Japan’s top three-year-old filly will face some ‘unknowns’ when she steps out at Sha Tin in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile but her jockey Christophe Lemaire believes the distance is right for Silk Racing’s latest star.
Christophe Lemaire has worn the Silk Racing colors in some of his finest moments thanks to the great champions Almond Eye and Equinox, and he is set to button them up again for a major race aboard Embroidery in the G1 Hong Kong Mile on December 14.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Wednesday release of the fields for its four-race Group 1 showcase revealed that Silk Racing’s latest Classic-winning filly will not only be traveling offshore for the first time but will drop back to a mile in the Sha Tin cauldron to take on the colts and her elders for the first time too.
“She’s only a three-year-old so it's hard to evaluate her true level against the foreigners and the older horses in Japan, but from what she has been doing at home, we can expect from her a very good performance,” Lemaire told Idol Horse.
And Japan’s champion jockey is not concerned about the drop to a mile – a return to the distance of her G1 Oka Sho win in April – after her success last month in the G1 Shuka Sho over 2000m. Between times she finished a non-staying ninth in the G1 Yushun Himba, the Japanese Oaks.
“A mile is probably her best trip right now,” Lemaire continued. “She's a top class filly. She's got nice acceleration and we have great expectations with her.
“She was not mature enough to go from a mile to 2400 meters and settle well in the Oaks, but when I did trackwork with her the week before the Shuka Sho, and again in that race, she was much more relaxed and much more settled so the signs are that she is now more mature.
“It will be her first time abroad, so let's see how she travels, how she handles this trip, how she handles the Hong Kong atmosphere. There are some question marks, but it's a very nice challenge. We know that the filly has a lot of potential and it will be a very good experience for her.”
A mile around Sha Tin will be a new type of contest for the Kazutomo Mori-trained Embroidery. The race usually shapes with pace from gate, followed most often by an easing of the tempo, and then a winding up again on the turn before a hard acceleration and a battle to the line.
It is a race that often goes to a Sha Tin specialist: Hong Kong-trained horses have won 19 editions this century, with five wins going to Japan, though the most recent Japanese victor was Admire Mars six years ago.
“She might be a good fit for Sha Tin race course, she's quite an easy ride,” Lemaire said. “In the Shuka Sho, I was able to ride her with confidence: after the first and second corners I could improve the position and then she settled well again.
“She's not the type of filly to be annoyed by a different type of race,” he added. “She's quite adaptable and that's a very strong point for this kind of race.”
Embroidery is one of eight Japanese challengers slated to contest the Hong Kong International Races and is set to face her compatriot in the Mile, last year’s runner-up Soul Rush, while last year’s winner for Hong Kong, Voyage Bubble, is aiming to defend his title rather than go to the G1 Hong Kong Cup over 2000m where he would meet Romantic Warrior.
No marquee matchup as Calandagan sticks to original script
French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard has confirmed Calandagan will not take his place in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup two weeks after Sunday’s G1 Japan Cup, ending hopes of a Sha Tin showdown with Romantic Warrior this year.
Calandagan was named among the Hong Kong Cup entries less than 24 hours earlier, teasing fans with the prospect of the world’s top-rated horse meeting Hong Kong’s middle-distance star. But at Tokyo Racecourse, Graffard said the schedule was too tight.
“As for Calandagan, he won’t be going to Hong Kong this year. We’ll see about next year. However, Goliath and Quisisana will both be coming. They are doing very well and are in good form,” Graffard said.
Graffard and Hong Kong Jockey Club officials indicated the HKIR nomination was a contingency, a safety net if Calandagan had a minor setback that ruled him out of the Japan Cup, with Sha Tin as backup. Once Tokyo was locked in, Graffard said Hong Kong was always unlikely, despite the appeal.
“I would love to see Calandagan challenging the Romantic Warrior but the race is very close to the Japan Cup on Sunday. So it’s really doubtful that the horse will go to HK after that,” he said.
Calandagan arrives at Fuchu as the world’s highest-rated horse after a spectacular European summer, and Graffard said the Japan Cup has been the stable’s autumn target.
“Participate in the Japan Cup decision made earlier — we targeted this race after the King George… the only suitable race for that was at Ascot in the Champion Stakes,” he said.
Graffard reported the colt has traveled well from France and settled in Japan, noting the pre-start walk and 18-runner field make the draw crucial.
Graffard confirmed Goliath and Quisisana still remain locked in for the Hong Kong International Races.
