Nearly all the horses aimed at the Sunday G1 Arima Kinen were given their last fast work on 24 December at their respective training grounds – Miho in the east, Ritto in the west.
All eyes were on Just a Way, Epiphaneia and Gold Ship. The trio are neck and neck in the popularity polls, with forecast odds hovering at about 3.5 to 1.
Epiphaneia was given his usual pre-race workout of 1200m on the woodchip course at Ritto under the strong urging of jockey Yuga Kawada. He clocked 80.6 seconds with a last 200m time of 12.4 seconds. Kawada’s responses were characteristically low-key afterward, “The work went off without a mishap, which is good,” he said. Kawada will be riding the colt in a race for the first time. “I did get on once for gate practice when he was a 2-year-old,”
Kawada said the 4-year-old colt has grown a lot since then. “He’s a different horse now. He’s also quite excitable before a race, unlike in work, where he’s relaxed. I’ll be careful to try to not let him get too excited.” Kawada added that his main concern over the 2500m would be trying to keep the horse patient.
Just a Way worked under jockey Yuichi Fukunaga over 1000m up the hill course. He clocked 54.9 seconds with a 12.9 final 200m under strong urging. “We started the workout behind an older horse. I was asked to check his responses and bring him out and past the other horse over the last furlong,” Fukunaga said. “And, I think all went well, and everything was according to instructions. He felt good. He’s the kind of horse that does best with a sharpener and his muscle tone looks better now.”
Fukunaga said he wasn’t worried about the Nakayama venue. “He has won graded races there and I don’t think it’s a big factor against him.” The other big question surrounding Just a Way is the distance. The 2500m of the Arima is a first for Just a Way and Fukunaga wasn’t pretending it will be easy.
According to Fukunaga, Just a Way had not been at his best for the G1 Japan Cup. “He wasn’t his usual self in work before that race either. But this time, I think he’s back to his best. I think he’ll be in very good shape come raceday. The competition will be very strong. But I believe he has what it takes to overcome all of it.”
Gold Ship worked in tandem up the hill course with jockey Yasunari Iwata in the saddle. He clocked 52.1 seconds over 1000m, with a 12.8-second final 200m with strong urging. Following the workout, Iwata said, “There was some concern about his work last week so they asked me to ride today and I think he’s totally different today. He felt great. When he lined up with the other horse, he took the bit and quickened beautifully. I think he’ll be able to run a good race.”
Gentildonna worked under an assistant trainer over 1000m of slightly slow going up the hill course. She clocked 54.5 seconds and finished up with a 13.3-second final 200m. Keita Tosaki, slated for the ride in the Arima, rode her for work last week as well. “She felt really good and was very eager to run. I was instructed to push her pretty hard while watching how she was doing. The ground was pretty bad so I didn’t push her.”
Trainer Sei Ishizaka commented as well. “This week and last week, she worked in tandem to help get her switched on,” Ishizaka explained. “She moved as expected. It’s her third race of the fall and I think this amount of work is enough.” Ishizaka said he believed Gentildonna had tried her best in the Japan Cup, but the rain-affected track was a factor in her loss.
One and Only, this year’s Derby winner, finished seventh in the Japan Cup, but trainer Kojiro Hashiguchi says the colt is in good shape. “He didn’t show any particular signs of fatigue after that run. In the Japan Cup, he ran from a forward position and hung on for seventh. He wasn’t able to make the top but he looked very good in parts. I think he has every chance of winning this time.” Plans are to run One and Only in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes next year at Ascot. Hopes are high the colt can wrap up his 3-year-old season with a winning run.
