Conduit and Scintillo endured a 15-hour journey from England, while Marsh
Once arriving in Japan, the quartet was then transported to the JRA
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“The horse is in fine condition and does not seem to be worn out from the
trip,” said Conduit’s groom Neil Varley. “This visit to Japan and the race will
probably be the highlight of my life, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s an
honor just to be here for the Japan Cup, but since we’ve come all this way, we
will give it our best.”
Conduit, a strong fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) two back,
is coming off his second straight score in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa
Anita. The Sir Michael Stoute charge is expected to make his final career start
in the approximately $6 million Japan Cup. Plans call for the chestnut to retire to stud
next year at Shigeyuki Okada’s Big Red Farm in Japan.
Conduit has won two races this season that qualify him for lucrative bonuses
if he performs well in the about 1 1/2-mile turf test at Tokyo. In addition to
the Breeders’ Cup Turf, he also captured the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth
S. (Eng-G1) at Ascot this summer, and either one would have made him eligible
according to the Japan Cup bonus structure. Conduit stands to pocket a
$1,368,000 bonus if he wins the Japan Cup, a $547,000 windfall if he places
second, and an extra $342,000 if he finishes third.
Marsh Side, most recently fourth as the defending champion in the Canadian
International (Can-G1), walked around the stable area on Friday and seems to be
in fine form with great appetite.
“He’s in very good condition,” assistant trainer Marcelino Olguin said. “(The
Japan Cup) is expected to be a tough race. We’ll give it our best to get the
best result.”
Runner-up to American divisional leader Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) in the
Marsh Side is the third and final American-based hope to arrive for the Japan
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The Richard Hannon-trained Scintillo was a late addition to the Japan Cup.
The four-year-old has failed to shine since landing the Grand Prix de Chantilly
(Fr-G2) in May, winding up seventh in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1), a
tailed-off last of nine behind Conduit in the King George and a distant sixth in
the Prix du Conseil de Paris (Fr-G2) last out.
“He is in very good form and seems to have found a liking for the stalls here
at the international stables. He looks fresh and is enjoying himself,” said
Scintillo’s groom Anna Kowalczyk. “As for his training, I will wait for orders
from the trainer, but tomorrow, we’ll only walk him around and not enter the
track. The Japan Cup is a world-class race, and I’m delighted that we were
invited here and to participate in a race of this caliber.”
“Scintillo left on Thursday, and everything seems to have gone according to
plan,” Hannon commented on his website, richardhannon.tv, on Friday. “Richard
Jr. will be flying out next Tuesday, and we will give the horse a spin on the
track midweek.
“I am delighted to have snapped up Gerald Mosse, who has a great record in
Japan and is a world-class jockey.
“Scintillo might be one of the outsiders, but he is a decent colt, as he
showed when winning at Chantilly last summer. The ground was rattling fast that
day and conditions could well be similar in Japan, which would suit him ideally.
He has a terrific turn of foot, and, while it is a very hot race, we are not
going out there just for the sushi!”
Scintillo will eventually continue his racing career in Australia for new
owner Leonard Lucas.
“His condition is well. We’ll walk him around the track tomorrow (Friday),”
Ice added that he would decide on his training regimen on a day-to-day basis,
As the winner of the Belmont S. (G1), Travers S. (G1) and Jockey Club Gold
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Summer Bird, who was a distant second to Horse of the Year candidate Rachel
Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro) in the Haskell Invitational (G1) in August, was most
recently a gallant fourth to Horse of the Year candidate Zenyatta in the
Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
The Japan Cup Dirt, contested at about 1 1/8 miles at Hanshin, would mark
Summer Bird’s first try at a right-handed track.