Three-pronged Japanese attack after Dubai World Cup success
After their breathtaking 1-2 finish by Japan in the world's richest race last year, much will be expected from the trio of Japanese raiders in the $10 million Dubai World Cup showdown this Saturday
Dubai: An outpouring of emotion and ecstasy pervaded as Italian jockey Mirco Demuro raised the Japanese flag after Victoire Pisa had given Japan's its first victory in the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan last year.
In fact it was a Japanese 1-2 as Victoire Pisa and Transcend outclassed a strong field and almost every Japanese and many others in the nearly 50,000 crowd had tears in their eyes. The victory came even as Japan was recovering from an earthquake and a tsunami just two weeks prior to the Dubai World Cup.
It was one of the greatest moments not only in the 16-year history of the Dubai World Cup but in sport itself as emotions ran high with both tears and smiles overflowing and almost everyone, rivals included, savoured a memorable triumph. It was a soothing success for a nation paralysed with grief.
And now they are back. The Japanese are mounting a three-pronged attack on the world's richest horse race with Transcend returning along with Eishin Flash and Smart Falcon.
Smart Falcon, a Japanese-bred 7-year-old son of Gold Allure, heads the Japanese trio and has already been installed as a second favourite by odds-makers. The Ken Kosaki-trained Smart Falcon has won his last nine starts, the last in the Kawasaki Kinen on January 25. Yutaka Take takes the ride on Japan's main hope to emulate Victoire Pisa's win.
Transcend, a 40-1 long shot that was beaten by Victoire Pisa in last year's Dubai World Cup, will be back for owner Koji Maeda. Last year, jockey Shinji Fujita hit the front early and even as one thought he was just setting the pace Transcend continued to lead and got passed by Victoire Pisa in the final furlong to finish a great second.
Since that effort, Transcend has won a Listed Mile and a Grade 1 though his start to the season when he tried to defend the February Stakes finished in a 7th place run. But with 10 career wins in 19 races, including four Grade I victories, the 6-year-old bay son of Wild Rush will be expected to run another big race on March 31.
Eishin Flash the third Japanese raider is a 5-year-old son of King's Best and is a winner of the 2010 Japanese Derby. In fact Victoire Pisa was third to Eishin Flash when the latter raced as a 3-year-old in the Tokyo Yushun (Derby).
The Hideaki Fujiwara-trained Eishin Flash is expected to be partnered by Christophe Soumillon and the pair had finished a smart second to Triple Crown winner Orfevre in the Arima Kinen, Japan's season-ending Grand Prix last December.
