Ryan Moore: came close to winning his second Japan Cup on Last Impact

 PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Moore just denied as Shonan Pandora gets up

Report: Japan, Sunday

Tokyo: Japan Cup (Grade 1) 1m4f, turf, 3yo+

SHONAN PANDORA, a four-year-old daughter of champion sire Deep Impact, stepped up to a mile and a half for the first time and kept the Japan Cup at home for the tenth year in a row with a narrow win – the first in the race for trainer Tomokazu Takano and jockey Kenichi Ikezoe – over Ryan Moore’s mount Last Impact and hot favourite Lovely Day in Tokyo on Sunday.

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The seventh filly to win Japan’s biggest international race,Shonan Pandora had never won outside Grade 2 company, but she came good with a sustained run that took her past Last Impact in the last 50 metres, after Moore had appeared likely to take the spoils when he headed Lovely Day 150 metres from the line.

There were two necks between the first three, as the European four-strong party failed to figure prominently at any stage with Trip To Paris finishing towards the rear after sitting way off the pace early on. Grand Prix de Paris winner and Arc fifth Erupt, chasing a sizeable bonus, came out best in sixth.

Moore already has an adoring following in Japan courtesy of five top-flight successes, the most recent of which came on Maurice in The Mile Championship last Sunday, but he agonisingly failed to add to his 2013 Japan Cup victory on Gentildonna.

“He ran a very brave race, and it’s a shame for his trainer Mr Matsuda, who’s retiring at the end of the season, that he couldn’t have just held on,” the rider said.

Shonan squeezes through

There was no hanging around as the gates opened to a crescendo of noise from the huge crowds as Curren Mirotic blasted off in front, setting a furious pace that had the field well strung out.

Swinging for home Shonan Pandora was scrubbed along and caught in a pocket as the trailblazer’s lead came under threat from all angles with Lovely Day looking a big danger 400 metres out.

The favourite took over the lead shortly after but Moore, who took Last Impact to the far rail, found top gear and held the lead in the final strides before the winner, who followed Lovely Day through when the gap appeared, conjured a late burst to snatch the spoils.

Paris stays in training

The first 15 horses were covered by a fraction over four and a half lengths with the Ed Dunlop-trained Trip To Paris finishing in 14th.

“He got a long way back early on, which was surprising from his draw in stall two, but it looks like this was one race too many,” said the trainer.

“He didn’t have the same sparkle as he showed in Melbourne. He’ll have a holiday now, but stays in training.”

DOMENICA 29 NOVEMBRE 2015 Giappone: Shonan Pandora beffa i maschi nella Japan Cup, battuto Last Impact con Ryan Moore. Demuro 5°, Erupt 6°

 

 

Per la quinta volta negli ultimi 7 anni, una rappresentante del sesso debole ha battuto i maschioni della Japan Cup. Femmina, per modo di dire però, quando hai un fisico da virago e gambe fortissime. E così, dopo Vodka, Buena Vista e due volte Gentildonna, ecco la Japan di Shonan Pandora (Deep Impact) una 4 anni che, alla prima esibizione su una distanza più lunga dei 2200 metri, ha dimostrato di avere stamina e gran classe, pur avendo vinto in passato massimo in G2 ma trovando la sua dimensione a Tokyo in una giornata che l’ha consacrata fortissima e può ancor più farne pensare un progresso a 5 anni. La cavalla di Tomokazu Takano, montata da Kenichi Ikezoe, ha giostrato al centro del gruppo per tutta la gara in una prova dove l’andatura è stata come al solito abbastanza svelta con una misura di 59,2 per i primi 1000 metri; In retta i 18 partecipanti hanno aperto i rubinetti e quella che si è presentata meglio è stata proprio Shonan Pandora che, all’epilogo, ha praticamente slalomeggiato facendo capire di avere un’ora in mano, passando di slancio il favorito Lovely Day (King Kamehameha) e ancor prima Mirco Demuro con Sounds Of Earth (Neo Universe), beffando nei 50 metri finali Ryan Moore che stava per compiere un capolavoro su Last Impact (Deep Impact), filtrando per corsie interne…