Rain hits Japan for the Hugo De Pero Special
A downpour yesterday morning has turned the turf to yielding in Japan and their feature race of the weekend, the Hugo De Pero Special Stakes over seven and a half furlongs, has drawn only 6 runners after Bewitch`s Third Offer was a late withdrawal due to the easy going. Nevertheless the 6 colts we have are all high class animals and a nice race is expected so let`s have a look at them…. 1 – Swift Drift : 7-2 : By Sadler`s wells out of an average racemare, Donut`s charge is third best in the betting having won 3 and been placed in 5 in 13 career starts. Good form last year at 2, winning two allowances at 6.5 and placing twice over a mile on turf, although he was outclassed when beating only 1 horse home in a G1 at Ireland. He`s began his 3 year old campaign very well, just failing to get up in a mile stakes on his seasonal debut and that was followed by a career best sp of 89 in the Grade 1 Fainting Goat Nightmares where he was just under 2 lengths 2nd to Speightful. Two weeks later he really struggled stepped up beyond 9f for the first time and was again well beaten 3 weeks ago in a Stakes back at a mile. That lack of form is worrying as is the yielding ground but the trip should be ideal and, provided those recent exertions hav`nt took their toll, he should be thereabouts. 2 – Mr. Bandito : 2-1f : Oaklawn88 has the possibly surprising favourite in this daughter of Mr Greeley out of the consistent turf sprinting mare Local Praise. Mr Bandito began his 2 year old campaign with two shows on dirt but there was a significant improvement when switched to grass and he won his maiden and then an allowance with fairly high sps. He had excuses when stepped up to Stakes class for the first time (run came too soon) when he was soundly beaten in the 2yo Hardly With Marc Special but he soon bounced back and capped off the year with a stakes winning double over 6 and 7 furlongs. Straight back into battle at the beginning of this season with a marvellous performance in a Grade 3 where he just failed to peg back the winner (Just under 4l in front of Boulchique in 7th) and then closing all the time to finish 4th in a top class field at the Equinics (6f, yielding turf) where Boulchique won and completely reversed earlier placings. He comes here off a 4 weeks break after a disappointing effort in a Stakes , he`ll love the ground and trip and is certainly one for the shortlist. 3 – Proud And Bold : 4-1 : Trying an off track for the first time is Avalanche`s representitive who won his only turf start over 7 furlongs at 2 after a poor dirt debut. He ran a starnge sort of race early this year to begin his 3 year old season over 9.5f in an owner restricted stakes where he was a one paced 12+ lengths 3rd but that set him up nicely for next time when he won his first Stakes back under a mile. Appeared not to get home in a G3 over 8 furlongs next and no show when well fancied last time, he gives the impression he will struggle in this ground and with this distance. 4 – Boulchique : 5-2 : By Grandera out of 9f Stakes winner Sunair Storm and a half brother to a couple of winners, he is rated 5th in the turf sprinting division having won 3 out of 6 including a G1 at the Equinics and scored $657,000 in prizemoney. Immediately looked like he had ability last season winning his opening 2 races before finishing 3rd of 4 in a hot looking Stakes affair over a mile where he looked like he was outstayed by a couple of decent horses. As mentioned above, he was behind Mr Bandito on his first 3 year old start in the G3 Roasting Weanies over 7f where he took too long to get going. He was thought good enough to go for the Equinics at Italy in the Richard Migliori, interestingly on yielding turf, where he tracked the leaders and went on to score by a length for his owner baronfarms. He ran a well enough 2nd last time where he again finished in front of Mr Bandito (7l behind) and he comes here off a months rest and he`s back on yielding which he seems to love. Huge chance. 5 – Dragon City : 5-1 : asoiaf`s entry showed bags of promise as a 2 year old, most impressive maiden win followed up with a allowance and stakes towards the end of the season. He started this year poorly, well beaten in a couple of Stakes, but seemed to rediscover a bit of his form last time in the Raise Pump Challenge where he was 4th, 3 1/2l behind Boulchique in 2nd but 4 3/4l in front of a below par Mr Badito. He gave the impression he was somewhere back to his best with that last run and, even though he`s never seen this type of gluey going, it would be dangerous to rule him out. 6 – Silver Colony : 7-1 : The outside of the sextet, who has also drawn the widest stall is Gamble4fun`s colt by Silver Ghost. With 14 runs he has the most experience of the field, 9 of those were at 2 where it took him 5 races to finally get off the mark. He`s ran well in a few allowances so far this year but has always struggled when stepped up in class and, out of all these 6, he looks the least likely to enjoy the underfoot conditions. Hard to fancy. Summary – This looks to be a match between the 2 at the head of the market. The bookmakers have Mr. Bandito favourite but, on recent form, it`s hard to know how they came to that conclusion. Boulchique is back on yielding turf for the first time since his Equinics vicory and, in the hope he`s ridden with a bit more restraint than his last race, he should see out the trip and is the selection. Dragon City and Swift Drift ar`nt that far behind in terms of form and won`t be far away.