This Week In Horse Racing History
The Japan Cup was first run on November 22, 1981, but the first Japanese victory came this week in history on November 25, 1984 when Katsuragi Ace took the spoils. The race was an epic clash between the Japanese Triple Crown winners Mr C. B. and Symboli Rudolf and also featured the British raider Bedtime and the globe-trotting Kiwi Strawberry Road. Katsuragi Ace scored at odds of 40/1 with Bedtime second, Symboli Rudolf third and Mr C. B. 10th.
History was made on November 26, 1946 with the first trans-Atlantic transportation of horses by air. American Airlines flew six horses from Shannon Airport, Ireland, to Newark, New Jersey, the plane landing at its destination the following day.
November 28, 1982 was a sad day. The undefeated two-year-old Landaluce, with a five-from-five record, died due to a viral infection and was buried in the infield at Hollywood Park. The D Wayne Lukas-trained filly was posthumously voted champion two-year-old filly.
Reads of the Week
In his compelling column this week, former star jockey and respected Hong Kong racing expert Shane Dye breaks down why he believes Ka Ying Rising is the best sprinter he has ever seen.
Here’s another chance to read Michael Cox’s engaging feature charting the journey of Tomodachi Kokoroe from Ricky Ludwig’s backwater Cairns stable to Hong Kong’s top table.
Global Blackbook
This weeks’ global blackbooker is Peintre Naif, a colt that has earned the status of Idol Horse Future Idol after his win on Monday in the G2 Tokyo Sports Hai over 1800m. This race is a goldmine for future stars, with past winners including the great Equinox, Contrail, Croix Du Nord last year, Wagnerian, Satono Crown, Deep Brillante, Rose Kingdom, Nakayama Festa and more. And there are more than the Testuya Kimura-trained youngster to keep an eye on here, too.
Peintre Naif looks a special talent as he wins the G2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes at Tokyo under Christophe Lemaire. @s1nihs
Peintre Naif made it two from three with a head victory that emphasised his potential. His form looked solid going in: he was beaten into second on debut behind Art Basel, a colt that was then a length second in a Listed race, the Ivy Stakes, behind another exciting youngster, the Mitsu Nakauchida-trained Anduril. Peintre Naif broke his maiden second-up, defeating Last Smile in second, and enhanced his superiority with that rival fifth here.
Christophe Lemaire settled Peintre Naif into a smooth rhythm this time, racing to the outer in midfield, and when he asked his mount to roll forward on the turn, he did it easily. The colt travelled smoothly into the straight, was asked to chase down the lead inside the 400m and responded professionally to his rider’s driving to hold the determined challenge of the previously G3-placed Zoroastro who had been off the bridle much earlier than the winner.
What’s Coming Up?
Japan Cup
Tokyo, November 30
It’s 20 years since Alkaased became the latest foreign-trained winner of the Japan Cup, but the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Calandagan shapes as a worthy challenger to shake up this year’s contest. Following his wins in the G1 King George And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot, the gelding heads to Tokyo attempting to add his name to the impressive roll of honour. Graffard will look to put the cherry on top of the best season of his career, but he will know his gelding faces a tough task in the 2400m feature against Japan’s field of stars, which includes top-class G1 Tokyo Yushun winners Croix Du Nord and Danon Decile, as well as the recent G1 Tenno Sho Autumn hero Masquerade Ball.
Champions Cup
Chukyo, December 7.
Goldolphin have enjoyed success in the Champions Cup – previously known as the Japan Cup Dirt – in the past two years with Lemon Pop and they will hope another contender can step into his shoes in this year’s renewal. With Lemon Pop retired and the opportunity for a new hero to emerge, Godolphin’s Japan Dirt Classic winner Narukami may try to continue his rise to the very top after notching four wins on the bounce to take his career record to five wins from six. The three-year-old may face another prolific winner, Silk Racing’s four-year-old W Heart Bond, whose win in the G3 Miyako Stakes last time gave her a career tally of six wins from seven.
Hong Kong International Races
Sha Tin, December 14.
Last Sunday’s Jockey Club races at Sha Tin whet the appetite for what is certain to be another thrilling Hong Kong International Races, which features four Group 1 contests at Sha Tin. Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior stole the show in the Group 2 races and both look set to start warm favourites to defend their titles in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint and Hong Kong Cup, respectively, while the Hong Kong Mile was blown open with Galaxy Patch’s revival of sorts in the Jockey Club Mile. Rising star My Wish will need to bounce back if he is to take the Mile crown this time, which Voyage Bubble is set to defend. Meanwhile the Hong Kong Vase has attracted some top internationals including last year’s winner Giavellotto.
This story first appeared in Idol Horse as "World Racing Weekly: Embroidery Team Heading To Hong Kong With “Great Expectations”"
