Date posted August 6, 2010 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Racing and BreedingThe Japanese contingent for the 2010 Spring Racing Carnival has been further
strengthened with the late nomination of promising young stayer Meisho Dontaku.
Connections of the four-year-old have paid a late entry fee for both the $6m Emirates
Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on 2 November and the $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on 23 October.
Meisho Dontaku finished third in Japan’s premier two-mile handicap, the Group 1 Tenno Sho, earlier this year behind other Japanese nominees Jaguar Mail and Meiner Kitz.
The Masaru Honda-trained stayer takes to six the number of Japanese horses entered for this year’s cups. The other three are Three Orion, Tokai Trick and White Pilgrim, whom is also entered for the $3m Tatts Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on 23 October.
In addition to the cups contenders, Japanese three-year-old Break A Theory has been
nominated for the $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on 30 October.
The Hiroshi Miyamoto-prepared Galileo colt will become the first internationally-trained starter in Victoria’s most prestigious three-year-old race if he makes the trip as planned.
The Japanese horses will be the first to compete in Australia since stablemates Delta Blues and Pop Rock finished one-two in the 2006 Melbourne Cup.
Japanese horses have been prevented from travelling to Australia since Equine Influenza outbreaks in both countries in 2007.
