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Conduit, Summer Bird arrive in Japan
"The horse is in fine condition and does not seem to be worn out from the trip," said Conduit's groom Neil Varley. "This visit to Japan and the race will probably be the highlight of my life, so I'm looking forward to it. It's an honor just to be here for the Japan Cup, but since we've come all this way, we will give it our best." Conduit, a strong fourth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) two back, is coming off his second straight score in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita. The Sir Michael Stoute charge is expected to make his final career start in the approximately $6 million Japan Cup. Plans call for the chestnut to retire to stud next year at Shigeyuki Okada's Big Red Farm in Japan. Conduit has won two races this season that qualify him for lucrative bonuses if he performs well in the about 1 1/2-mile turf test at Tokyo. In addition to the Breeders' Cup Turf, he also captured the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. (Eng-G1) at Ascot this summer, and either one would have made him eligible according to the Japan Cup bonus structure. Conduit stands to pocket a $1,368,000 bonus if he wins the Japan Cup, a $547,000 windfall if he places second, and an extra $342,000 if he finishes third. Marsh Side, most recently fourth as the defending champion in the Canadian International (Can-G1), walked around the stable area on Friday and seems to be in fine form with great appetite. "He's in very good condition," assistant trainer Marcelino Olguin said. "(The Japan Cup) is expected to be a tough race. We'll give it our best to get the best result."
The Richard Hannon-trained Scintillo was a late addition to the Japan Cup. The four-year-old has failed to shine since landing the Grand Prix de Chantilly (Fr-G2) in May, winding up seventh in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1), a tailed-off last of nine behind Conduit in the King George and a distant sixth in the Prix du Conseil de Paris (Fr-G2) last out. "He is in very good form and seems to have found a liking for the stalls here at the international stables. He looks fresh and is enjoying himself," said Scintillo's groom Anna Kowalczyk. "As for his training, I will wait for orders from the trainer, but tomorrow, we'll only walk him around and not enter the track. The Japan Cup is a world-class race, and I'm delighted that we were invited here and to participate in a race of this caliber." "Scintillo left on Thursday, and everything seems to have gone according to plan," Hannon commented on his website, richardhannon.tv, on Friday. "Richard Jr. will be flying out next Tuesday, and we will give the horse a spin on the track midweek. "I am delighted to have snapped up Gerald Mosse, who has a great record in Japan and is a world-class jockey. "Scintillo might be one of the outsiders, but he is a decent colt, as he showed when winning at Chantilly last summer. The ground was rattling fast that day and conditions could well be similar in Japan, which would suit him ideally. He has a terrific turn of foot, and, while it is a very hot race, we are not going out there just for the sushi!" Scintillo will eventually continue his racing career in Australia for new owner Leonard Lucas.
Summer Bird, who was a distant second to Horse of the Year candidate Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d'Oro) in the Haskell Invitational (G1) in August, was most recently a gallant fourth to Horse of the Year candidate Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). The Japan Cup Dirt, contested at about 1 1/8 miles at Hanshin, would mark Summer Bird's first try at a right-handed track.
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