3 minute read

There have been 7 winners of the Japanese Triple Crown for colts and 6 for the fillies' version.

But there has never been a year when the a filly and a colt won the Triple Crown.  This may change on Sunday when Contrail attempts to make history in the Kikuka Sho or Japanese St Leger.  It is over 3000m and run at Kyoto.  And, like Daring Tact, he comes into this unbeaten.  He's by Deep Impact and Fukunaga-san will ride and of course he's unbackable on 1.1.

This means that there is value around the other runners in each ways and multiples.  Babbit is by Nakayama Festa and he's won his last 4 outings with 2200m the longest but then they all have to be able to extend to the 3000m.  He won the St Lite which is a key prep for this, and Uchida-san rides.   The prices for the other horses will probably move a lot before the start but at the time of writing he's on 15.5.

Weltreisende ("World Traveller" in English) is by Dream Journey and is a half-brother to World Première who won this race last year.  He's trained by Ikee-sensei who has won this race before.  He's on 16.0.

Aristoteles has a lovely pedigree as he's by Epiphanea (as is Daring Tact) out of a Deep Impact mare and he's the ride of Christophe Lemaire.  He's been in the top three for 7 of his 8 starts to date and is on 38.3.

Valcos is by Novelist and his grandmother on the dam's side is Wind In Her Hair who is Deep Impact's mother.  He's owned by our friend Kazuhiro Sasaki the former baseball great and will be ridden by Iwata Senior.  Currently 75.6.

There's a new player on the scene in Robertson Quay who has only had 5 starts but has made a rapid rise through the classes to find himself in the Group 1 field.   He's now down to double figures – 91.7.