A JAPANESE JULY

Racing is such that you never know quite where you will be next and I would have never have thought that I would be in Tokyo for the Vodacom July, such is life.

However, this is the case and it was only by the kind invitation of the Japanese Race Horse Sales company otherwise known as the JRHA. I will be a guest of the association for their annual JRHA Select Sale, now in its 10th year, a sale that has produced Grade 1 winners the world over. These include the victors of the Melbourne Cup, Singapore Cup, Yasuda Kinen, Dubai Duty Free etc this past season; the list is long and
distinguished.

They must be doing something right in Japan on the breeding front and I want to see it first hand. My good friend, Japanese businessman and horseracing presenter, Hiro Goda, arranged the trip and a meeting with the Yoshida family at their Shadai Farm in Hakkaido, close to the sales venue. This is horse breeding central in Japan, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, I am told. I believe the Yoshida's are the leading breeders in Japan and have some of the best stallions in the region, all of whom stand at the world famous Shadai Stallion Station.
It was only a matter of time that the world saw the brunt of Japanese horseracing power. In 2005/06 they swept all aside from around the world. On previous trips to Dubai and Hong Kong, we were told to watch the Japanese horses and right they all were, even though they were a bit of an unknown force at the time. Now we know!

The Japanese are fanatical about horseracing with 100 000 people attending the races for regular meetings. Their press contingent is even more fanatical and they follow their horses around the world. They are also some of the nicest people and a pleasure to be around at the numerous social gatherings before the big racing events. It would be great to catch up with my long time friends whom I met over the years of traveling to the racing events.

Going to Japan means that I will miss the July. The sale is on the Monday after the big race and it is impossible to get to Hakkaido before Monday if I stayed for the July. The great race has attracted another quality field. Contentious choices, Veiled Essence and Badger's Gift made the final field ahead of the up and coming Rippling Ring, the talented Equal Image and the unlucky Fork Lightening. The latter can best be described as missing a July slot by a short head after he was touched off in the Astrapak 1900. The winner is always given a place and that is one of the unwritten laws of the July.

The July is the biggest racing event in South Africa. The tote doesn't lie and the crowds are enthralled by the festivities and fashion at the event. The July parade ring is a maze of the rich and famous. Everybody wants to be in amongst that crowd and this year will be no different.
The July will always be the July, love the horses or not, Durban's finest will be there.