(15th Dec 20)
Team Japan overcame the pandemics and displayed equine talent in the Hong Kong International Races
Amid Covid-19 pandemic, six Japanese horses joined the global event for the 2020 Hong Kong International Races held at Sha Tin on December 13th, and JRHA Select Sale graduate Normcore took the stunning victory in the feature race, G1 Hong Kong Cup over 2000m turf and completed the great day for Japan. The 2016 yearling session purchase for 22 million yen/US$220,000 and now a 5-year-old daughter of Harbinger, who was bred by Northern Farm and owned by Seiichi Iketani, was partnered with the Hong Kong champion jockey Zac Purton in the race, after Christophe Soumillon ruling out of HKIR for undergoing further Covid-19 testing.
Settled at 5th/6th position in the field of eight, Normcore delivered her impressive challenge in the stretch and edged ahead in the last 50meters, shaking off the defending champion Win Bright (by Stay Gold)by 3/4 lengths to the line. She became the first filly/mare to win the HKIR since the UK trained Snow Fairy won the Hong Kong Cup in 2010. Japan’s Normcore, Win Bright and Danon Premium (by Deep Impact) finished in top four in the race.
The Hong Kong Mile champion Admire Mars (by Daiwa Major), another JRHA Select Sale graduate returned to Sha Tin this year to defend the title. Bought by Riichi Kondo for 52million yen/US$456,141 in 2017 yearling session, Admire Mars, ridden by Ryan Moore, raced handy and took command with 300meters to go, but finished third to the Hong Kong’s new hero Golden Sixty.
In the Hong Kong Sprint, Japan’s Danon Smash showed his impressive performance to claim the race and followed his father-Lord Kanaloa’s footsteps, the winner of this race in 2012 and 2013. This talented sprinter tasted his long-awaited first G1 success in the Hong Kong premier sprint race.
JRHA Select Sale 2021 will be conducted at Northern Horse Park on July 12th (yearling session) and 13th (foal session). Please keep your eyes on JRHA Select Sale and our graduates!
(8th Dec 20)
Preview for running the 2020 Hong Kong International Races
Even under the strict quarantine measures for Coronavirus pandemic, Japan is still representing six horses for the 2020 Hong Kong International Races. Three for the Hong Kong Cup, one for the Hong Kong Mile and two for the Hong Kong Sprint will be running in the HKIR at Sha Tin on December 13th, and two of them are the graduates of JRHA Select Sale.
The Yasuo Tomomichi trainee Admire Mars, who is a purchase for 52million yen/ US$456,141 at 2017 yearling session, is going to defend the title in the Hong Kong Mile. Last year’s stunning success in the race marked his third G1 win following the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1600m) at two and NHK Mile Cup (1600m) at three. The 4-year-old son of Daiwa Major was traveling to Dubai for his seasonal bow in the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) early this year, but due to the global pandemic which caused cancellation of the race, his first start up this season was running the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) where he placed 6th. Debuted back for 3rd effort at G2 level in October, Admire Mars ran well 3rd in the latest G1 Mile Championship at Hanshin last month. Since he has arrived in Hong Kong, he has got reacquainted with the surroundings and has been settled well. Christophe Soumillon has been booked to ride him again, and the pair will raise the flag.
Only mare from the Japanese contingent, Normcore, who was bought at the yearling session for 22 million yen/US$220,000 in 2016, would be running in the Hong Kong Cup. Last year’s G1 Victoria Mile winner ran smart 4th effort in the 2019 Hong Kong Mile. Disappointing 15th where she was dropping down the distance to 1200m for the first time in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in March, the 5-year-old daughter of Harbinger showed her race for 3rd place in the following G1 Victoria Mile in May and tasted her first success since last October in the 2000m-G2 Sapporo Kinen in August. From three-month break, she debuted back in G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in November and changed her tactics, taking lead, but was not able to maintain the position all the way and finished poorly. Trained by Kiyoshi Hagiwara, Normcore has arrived at Sha Tin on December 5th. Christophe Soumillon will be on board. In addition to these two select sale graduates, the two-time G1 winner in Hong Kong, Win Bright (by Stay Gold), the 2017 JRA champion 2-year-old colt Danon Premium (by Deep Impact), and the highly talented sprinter Danon Smash (by Lord Kanaloa) will contest in the HKIR.
