Durandal in 2004 Mile Championship
Two-time defending champion Durandal will be the horse to beat in the 22nd running of the Mile Championship on Sunday afternoon at Kyoto Racecourse.
In a contest featuring six Grade 1 winners, Kenichi Ikezoe will look to snare a G1 title for the second consecutive week, after winning the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup aboard Sweep Tosho also held at the Yodo track last week.
The Masahiro Sakaguchi-trained Durandal will run his second race of the autumn. He finished second in the Sprinters Stakes on Oct. 2 behind Silent Witness of Hong Kong, his first run in 10 months due to injury.
Despite the long layoff, the 6-year-old Durandal was razor sharp, flying through the last three furlongs at Nakayama Racecourse in a race best 32.7 seconds. Had it not been for the prowess of Silent Witness, a career fourth G1 crown for the Sunday Silence late runner would have been more than likely.
Returning to his best distance at 1,600 meters with a flat straight of 400 meters, Durandal, in the hands of a jockey who knows everything there is to know about him, is almost certain to be the favorite come post time.
"He's in better form than he was last time," Ikezoe told reporters after Durandal's final workout on Wednesday morning at the Ritto training center. "He's a horse capable of making it three in a row. I want to be sure I get the job done. "In the 1,200, one mistake can cost you. The 1,600 is a much easier trip. I just need to keep my faith in him." The 64-year-old Sakaguchi likes his chances more than last year, when he won by two lengths. "He had lost a bit of weight when he came back to us before the Sprinters Stakes last year, but he came back this year filled out. His workouts after the race have also been better this year."
Rhein Kraft in 2005 NHK Mile Cup
The most interesting pick among the remainder of the pure domestic field of 18 is Rhein Kraft, the 3-year-old filly who already has two G1 wins and a silver medal this year. In the spring, the Yuichi Fukunaga-ridden Rhein Kraft won the Oka Sho, the first jewel in the filly's triple crown, and the NHK Mile Cup against the boys of her age group.
This season, Rhein Kraft has looked to be every bit as dangerous as she was before the summer. But in two races, she finished second twice to the same horse--Air Messiah--by a very slim margin.
That Rhein Kraft matched up well against Air Messiah has to be an encouraging sign for Fukunaga and trainer Tsutomu Setoguchi. Air Messiah, Yutaka Take up, came in fifth in last weekend's QEII against older competition as the favorite despite a poor start.
Rhein Kraft is clearly more suited to the mile than 2,000 meters--the distance she was beaten at by Air Messiah--and saddling only 54 kilograms, the frontrunner could pose a serious threat to Durandal's three-peat chances.
Trainer Kazuo Fujisawa's Dance in the Mood appears to be back in form after a forgettable spring and summer, during which she failed to finish higher than eighth in four starts.
With Hiroshi Kitamura in the saddle, she was eighth in her first race of the fall, but as the 13th favorite, rebounded to place third in the Emperor's Cup against some of the best runners in the country.
The 4-year-old filly was runner-up in the Mile Championship last year, following a second-place finish in the Emperor's Cup. If Dance in the Mood is in the mood on Sunday, the quality is definitely there for her to challenge Durandal for the 94 million yen winner's check.
Admire Max in 2005 Takamatsunomiya Kinen
Take, just six victories shy of another 200-win year, will ride Admire Max in what will likely be the 6-year-old's last run on home soil, as the Takamatsunomiya Kinen champion is slated to close out his career in Hong Kong next month.
Although he has a remarkable 50 G1 victories to his credit, Take has never won the Mile Championship. Admire Max was sixth in the race last year, and is coming off a third-place finish in the Sprinters Stakes.
The Sunday Silence bay has never come ahead of Durandal during his career, and Durandal will stand in the way of Admire Max once again. But with Take's flair for the dramatics, it would not be the least bit surprising if he gave his mount one last hurrah before the Japanese fans.
The draw will be held on Friday.
© Japan Association for International Racing and Stud Book (JAIRS). All Rights Reserved.
