Sweeney pins hopes on Dover for G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy

Dover bids for a fifth win over a mile at Nakayama, Japan, in the G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy on Saturday. The seven-year-old’s most recent course and distance success came in the Listed New Year Stakes in January, 2019, when he forged clear inside the final furlong for a convincing three-length victory.

He went on to further Listed glory over a mile for trainer Keizo Ito last year with a comfortable win in the Capital Stakes at Tokyo in November.

Dover (Hironobu Tanabe) was seventh in the 2019 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy and the Admire Moon entire started this season with two further mile G3 appearances, most recently when finishing down the field in the Tokyo Shimbun Hai in February.

Harry Sweeney, President of Godolphin in Japan, said: “Dover has earned more than $1,500,000 without ever winning or placing in a Group race, a feat that probably could not be achieved anywhere else in the world other than Japan.

“Indeed, in his 27 JRA starts to date, only four were in Group races. However, he failed to make the frame in his two runs this season, both G3 races over a mile, and indeed was five lengths behind the winner on each occasion.

“Though this is a handicap, he is only 1.5kg better off than the highest-weighted horse and this is unlikely to be enough to make a significant difference. Furthermore, he is drawn in stall 14 and will have plenty of ground to cover.

“Though Dover won two Listed races last year, he has yet to prove that he can be competitive in Group company and may find it tough tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, the big race in Japan this coming Sunday will be the Grade 1 Osaka Hai, to be run at Hanshin Racecourse.

The race is for 4-year-olds and up, and will see some of the country’s older middle-distance stars begin their preparations for some of the other top level races later in the year.

The race has attracted fourteen nominations and there are some big Grade 1 winning names among the provisional list of runners.

Established in 1957, the race was previously a handicap run over 1,800 meters, and known as the Sankei Osaka Hai. It’s now run over 2,000 meters on the inner turf course at Hanshin, and this year sees it being run as a Grade 1 for just the fourth time, having been upgraded to the highest level in 2017.

Lead up races to this year’s Osaka Hai have included the Grade 2 American Jockey Club Cup over 2,200 at Nakayama in January, the Grade 2 Nakayama Kinen run over 1,800 meters in March, and the Grade 2 Kyoto Kinen run over 2,200 meters in February.

Al Ain caused a 22/1 upset in last year’s Osaka Hai, but there was little more than a length between the first six home, and a similar close finish could easily be on the cards this time too, in what will be the 64th running of the race.

Favorites have fared quite well in the past ten years, winning four times, but making the top three eight times. In the same time period, 4-year-olds have won five times and 5-year-olds have won four times, demonstrating their dominance in the event. Record time for the race was set by Hiruno d’Amour, who won in a time of 1 minute 57.8 seconds in 2011.

There’s a prize money boost this year, with the winner to receive $1,244,828. Sunday’s big race will be Race 11 on the Hanshin card.