3 minute read
The Japanese 2000 Guineas takes place at Nakayama on Sunday.
The breeding ground for some of Japan's top stars, the Satuski Sho (2000m) is their 2000 Guineas and has been won by some legends of the sport.
The likes of Contrail, Gold Ship, Orfevre and Deep Impact have all won the Satuski Sho and last year's edition saw Museum Mile edge out Croix Du Nord – both since open-age Group One winners.
This year will see a competitive field, likely headed by last-start Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1600m) winner Cavallerizzo, who rated well against recent winners of the two-year-old feature.
Not many have attempted to go straight from the Futurity Stakes to the Satuski Sho however – only three this century have done do without a lead-up run, Salios the best of those when beaten by subsequent Triple Crown winner Contrail.
Australian jockey Damian Lane was aboard Salios that day and will fly in to ride Cavallerizzo, a son of Saturnalia, who won the Satsuki Sho in 2019.
His breeding and the way he's finished powerfully over 1600m suggests the 2000m trip will bring out further improvement and given he is so lightly raced, Cavallerizzo will be well fancied.
That said, the trip is still an unknown with a few other contenders proven at the distance. Lovcen is already a Group One winner over 2000m, a surprise victor of the Hopeful Stakes at the Nakayama course.
Lovcen was beaten at Tokyo over 1800m by Realize Sirius in the Kyodo News Hai (1800m), and it's worth noting that Realize Sirius was third favourite in the market behind second-elect Cavallerizzo in the Futurity Stakes when they clashed.
Favourite that day was Admire Quads, who has since run third in the 2000 Guineas Trial, seemingly with every chance behind Basse Terre who came from back in the field to beat him.
Two others to consider are Green Energy, who resumed with a smart win in Group 3 company at Nakayama, and Christophe Lemaire's mount Peintre Naif, who hasn't been seen since winning a Group 2 back in November.
It sets up for an intriguing race with plenty of unknowns. To date, the best colt has been Cavallerizzo, but there will be plenty who fancy beating him given he's unexposed at the trip and hasn't raced this year.
