The English page - No luck for the Europeans

Unfortunately we lost last Saturday's final meeting in Munich to the weather. With snow falling Thursday and temperatures staying in the minus bracket the Munich Racecourse had no other option but to cancel. It gave Munich racehorse supporters even more incentive to set their alarm clocks on Sunday morning to cheer on Munich‘s number one and Germany's number one racehorse of 2024, Fantastic Moon, in his bid to win the Japan Cup or try to do what no German horse has managed since the great Lando‘s(Acatenango) feat for trainer Heinz Jentzsch and Gestut Ittlingen under South African star jockey Muis Roberts way back in 1995.

The Liberty Racing 2021 Sea the Moon four year old trained by Sarah Steinberg and ridden by stable jockey Rene Piechulek was one of three interesting Foreign runners that had made the trip to Tokyo for the big day, Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact) for Coolmore, Aidan O Brien and Ryan Moore and Goliath (Adlerflug), German bred at Gestut Schlenderhana running in the colours of Resolute Bloodstock & Baron Philip Von Ullmann. He is now trained in France by Francis Henri Graffard and Christophe Soumillon took the ride. Japan Cup day is a mighty spectacle in Japan with almost 80,000 in attendance. Yes it was splendid for those who could be there but this year also a thrilling race to watch. Even from your own armchair in front of the TV set, seeing those packed Grandstands and close up in the parade ring and at the start it was a tremendous affair . The race itself was run at a very slow pace for a major event and Group I and it definitely did not suit the foreign horses.

Auguste Rodin the Deep Impact son and the strongest supported of the foreign horses, jumped well, was taken back to midfield, angled out entering the home straight but couldn't land a blow, finishing eight of the fourtheen runners. Goliath, who's mother Gouache was led out of the ring at 5 million Euro unsold at the in Ireland Goffs Breeding sale, 48 hours prior to the race, missed the start from gate one and though he travelled much of the way up behind the leaders, he never settled and was never in a rhythm behind a slow pace eventually finishing off sixth and best of the foreigners. Fantastic Moon was unhurried from the gates, sat out behind almost always beside the favorite and eventual winner Do Deuce but could not quicken when that one did and finished 11th.

What we did see was a thrilling finish between Do Deuce (Hearts Cry), Shin Emperor (Siyouni) and Durezza (Duramente). Shin Emperor who had finished third in the Irish Champion Stakes in Leopardstown was always on the pace from the gates under Ryusei Sakai and led till William Buick sent Durezza, a horse that stays the St Leger trip, around the field after half a mile as they were going a crawling pace early. Even though these two battled tenaciously throughout and down the stretch to the line they could not hold the flying challenge of Yutaka Take on the Hearts Cry son Do Deuce. The five year old winner Do Deuce winning by a neck with Shin Emperor and Durezza dead heating for second place and well fancied Cervinia two and a half lenghts away in fourth. Do Deuce, who was winning his fifth Group I, was the champion two year old in his year in Japan, won the Japan Derby and has finished fourth to Simca Mille and unplaced in Alpinista's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He finished 4th behind Equinox in last years Japan Cup before winning the Group I Arima Kinen in December and that will be his aim again this year. He will have one more run in this race before retiring if he trains well after his Japan Cup success. For jockey Take it was his fifth success in the Japan Cup making him the winning most jockey of the event. He won with Special Week way back in 1998 , then with Deep Impact in 2006, Rose Kingdom in 2010 and Kitasan Black in 2016 before this years success.
For Auguste Rodin and our own Fantastic Moon, Tokyo was their last outing before retiring to the Breeding Sheds. Auguste Rodin retires to Coolmore Irelabd while Fantastic Moon takes up duties at Gestut Ebbesloh.
With the Turf season now finished in Germany, apart for one meet at Christmas in Mulheim weather permitting, the sand track in Dortmund takes over to keep our sport aloft. It is important  for the racing game here in Germany to keep the sport in the news. England and Ireland will turn to the jumps game and both also have polytracks as does France who will then stage Deauville and Cagnes sur mer in February and March.
Dortmund, though the standard of horse may no be the highest, helps the smaller trainer and owners to survive through the long winter and keeps the show on the road.

Shannon Spratter