup taken away from her by the stewards at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday in a controversial decision that denied the nation’s most popular horse a clear-cut victory. In place of the 9-10 favorite, the 8-1 runner-up Rose Kingdom was declared the winner.
Nakayama Festa and Buena Vista will duke it out in the $5.7 million Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday as the two leading Japanese horses continue their battle for supremacy there.
Mike Smith will fly the Stars and Stripes for America in the World Super Jockeys Series at Tokyo Racecourse on Saturday. The three-race challenge will feature eight riders from six different countries in addition to seven Japanese jockeys.
Winchester will be the only American-trained horse competing on Hong Kong International Race Day at Sha Tin on Dec. 12. The Christophe Clement-trained winner of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and the Manhattan Handicap, Winchester has been selected by the Hong Kong Jockey Club to run in the 1 1/2-mile, $1.8 million Hong Kong Vase, in which he will run into the Melbourne Cup winner, Americain. Fourth most recently in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, Winchester, a 5-year-old son of Theatrical owned by Mr. and Mrs. Bert Firestone, is scheduled to depart for Hong Kong on Dec. 6.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien will stick with jockey Colm O'Donoghue on Joshua Tree in Sunday's $6.1 million Japan Cup, rather than give the mount to Coolmore contract rider Johnny Murtagh.
A record-setting performance by the 5-year-old New York-bred A Shin Forward propelled him to victory in the $2.3 million Mile Championship at Kyoto on Sunday.
Trainer John Moore and jockey Darren Beadman scored a Group 2 stakes double Sunday at Sha Tin in Hong Kong, winning the Jockey Club Sprint with One World in a dead heat with Rocket Man and the Jockey Club Mile with Able One.
