No Raining On Idaho's Japan Cup

TOKYO, Japan–Irish raider Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) likely felt right at home at Tokyo Racecourse on Thursday as he galloped a lap of the turf course in a driving rain three days out from the ¥648-million (US$5.6-million) G1 Japan Cup. The 4-year-old is one of four international participants in this year's Japan Cup, three of which were on display at the racecourse on Thursday while the local contingent continued their preparations at Miho and Ritto training centres.

As could be expected the rain didn't dampen Idaho's spirits, and he was on his toes as he jogged halfway around the turf course the wrong direction before turning around and galloping nearly a lap counter clockwise.

Idaho's two biggest days have come on good to firm tracks–wins in this year's G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot and last year's G2 Great Voltigeur S.–but should the rain persist he may not be inconvenienced by a wet track, either. Highland Reel's little brother has put in some good performances over off going as well, including a third in this year's G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S.

Like his brother, Idaho has been racking up frequent flyer miles this year, his six starts thus far having come in England, France, the U.S. and Canada. Unlike Highland Reel, he is still searching for that elusive first Group 1 win. TJ Comerford, assistant to trainer Aidan O'Brien and Idaho's regular traveling partner, said the bay has been in great health since arriving in Japan.

“Looking at him here he's been very good from day one,” Comerford said. “Every time we've taken him away he hasn't run the way we've expected, but I just see a change in him. I do think he'll run a big race. He's growing up and he takes his racing well.”

“I don't think the track will bother him,” Comerford said. “One of his best runs was in the King George and the ground was very bad that day. I really don't think the ground is an issue with him. [Jockey] Ryan [Moore] said he thinks the same thing so I wouldn't focus on the ground with him.”

After big runs in the Hardwicke and King George, Idaho disappointed when sixth as the favourite in Saratoga's GI Sword Dancer S. but ran respectably next out in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe to be eighth. He was a well-beaten fourth in the GI Canadian International just two weeks after that and could benefit from a bit of a breather between starts.

While O'Brien searches for his first Japan Cup win, another visiting trainer who has experience in that realm is David Hayes, who is back with Boom Time (Aus) (Flying Spur {Aus}) 27 years after he won the race with Better Loosen Up (Aus). Hayes also saddled Jeune (GB) to a sixth-place finish in 1994. Hayes, who also owns Boom Time, was on track with jockey Cory Parish to watch the G1 Caulfield Cup winner canter a lap of the dirt course on Thursday morning. The trainer said that while Boom Time and Better Loosen Up both thrived once arriving in Japan, the comparisons end there.

“Better Loosen Up was a much higher-rated horse in Australia than Boom Time, but Boom Time is a proven mile-and-a-half horse where Better Loosen Up was a proven 2000 metre horse at the time of the Japan Cup,” Hayes said. “I don't think you can compare the two horses.”

“We're very excited to be here,” he added. “Being here this morning brought back a lot of happy memories. I've had two runners here, Better Loosen Up and Jeune, who was an unlucky sixth, so we're hopeful we can be competitive and run right up there at the top of the order.”

Boom Time was a 50-1 winner of the Caulfield Cup on Oct. 21 before checking in 15th of 23 in the G1 Melbourne Cup on Nov. 7, but Hayes noted that he didn't see out that race's two-mile distance and the horse who had finished third in the Caulfield Cup, Johannes Vermeer (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), was second in the Melbourne Cup.

“The Melbourne Cup, at two miles, was just a bit too far for him,” Hayes said. “He's actually bred to run about 1200 metres so I think he read his pedigree with about 600 metres to run.”

Hayes added, “His best win was the Caulfield Cup and the horse he beat nearly won the Melbourne Cup. The Caulfield Cup was a grueling race that I think was run at the type of pace the Japan Cup may be run, so that'll stand him in good stead.”

The other two international runners represent Germany: Guignol (Ger) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Iquitos (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}). Iquitos is back after finishing best of the overseas raiders in last year's Japan Cup when seventh, but he will need to overcome two Group 1 defeats by Guignol this season, bookending a seventh in the Arc.

After watching Iquitos gallop just over a circuit of the Tokyo dirt course on Thursday, trainer Hans-Jurgen Groschel said, “After the horse left Germany I did not see him for 10 days, but when I got to Japan yesterday I saw he was in a very good state and there have been no ill effects from his travels.”

Groschel said Iquitos's ability to handle all types of going will aid him on Sunday.

“Iquitos can handle any going and rain is quite irrelevant for him,” the trainer said. “If the going is soft or firm, he can handle it, so I have high expectations.”

Guignol, who comes into the Japan Cup off wins in the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern and G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, stayed at the barn on Thursday and trainer Jean-Pierre Carvalho said, “In Germany before a big race the workouts are always light, and he likes to spend the time quietly. Today, there was a lot of rain and the course was soft so we just did some light walking at the stable.”

Stall Ullman homebred Guignol has never left Europe, but Carvalho noted the 5-year-old has handled travels across Germany and France well.

“Guignol is quite used to traveling,” he said. “In Europe he's traveled to other countries and had no ill effects from the traveling, so I think he'll do well.”

Connections will certainly be hoping Guignol takes the travel well. As the winner of the Grosser Preis von Baden he is eligible for a bonus of $2-million if he wins the Japan Cup, with consolation prizes of $400,000 and $250,000 if he finishes second or third. Those prizes are available to the winners of a select list of international Group 1s, and Boom Time is also eligible for his Caulfield Cup win.

All of the foreigners, however, have a tall task ahead of them. Overseas-trained runners won the first three Japan Cups in 1981-83 and posted an enviable record through the 90s and soon after the turn of the century, including 11 more wins, but their fortunes began to dwindle thereafter as the strengthened Japanese-bred began to rise to the challenge. The last international runner to win the Japan Cup was Luca Cumani's Alkaased in 2005, and since then the best finish has been a third by Ouija Board (GB) the following year. Since 2010, no foreign runner has finished better than fifth.

The barrier draw for the Japan Cup was conducted on Thursday afternoon, and defending winner Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) drew ideally in barrier four, with Guignol directly to his inside and Iquitos two to his outside in six. Boom Time landed in 10 and Idaho in 14. Satono Crown (Jpn) (Marju {Ire}), most recently second to Kitasan Black in the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn on Oct. 29, has drawn 12, one to the outside of last year's G1 Tokyo Yushun winner Makahiki (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). This year's winner of that Classic, Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) also lines up and exits barrier two. Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {Jpn}), winner of the G1 Yushun Himba, will attempt to bounce back from a pair of losses when she breaks from barrier nine.