TODAY’S NEWS – WOODBINE IN THE HOME STRETCH, ICE ON THE SIDEWALKS THIS MORNING, CANADIAN GELDING FIFTY PROOF IN JAPAN
Photo from JRA, Tyler Gaskin aboard Fifty Proof on the other side of the world
INTERVIEW WITH IAN BLACK AND JUSTIN STEIN – JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION
Fifty Proof draws post 15 for the Japan Cup
FIFTY PROOF (CAN, G4, chestnut)
-walked 300m, cantered 1 lap, on turf course
[5F: 68.9 – 54.3 – 40.7 – 13.0]
(exercised from 7:18 to 7:32, ridden by Tyler Gaskin)
Trainer : Ian Black
Jockey : Justin Stein
Q: When and why did you decide to run your horse in the Japan Cup?
T: First of all, I really would like to thank JRA for inviting us here. After we ran in the Canadian International, we got an invitation and I thought that the firmer ground here would probably help him, so we decided to come.
Q: This is his first time to be raced outside of Canada. How is his condition at the moment?
T: He’s traveled very well. He has held his weight very well and is eating well—and that’s all you can ask of him when he’s come that far. He’s training well, so I think we’re OK.
Q: What are Fifty Proof’s strengths? What kind of race do you expect him to run in the Japan Cup?
T: I would expect that he’d be close. I really haven’t looked at the form that closely and what speed horses there might be in there, but I’d like to be sitting close, but not on the lead, if possible.
Q: Would he be raced differently in the Japan Cup than in his previous races.
T: I think so. I mean, if they go slow enough, obviously, he will be on the lead, but I think that there’ll be more pace here than in the last couple of races, where he was left on the lead not going particularly fast.
Q: You’ve been riding Fifty Proof throughout his career. How do you expect him to perform this time?
J: I expect a good performance from Fifty Proof. He’s developing into a very descent racehorse and a racehorse of high-caliber. We have hopes that he’ll prove that in the Japan Cup.
Q: This summer, he kept winning and now he’s taking on a challenge of a grade-one race. In what parts do you think he has made improvements?
J: He’s performance has steadily gotten better. He’s run against stronger competition each race, and he’s proved to fit with that type of a racehorse. He just keeps developing and keeps getting better.
Q: In the Japan Cup, there will be some horses Fifty Proof has competed with in the Canadian International Stakes and also some other strong Japanese horses. How do you imagine the race will develop?
J: It’s hard to say at this point. I haven’t had a good look at the race and the type of styles of the racehorses in the race, but we’ll be sitting fairly close—it depends all on the fractions that are set. If it’s an extremely slow race, we could find ourselves on the lead. He’s naturally quick from the gate and he’s easy to position. I’ll have a forward-position and avoid a lot of traffic.
http://japanracing.jp/_news2010/101125-04.html
PRESS ASSOCIATION REPORT
GIVEN ACE FINE AND DANDY FOR JAPAN
By Press Association Sport Staff
Dandino and Joshua Tree both shoot for Far Eastern glory as they line up in Sunday’s Japan Cup in Tokyo.
The pair, trained by James Given and Aidan O’Brien respectively, have been drawn in stalls three and 12 as they bid for the Grade One heat, which is worth £1,664,447 to the winner.
Dandino arrives on the back of a disappointing eighth behind Arctic Cosmos in the St Leger but he had previously won at Royal Ascot and finished second in the Gordon Stakes.
Given said: “Everything has gone well with the horse, the transport and getting him here.
“He had to have two separate flights. First, he flew from the UK to Amsterdam. He then spent a night there and then flew from Amsterdam to Tokyo.
“His first flight, which was only an hour or so long, he was a little bit nervous, he sweated a little bit on that first flight, but having had that experience, for the main whole flight from Amsterdam to Tokyo he was very relaxed and took the flight very well.
http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=racing/10/11/26/RACING_Japan.html
CITIUS, ALTIUS, INSEPARABLE
The TWO-YEAR-OLDS are on stage this weekend at WOODBINE. Currently, the leading 2yo for the Sovereign Award in MADMAN DIARIES , maybe something will happen this weekend?
The Ontario sired guys on set for tomorrow’s KINGARVIE, named after a famous Canadian racehorse, and Sunday is the Display Stakes, for open company.
There is a neat story on the OLD FORESTER babies, CITIUS, and ALTIUS, who have grown up together, in the DAILY RACING FORM…
http://www.drf.com/news/blood-tie-runs-through-kingarvie
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT…
Photo below, shows the Champion Black Langsham, Champion Call Duck and the Reserve Champion Light Brown Leghorn.
