28 June 2018
Photo Yutaka Take scoopdyga.com
There have been five Japanese entries in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1) which will be run at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, October 7th, and ultimately the results of the big races in the land of the rising sun have already delivered their verdict on this score. The first half of the Japanese racing season climaxed on June 24th when the Takarazuka Kinen (Group 1) was the piece de résistance, and it was in this very race that Kiseki (Rulership) put his Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe claims on the line. However, his was a resounding failure, and today {Wednesday} his entourage announced that he was very unlikely to travel to France. Before that, two three-year-old fillies, Lucky Lilac (Orfèvre) and Satono Walkure (Deep Impact), had their bubbles burst as regards a potential Parisian trip after failing in the Japanese equivalent of the Prix de Diane. Similarly, connections of Gendarme (Kitten’s Joy) also declined to go down the French route after the colt failed to come up to scratch in the Japanese Derby.
Consequently, only one Japanese runner will come under orders on the first Sunday in October at ParisLongchamp. He is the four-year-old colt, Clincher (Deep Sky), who is coming off a creditable third in the spring version of the Tenno Sho (Emperor’s Cup) (Group 1) over 3.200 metres on April 29th. He is expected to leave Japan for Chantilly on August 23rd, and the plan is to tackle the Qatar Prix Foy (Group 2) at ParisLongchamp on September 16th en route to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Yutaka Take, who enjoys cult status in Japanese racing, will be in the plate. Clincher is outsider material in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and bookmakers are quoting him at 33-1.