Japan's Buena Vista and Victoire Pisa head to World Cup
Japan is ready to take the Dubai World Cup by storm and appears to be going straight for victory, as the country’s contenders for the world’s richest race – taking place at Meydan on the 26
March this year - have been confirmed to be both Buena Vista and Victoire Pisa, by their respective connections.
The chance to partner with Buena Vista, who was crowned the Japanese Horse of the Year, is as appealing as it is rare, and currently open for skilled jockeys, as Christophe Soumillon, the horse’s regular jockey in the nation's autumn horseracing attractions,
has signed a deal to ride for Mike de Kock.
The South African jockey is most probably going to pair up with leading racehorse Bold Silvano, who is now labelled as the World Cup favourite with quite a lot of British bookmakers after he succeeded in winning the second leg of the Maktoum Challenge on
this Thursday.
The connections of Rulership, the horse who is currently four years old and is preparing to run the Sheema Classic, have other plans for Soumillon as they want said jockey to ride Rulership for the aforementioned race. Buena Vista, ridden by jockey Olivier
Peslier, was runner-up to racehorse Dar Re Mi in the Sheema Classic that took place in March just last year.
Both of Japan’s chosen are famous champions in their own achievements: Buena Vista is known for winning Grade 1 races five times, but was controversially disqualified from the Japan Cup just after he won by crossing the finish line first, while Victoire
Pisa claimed victory at the Arima Kinen. However, it should be taken into consideration that neither horse has raced in conditions that the Meydan course offers; that is, an all-weather surface.
Concerning Buena Vista’s plans for Dubai, it has been reported that the trainer of Buena Vista, Hiroyoshi Matsuda has said that he has decided that he will send her (Buena Vista) to the Dubai World Cup where she will not run the prep race but go straight
on for the big ones. Matsuda added that the horse will travel with two other horses, both of whom are under the care of trainer Sumii.
The mentioned Sumii is actually the trainer Katsuhiko Sumii who has also trained the horses Rulership and Victoire Pisa. Sumii has confirmed the news that both of his horses will depart for Dubai from Japan, with Buena Vista, on the 9
March.
Although no representatives from Japan will be taking part in the Super Thursday fixture this year, last year’s juvenile champion of the Grand Prix Boss and also Red Davis have received invitations to show their skills at the UAE Derby.
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