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Japanese Derby hopefuls taken through final paces

26/05/2016

All eyes were on the Derby hopefuls in Japan this week as they went through their final paces at the two JRA training centres, especially the top finishers of the G1 Satsuki Sho (2000m), winner Dee Majesty, runnerup Makahiki and third-place finisher Satono Diamond.

Though their order of popularity come Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse may differ from their order of finish in that race, the three in addition to Leontes are considered most likely to win the 83rd running of the G1 Japanese Derby (2400m). Smart Odin, Vanquish Run and Air Spinel are expected to follow closely in the wagering, with Red Eldest touted as a longshot worth a wager.

The majority of Derby nominees were given their final fast workout on Wednesday, 25 May, with a handful, including Mount Robson, working on Thursday morning. Christophe Lemaire took the reins of Satono Diamond on Wednesday for a hard gallop from the 7-furlong mark behind Satono Noblesse and another Derby runner Prophet on the Ritto woodchip course. Satono Diamond caught and passed the other two and reached the finish line in a total time of 97.3 seconds. Lemaire was enthusiastic. “It was a perfect workout. His responses were very quick.” The Frenchman added, “Too many things figured against him in the Satsuki Sho. He in no way lost due to a lack of strength.”

Makahiki worked under an assistant trainer from the stable of Yasuo Tomomichi. Though the colt worked on the flat under jockey Yuga Kawada on 18 May, he has since been given two fast workouts on the hill course at Ritto. On Wednesday, Makahiki worked solo up the hill. His time under strong urging was 52.9 seconds up 5 furlongs. “It was a solid bit of work,” said Tomomichi. “It’s our usual pattern to give him his last fast work up the hill and push him enough to give his lungs a good workout.”

Also on Wednesday, Jockey Masayoshi Ebina took the Satsuki Sho champion Dee Majesty over the Miho woodchip flat course. Dee Majesty worked with another horse and clocked 80.1 seconds over 6 furlongs, all with no urging. Trainer Yoshitaka Ninomiya said, “The horse came out of the Satsuki Sho well and recovered fully quickly. He has come along according to plan since.” Ninomiya gave Ebina instructions to start well behind the other horse and allow Dee Majesty to run as he wished in the finish. “It was a bit faster than I had planned,” said Ninomiya afterward, “but overall his movement was very, very good.”

Leontes, who crossed the line in fourth place in the Satsuki Sho but was demoted to fifth for having caused interference in the stretch, also got high marks for his Wednesday workout, a 6-furlong gallop. Leontes worked under jockey Mirco Demuro. He clocked 38.2 seconds over the last three furlongs. “He was really full of pep,” said Demuro. “He always is and he felt very good. We tied his tongue this morning and he went even better.”

G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai (2200m) winner Smart Odin breezed under jockey Keita Tosaki on the flat over the woodchips for 6 furlongs on Wednesday, with Tosaki giving a shake of the reins to sharpen him up only in the final furlong. The colt clocked a total 84.2 seconds. Tosaki was satisfied. “This is the third time I’ve ridden him in morning work and this week was the best he’s been yet.”

 

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