Japan Cup fav loses race after inquiry????

Must say thought that was bad for racing changing the result? Velly velly strange imo.

Buena Vista loses Japan Cup in stewards' room

Report: Japan, Sunday

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

THE Japan Cup ended in major controversy on Sunday when superstar filly Buena Vista passed the post as a decisive winner - only to be disqualified for interference in favour of compatriot Rose Kingdom after a lengthy stewards' inquiry.

Joshua Tree and Dandino both finished in mid-division at Tokyo racecourse behind what appeared a spectacular winner in the shape of odds-on favourite Buena Vista, who powered down the straight from well back under Christophe Soumillon to score by a length and three-quarters.

The jockey punched the air after the post before parading his mount into in front of the stands and throwing his whip into the crowd after a stunning performance from the most popular horse in Japan, who nearly went down on the first turn when she appeared to peck on the heels of Italian runner Voila Ici.

Having settled his mount towards the rear, Soumillon moved her up smoothly turning for home and looked a certain winner from a long way out - only for a stewards' inquiry to be announced into interference inside the final furlong as Buena Vista stormed home.

Although she bore in slightly on Rose Kingdom, the latter's rider Yutaka Take made a meal of the issue before driving his mount up to snatch second by a nose on the line from Japanese Guineas winner Victoire Pisa, who returned at 27-1.

A stewards' inquiry was called. After about 20 minutes, to an audible groan, the numbers on the tote board opposite the colossal Tokyo grandstand were reversed, revealing to a crowd of more than 106,000 that their darling Buena Vista had become the first 'winner' to be disqualified in the history of the race.

Japanese Derby runner-up Rose Kingdom, trained by Kojiro Hashiguchi and the mount of Japanese legend Take, is a three-year-old son of the 2004 Japanese Derby winner King Kamehameha.

Sent off 7.8-1 fourth favourite after making the frame without winning in all three colts' Classics, it is he who will go down in the record books as the 30th winner of the Japan Cup - despite plainly being only second best.

Ironically, the horses involved in the furore carried the same silks as they are both owned by the Sunday Racing syndicate.

Japanese rules are notoriously strict, closer to the French than British interpretation, although some locals felt the rules had been interpreted correctly.

Soumillon took the wise decision to keep his own counsel. "It is better to say nothing," he said.

Ryan Moore, who rode fourth-placed Jaguar Mail, offered a strong view. "It's the wrong decision," he said. "They want a champion and now they haven't got one. It is such a shame for the race."

The home team had looked formidable before the race and so it proved as they filled the first eight places home, with Guineas winner Victoire Pisa taking third from Moore's mount Jaguar Mail.

Arc runner-up Nakayama Festa was a dismal 14th of the 18 runners in the ¥481.4 million (£3.64m/€4.33m) contest, where the French-trained Cirrus Des Aigles did best of the visitors in ninth place.

The Prix Dollar winner came home one place in front of Joshua Tree, who flattened out in the straight under Colm O'Donoghue.

Gordon Stakes runner-up Dandino, sent off the longest price on the board in his first-time blinkers, stayed on after being outpaced early under Paul Mulrennan to finish a respectable 11th to leave trainer James Given happy enough, despite missing the prize-money by just one place.

"I am happy with that bearing in mind it was only the ninth race of the horse's life," said Given. "He was taking on seasoned individuals and I think the early pace probably exposed his slight inexperience. He jumped okay but was a bit slowly into his stride.

"The betting suggested we were going to be last and we have done better than that - that puts him in Group company. We always viewed this race as a stepping stone for later in his career and it will stand him in good stead for next summer."

Given will target the Jockey Club Stakes at the start of Dandino's four-year-old campaign.

Watch the race, what do you think??

www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/tok...93283/international/

No arguing that Buena was the winner on merit

WORLD CLASS: an analysis of the international scene according to Racing Post Ratings

IN the battle of the sexes, the balance of power already seemed to be easing away from the girls after Zenyatta's Classic defeat and Sarafina's unlucky Arc third, but the Japan stewards weighed in with another jolt of the scales on Sunday.

Japan's leading filly Buena Vista was first past the post in the Japan Cup, finishing a cosy length-and-three-quarters clear of three-year-old Rose Kingdom, but she was demoted to second after a lengthy stewards' enquiry.

No country is immune to long enquiries after important races and the many different sets of rules around the world make comprehension of some decisions difficult, but there is no arguing that the filly was the winner on merit.

The runner-up may have lost a small degree of ground and momentum as a result of the nudge from the winner, but it would be hard to be confident that it made the difference between winning and losing.

Having had the benefit of a fillies' allowance, Buena Vista did not need to repeat her best RPR of 123, achieved when winning the Tenno Sho (Autumn) on her previous start, which gives an even stronger indication that she was the best horse in the race.
She needed only to produce a mark of 119 to come out on top, with three-year-olds Rose Kingdom and Victoire Pisa both running career best RPRs of 121 to fill the places.

The best RPR in the world last week was achieved by Haynesfield, who achieved a very smart mark of 123 despite being defeated in the Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct.
It was a tough fight to the line and the Jockey Club Gold Cup winner was just denied by Jersey Town (119) as they flashed past the post together.

106 000 oncourse? And we are raising the roof in wild celebration when we get a sponsors crowd of 11 000 at the Summer Cup? Reality check in order I think -