Victoire Pisa, the Japanese-bred son of Neo Universe who won the Dubai World Cup today at Meydan, settled at the rear at the start but halfway through the 2000-meter race on Tapeta he started picking off opponents with alacrity in a surprising middle move. Once near the front, in second, he battled fellow Japanese-bred Transcend, the leader and 2010 Japan Cup dirt winner, entering the the turn. Turning for home, several well-liked runners, including Gio Ponti, had clean shots at the pair, but the Japanese duo determined the finish with Victoire Pisa on top to give Japanese form a tremendous international boost. The 4-year-old colt was seventh in last year’s Arc behind Workforce on his previous international outing. Click here and select race 8 for the chart.
Bred by Shadai Farm, which stood Sunday Silence, Victoire Pisa is by the Sunday Silence sire Neo Universe, probably the best of the Kentucky Derby winner’s sons at stud after the premature death of Agnes Tachyon. Transcend is by Wild Rush.
The Dubai World Cup. Victoire Pisa is under blue striped silks and wears four white bandages.
Japan really needed this one. I hate to see Gio Ponti lose, but this one doesn’t hurt too bad.
Sid,
You noticed the steadily improving form of Japanese racing 15 years ago and wrote about it incisively in the DRF. Now the legacy of Sunday Silence has borne fruit in one of the prestigious and conspicuous international venues. Ha!
Frank.
Seems as if 2 Japanese horses had little trouble moving their dirt form over to Tapeta, so much for another American excuse.
Well, Deep Impact is certainly the best racehorse by Sunday Silence now at stud in Japan (and a first-crop daughter just won the Japanese 1,000, so we’ll see how his stud career pans out very soon now). Manhattan Cafe has better percentages than Neo Universe, but hasn’t had the Derby winners. It’s a close call but I think everyone is waiting for Deep Impact.