Training Report of Foreign Entries
62nd Running of the Yasuda Kinen (G1)

May 29, 2012 (Tuesday)

<At Tokyo Racecourse>

Weather: Fine
Going: Standard (dirt course)

GLORIOUS DAYS (AUS, G5, brown)

- jogged 10 min. in exercise arena, jogged 1/4 lap and cantered 2 laps on dirt course
(exercised from 7:39 AM to 8:03 AM, ridden by Kin Yiu Yan)

"The first couple of days since his arrival, he was a bit uptight, but progressively since then he's improved every day and he didn't show any difference after arriving in Tokyo. This morning he looked normal and is pretty relaxed. He did lose a bit of weight coming here, but he's quite ravenous and he's stable now.
It's his first season racing in Hong Kong and he has improved by every race. In a big field like the Yasuda Kinen, I'd say he'll only be in mid-field or a little bit further than that—I don't think he'll follow the leaders. He makes up ground quickly to be challenging, so in the section between the last 400 to 200 meters, he can make up a couple of lengths very quickly to get himself in a good position. If it's an even field, then he has an even chance. He's relatively inexperienced and young in Asian standards but maybe he's got a little bit more in him.
He'll work all week on the dirt and probably do a gallop on Friday."

LUCKY NINE (IRE, G5, bay)

- jogged 1/2 lap, cantered 1-1/4 laps, jogged 1/4 lap, cantered lightly 1/2 lap on dirt course
(exercised from 7:37 AM to 7:51 AM, ridden by Dale Bussey)

"After the Sprinters Stakes last year in Japan, the horse went on to win the Hong Kong Sprint, and since then he's maintained his condition very well. He looks great—his coat looks very healthy, his body weight is very good and he's eating and drinking everything we give him.
We've got his stamina built up obviously from the last race and his fitness level has picked up. In the past he's had issues with internal problems which is why I made him a sprinter, but since then he's toughened up and now that he's good internally, I can now take him back to his actual preferred distance which is a mile.
He's been a little bit unlucky with the draws—breaking from the widest stalls in his last few races including the Golden Shaheen at Dubai, but as long as he can break from a nice gate, get in the first four or five and not have a hard race, I'm pretty confident that he'll be a first-three chance.
I plan to do some speed work tomorrow morning on the grass."