Kyoto Racecourse: Gold Ship to be short price in rich Tenno Sho

Gold Ship, a winner of his last four starts in graded stakes in Japan, will be a heavy favorite to extend his winning streak in Sunday’s $3,437,000 Tenno Sho at Kyoto Racecourse.

The Grade 1 Tenno Sho is run over about two miles and is a leading race for older horses on the Japanese spring calendar.

The race has drawn a prominent foreign shipper in Red Cadeaux, who was second to Animal Kingdom in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on March 30.

Trained in England by Ed Dunlop, Red Cadeaux made a successful trip to the Far East last fall, winning the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin. Last November, the 7-year-old Red Cadeaux was eighth in the Melbourne Cup in Australia and eighth in the Japan Cup. He has made five starts in as many countries since last summer.

Gold Ship fits the role of favorite. A 4-year-old colt by Stay Gold, Gold Ship won two Grade 1 races at the end of 2012 – the Japanese St. Leger over about 1 7/8 miles last October and the Arima Kinen over 1 9/16 miles against older horses last December.

In his only start this year, Gold Ship won the Group 2 Hanshin Daishoten over about 1 7/8 miles at Hanshin Racecourse on March 17.

The field of 18 includes two Grade 2 winners from this year – Fenomeno, who won the Nikkei Sho at Nakayama on March 23, and Tosen Ra, who won the Kyoto Kinen at Kyoto on Feb. 10.