2015 Copa Republica Argentina (G2) - Preview

After last week’s thrilling Tenno Sho, there’s a short pause for breath between Grade 1 action in Japan, and this Sunday’s (November 8th) feature race at Tokyo is the Grade 2 Copa Republica Argentina.  A handicap for 3-year-olds and up, it has grown in prestige in recent years, with several runners of late going on to bigger and better things.  Last year’s winner, Fame Game, is now in Australia for the Melbourne Cup, and other stars to come out of the race were Admire Rakti (2nd in 2013), and 2008 winner, Screen Hero, who went on to win the Japan Cup the same year.

The Copa Republica Argentina was established in 1963 and was known as the Argentine Jockey Club Cup.  It got its current name in 1975, after the Argentine government began to manage the Club.  Initially held sometime in May, the race has had its November slot since 1984.  Run over 2500 meters, it’s the same distance as the great end of year race in Japan, the Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix).  Step races leading up to the Copa Republica Argentina include the Grade 2 Meguro Kinen on Derby Day, the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers in September, and the Grade 2 Kyoto Daishoten in October.

The 53rd running of the race this Sunday has drawn twenty five nominations, so it looks likely there will be a full field of eighteen lining up come race time, which is 3.35pm in Japan.  The race starts in the home straight and takes in just over a circuit of the Tokyo turf track, a true test for established, and potential, stayers.  The winner receives ¥55 million, and the race has been kind to market leaders in the past ten years, with first, second or third favourites winning eight times.  The record time for the 2500 meters at Tokyo is held by Mousquetaire, who stopped the clock in a time of 2 minutes 29.6 seconds when winning the Meguro Kinen in 2013.

Here’s a look at some of the runners in this year’s Copa Republica Argentina:

Gold Actor Gold Actor - Looking like he might start favourite, this 4-year-old colt by Screen Hero has won both his starts this year, the latest when he won the October Stakes at Tokyo over 2400 meters.  He also finished third in last year’s Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), which was three starts ago.  He is five wins from eleven starts overall, and won twice in Sapporo in 2014 over 2600 meters.  Comments taken from assistant training staff at trainer Tadashige Nakagawa’s stable were:  “He’s a horse that’s really developed when it comes to racing sense.  In his four most recent wins, he’s been running in the first three throughout the race, and this seems to play to his strength.  He’s developing well and we’ll see what he’s capable of from now.”  He will carry 56kgs and will be ridden by Hayato Yoshida.

Satono Noblesse Satono Noblesse - Trained by the man with the golden touch in recent Grade 1s, Yasutoshi Ikee will be hoping to scoop another big prize here with this 5-year-old by Deep Impact.  The horse was bred at Mejiro Stud, and already has prize money totaling ¥240 million.  He won on his debut, was second in the 2013 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), and eleventh in the 2014 Arima Kinen.  In his one race since January this year, he finished tenth to Shonan Pandora in the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers over 2200 meters at Nakayama in September.  Assistant training staff at the yard commented recently:  “He came back to the stable from Northern Farm Shigaraki on October 20th, and his condition was pretty good.  He put in a good piece of work on the 29th, when he had a last furlong time of between eleven and twelve seconds.  His movement was good, he seems stronger, and we think he can be competitive here.”

Reve Mistral Reve Mistral - This bay colt by King Kamehameha is a half brother to 2010 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies winner, Reve d’Essor, and finished ninth in this year’s Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).  Prior to that, he won the Grade 2 TV Tokyo Hai Aoba Sho over 2400 meters at Tokyo in May, where he beat Tanta Alegria, a horse that finished fourth in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) most recently.  Reve Mistral runs in the Sunday Racing colours, and is three wins from six starts, all his wins in consecutive races before the Derby.  His trainer, Hiroyoshi Matsuda, commented, “He was out at the farm for the summer, and I waited to see how he would develop as time went on.  He came back into training in the middle of September, and his balance is good and I think he’s better than in the spring.  He trained with two other horses on October 28th in conditions similar to a race itself and was good in his work.  We’ve decided on this race for him.”  The trainer surely deserves another big win in what is probably his last year before hanging up his trainer’s manual, which should be required reading for everybody.

Recondite Recondite - Running in the colours of last week’s Tenno Sho winner, Lovely Day, Recondite’s most recent race saw him finish eighth to the Tenno Sho winner in the Kyoto Daishoten over 2400 meters at Kyoto in October.  He’s by Hearts Cry, and was bred at Shadai Farm.  He’s five wins from twenty one starts, and in his four races at Tokyo, he’s finished 1st, 5th, 3rd and 2nd.  His trainer, Hidetaka Otonashi, had the following to say recently:  “In his last race he didn’t run to his best, but I think if he can run the same as he did when he finished second in the Meguro Kinen he has a chance, this being a handicap and him being better suited by the Tokyo course.”

Promontorio Promontorio- A 5-year-old by Gold Halo, Promontorio had his first race this year when winning the Orfevre Memorial over 2000 meters at Kyoto in October.  He’s a horse that started his career in dirt races, but of his five wins from sixteen starts, three of his victories have been on turf, including two at Tokyo over 2400 meters, one of them on yielding ground.  He would seem to have versatility on his side.  His trainer, Kiyoshi Hagiwara, commented:  “He put in some work on the 23rd and 28th.  For his last race, his weight was up twelve kilos.  His start was good last time and hopefully he can maintain that.  If he can race like he did when he finished third in the Meguro Kinen in 2014, that’s the performance I’d like to see.”

Love Is Boo Shet Love Is Boo Shet - This 6-year-old by Manhattan Cafe is a bit of a quirky type, and hasn’t won since the Hakodate Kinen in 2014, but might be coming back into things after his fifth place finish in the Niigata Kinen over 2000 meters in September.  He’s had only three of his thirty one starts at Tokyo, finishing 2nd, 4th, and 15th, the latter in the Diamond Stakes over 3400 meters in February.  Trainer Akira Murayama said of Love Is Boo Shet:  “In the first half of this year, he didn’t come up with results.  Returning from the farm recently, he put in some work a week ago where he ran at a nice steady pace.  I’m hoping for improvement going into the race.  I think the Tokyo straight suits him and if he can find a good rhythm as well.”

Hiraboku Deep Hiraboku Deep - A 5-year-old by Deep Impact, he’s coming off a good win in the Open Class Tancho Stakes over 2600 meters at Sapporo in September, and confidence is high going into this race.  Despite only having four wins in an eighteen race career, he’s never too far away in his races.  Assistant training staff to trainer Sakae Kunieda recently commented:  “He’s been able to keep his condition well.  It was good to get his last win over the extended distance and prove his talent, and we’re hoping with jockey Kenichi Ikezoe aboard again he can produce another good run.”

Meisho Kadomatsu Meisho Kadomatsu - In the famous “Meisho” colours of owner Yoshio Matsumoto, this 6-year-old likes to go off in front and is capable of anything on his day.  He’s having his first run in the Copa Republica Argentina, having finished fourth in this year’s Meguro Kinen, and seventh most recently in the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers.  Trainer Kenichi Fujioka said of his runner: “He won back in February at Tokyo, and we have the same jockey as then hopefully.  He ran well enough in the Meguro Kinen, and now back at Tokyo, the longer distance is a plus, and I hope he can run his natural race.”

Marialite Note: Marialite will not run in this race. Marialite - This 4-year-old filly by Deep Impact is an interesting runner, coming off a fifth place finish in the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers over 2200 meters in September.  She is unplaced only twice in six races at Tokyo.

Source (comments): Keiba Book