By Alan Carasso
It has been fully 11 years since trainer John Moore has sent a horse from Hong Kong to Japan, and fate has played a role in the fact that one-time Horse of the Year Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) has made the relatively short trip into Osaka for Sunday's G1 Takarazuka Kinen, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs in early December.
Second in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup (2000m) as the 6-5 favourite in December, the 6-year-old was third in the G1 Stewards' Cup (1600m) and runner-up in the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m), but was found to have bled and was mandatorily banned for three months. He finished well once clear when last seen in the G3 Lion Rock Trophy H. (1600m) three weeks ago, but has arrived in Japan far leaner than he has ever weighed in at home. If Moore is concerned, he isn't letting on.
“He is light but I'm not worried at all, I expected him to lose some weight from that last run both because he was first-up in a while and because he's travelling,” he told HKJC's Andrew Hawkins. “Horses will always lose weight when they travel, unless we give them plenty of time to acquaint themselves with their destination. Instead of the figure on the scale, I'm using my eyes and his colour and his coat tell me that he's very fit and healthy, he has a good sheen to his coat and he's dappled which is a very good sign.”
Werther, who would certainly appreciate the forecast for wet weather, is just the second foreigner to contest the Takarazuka Kinen, but will not be entirely out of place, as five of the remaining 15 Japanese-based rivals have traveled previously to Hong Kong. Satono Crown (Jpn) (Marju {Ire}) defeated Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the 2016 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) and is the defending champ of this race, but needs to rediscover some of that old form to factor here. He was a latest seventh to Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in late March. Satono Diamond (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) carries the same colors and is a two-time group winner over the local course, but is winless since taking the G2 Hanshin Daishoten over a year ago.
On bare form, Vivlos (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) merits serious consideration. The 2017 G1 Dubai Turf victress, Kaz Sasaki's 5-year-old mare came from second-last in the field to finish runner-up to Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in defense of her title three months back, but is unraced since. She's been this far just once in her lifetime, a fifth as the chalk in the 11-furlong G1 QE II Cup last November.
“Last year in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup she didn't quicken as much as I would have liked after the jockey gave her the go sign, but I think she can handle the distance,” trainer Yasuo Tomomichi commented. “She has matured a lot. Especially her legs and back have gotten longer. As for the surface, a bit of rain and a bit of spring to the track should be fine.”
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