Nihonpiro Ours, an 18-1 outsider, won the biggest race of his career, and first Grade 1, in Sunday’s $3.3 million Japan Cup Dirt at Hanshin Racecourse.
Ridden by Manabu Sakai for trainer Yuki Ohashi, Nihonpiro Ours closed from fourth in a field of 16 to win by 3 1/2 lengths over Wonder Acute.
Nihonpiro Ours ran 1,800 meters, or about 1 1/8 miles, in a track- record time of 1:48.8.
The purse of the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville, France, in August has been ordered redistributed after race winner Snow Fairy was disqualified for testing positive for a banned anti-inflammatory, according to French racing officials.
The Prix Jean Romanet was Snow Fairy’s first start of 2012, and first start since returning from a tendon injury. As a result of the positive test, runner-up Izzi Top has been promoted to first. The race was worth approximately $333,320.
The field for Sunday’s $3.3 million Japan Cup Dirt at Hanshin Racecourse has a familiar look.
The 16 runners include Transcend and Wonder Acute, who were first and second in the 2011 running, and Espoir City, the winner of the 2009 Japan Cup Dirt and third last year.
The Japan Cup Dirt is run over about 1 1/8 miles on a right-handed track.
Transcend, a 6-year-old horse by Wild Rush, is winless in three starts this year, including a third in the JBC Classic at Kawasaki Racecourse on Nov. 5. Wonder Acute won the JBC Classic in his first start since May.
Solemia, winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris in an upset last month, has been retired following her 13th place finish in Sunday’s Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse.
Owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, Solemia won 5 of 14 starts and four stakes. She won the minor Prix Joubert in 2011 and two stakes earlier this year prior to the Arc – the minor Prix Lord Seymour and the Group2 Prix Corrida.
In the Arc against 17 rivals on heavy turf, Solemia beat Orfevre, the Japanese 2011 Triple Crown winner, by a neck in a 33-1 upset.
Gentildonna, the winner of the Japanese Triple Crown earlier this year, became the first 3-year-old filly to win the $6.5 million Japan Cup on Sunday, holding off Orfevre, the winner of the 2011 Japanese Triple Crown, by a nose.
Gentildonna had to survive a lengthy inquiry into the stretch run before the order of finish was left unchanged by track stewards.
Orfevre, second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of the Japanese older horse Rulership in the field of 17. The first three finishers are owned by Sunday Racing Co.
The French filly Solemia and the Japanese colt Orfevre, first and second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Oct. 7, meet again in Sunday’s $6.5 million Japan Cup at Toyko Racecourse.
This time, the advantage may be in favor of Orfevre.
The winner of the 2011 Japanese Triple Crown, Orfevre will be favored to win the Grade 1 Japan Cup, which is run over about 1 1/2 miles on turf.
Solemia, an upset winner of the Arc at 33-1, is making her last career start.
Former champion jockey Frankie Dettori has been temporarily suspended for testing positive for a banned substance at Longchamp Racecourse on Sept. 16, according to a statement released Wednesday by France-Galop, the country’s regulatory body.
The statement did not reveal the length of the suspension, but said the decision was “based on medical grounds.” Details of the September test have not been announced.
The 4-year-old colt Sadamu Patek won his first Grade 1 race, and gave jockey Yutaka Take his first Grade 1 win in nearly two years, in Sunday’s $2.6 million Mile Championship at Kyoto, Japan.
Sadamu Patek, a 9-1 shot, held off a late threat from 3-1 favorite Grand Prix Boss to win the race by a neck in 1:32.90. Donau Blue, a 4-year-old filly, finished third in the field of 18.
Sadamu Patek, trained by Masato Nishizono for Sadamu Onishi, was in mid-pack for the first half of the race and saved ground on the turn.
Strong Return can win his second Grade 1 race of the year in Japan on Sunday when he starts as a leading contender in the $2.6 million Japanese Mile Championship at Kyoto Racecourse.
A 6-year-old by Symboli Kris S, Strong Return won the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse on June 3, but was only seventh in his comeback race there on Oct. 7, in the Grade 2 Mainichi Okan.
Frankel was named the Cartier Horse of the Year during a ceremony on Tuesday night in England, his second straight season earning the prestigious award.
Frankel, who was retired undefeated after winning the Champion Stakes last month at Ascot, was a clear choice to be honored as Europe’s top horse. He ran his unbeaten streak to 14 during 2012, thoroughly dominating the mile division before stepping up to win his last two starts over 1 1/4 miles.
