Auguste Rodin and Goliath among European visitors in Tokyo, City Of Troy named Horse of the Year, Bahrain hero Spirit Dancer heads for Hong Kong – all this and more in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Japan Cup: Auguste Rodin and Goliath take on home team
Japan: In a serious litany of defeat, no horse trained outside Japan has made the frame in the Japan Cup since dual Breeders’ Cup winner Conduit finished fourth in 2009.
However, there are some legitimate hopes of rewriting that script in Tokyo on Sunday [Nov 24] when Europe is represented by dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin, King George winner Goliath and leading German-trained middle-distance performer Fantastic Moon.
Japan Cup: final field and post-position draw
They meet a formidable domestic contingent headed by Tenno Sho (Autumn) winner Do Deuce – who beat the great Equinox in
the 2022 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) – and dual fillies’ Classic winner Cervinia. Also in the usual star-studed field for the ¥1.085bn ($7.7m/£5.56m) event are Arc flop Shin Emperor and another double Classic winner in Stars On Earth.
As a son of the late, great Deep Impact, Auguste Rodin’s presence in Japan has created quite a stir. Indeed, the five-year-old is to be accorded a retirement ceremony after the race, the first overseas horse to be extended such an honour. More here
“We think it’s very special and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” said world #1 trainer Aidan O’Brien, making his first visit to Japan. It’s really wonderful and shows how much the Japanese people love Auguste Rodin and how much they really cared about Deep Impact. I couldn’t think of a better race for a last race than the Japan Cup.” More here
Cartier Awards: City Of Troy named Horse of the Year
GB: Derby winner City Of Troy was crowned Cartier Horse of the Year at the usual glitzy ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Wednesday [Nov 20].
The former world #1, whose career ended with a dismal effort at the Breeders’ Cup, becomes only the second horse after the great Frankel to follow up a Cartier two-year-old colts’ title with the overall accolade a year later. Having landed the Eclipse Stakes and Juddmonte International following his Epsom success. the son of US Triple Crown winner Justify has been retired to Coolmore’s Irish base.
The other horses to make the final for Horse of the Year were City Of Troy’s stablemate Kyprios – also a former world #1 – leading miler Charyn and Arc winner Bluestocking. Trainer Jessica Harrington was the recipient of the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit for 2024. More here
Breeders’ Cup winner More Than Looks retired to Lane’s End
USA: Breeders’ Cup Mile winner More Than Looks has been retired to Lane’s End, where the son of More Than Ready will stand at an initial fee of $15,000 for the 2025 covering season.
“He’s an eye-catching horse that showed elite ability from day one,” said trainer Cherie DeVaux. “His explosive turn of foot and competitive nature led to consistency at the highest level, and ultimately resulted in him becoming a Breeders' Cup champion.” More here
Johannes, who was three-quarters of a length behind More Than Looks in the BC Mile, will target the Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park on January 25. More here
Bahrain hero Spirit Dancer set for Hong Kong Cup
Hong Kong: Spirit Dancer, who completed back-to-back successes in the Bahrain International Trophy last Friday [Nov 15], is set to travel to the Far East to contest the Hong Kong Cup.
Probable fields for the annual Longines-sponsored Hong Kong International Races on December 8 were released on Wednesday [Nov 20] – and they feature a total of 26 individual G1 winners and 31 horses from overseas. More here
Co-owned by legendary Man. Utd. football manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Spirit Dancer will travel directly to Hong Kong from Bahrain, having shown signs of a minor colic in the island kingdom. More here
There were two supplementary entries for the HKIR: Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Starlust and The Foxes, who won the Churchill Stakes at Newcastle on Saturday [Nov 16]. More here
Janney to stand down as Jockey Club chair
USA: Stuart S. Janney III is to stand down as chair of the Jockey Club after ten years in the role in August 2025. He is to be succeeded by Everett Dobson (right), a member of the board of stewards.
Janney was awarded the Eclipse Award of Merit earlier this year. “I consider it a privilege to be associated with the accomplishments the Jockey Club has achieved over the past several years, including our many initiatives to sustain and grow the sport, and of course the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act,” he said.
Dobson, owner of Candy Meadows broodmare farm in Lexington, Kentucky, is a longtime owner-breeder. He races under the Cheyenne Stables banner. More here
Trainer Paul Valery handed nine-year ban amid drug violations
USA: In one of the most serious punishments handed down so far by the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU), trainer Paul Valery has been banned for nine years for multiple drug offenses.
Valery, who comes from Venezuela, has also been fined $75,500 after admitting to six violations after two of his horses who ran at Gulfstream Park tested positive for multiple drugs – including synthetic anabolic steroids. More here
Elsewhere in racing …
Canada: Emma-Jayne Wilson faces months on sidelines More here
USA: All Breeders’ Cup post-race samples cleared by HIWU More here
USA: Two more starts for Senor Buscador before stud More here
Australia: Death of five-time G1 winner Elvstroem aged 24 More here
Hong Kong: All 12 HK G1 races added to World Pool More here
GB: Cesarewitch winner reinstated amid whip embarrassment More here
GB: Charlie Boss appointed interim Jockey Club chief exec More here
New Zealand: Te Akau secures record-breaking colt More here
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