Why Japanese racing has lost its appeal to foreign raiders
There were familiar scenes in Tokyo on Sunday as Kitasan Black led home a clean sweep for the locals in the Japan Cup ahead of a disappointing overseas contingent.
The quality of overseas runners in the Japan Cup has slipped since Luca Cumani’s Alkaased became the last foreign-trained winner back in 2005 and this raiding party was one of the weakest yet.
The team of three (Iquitos, Nightflower and Erupt) arrived with peak RPRs no higher than 116 for the season. They were sent off at big odds and finished as expected in seventh, 12th and 14th.
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