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Trainer Sei Ishizaka talks up Gentildonna’s chances

Japan’s Triple Crown winner is the big favourite to win Dubai Sheema Classic

• By Leslie Wilson Jr, Racing & Special Features Writer
• Published: 18:46 March 26, 2013
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Dubai: Trainer Sei Ishizaka is confident his Triple Crown winner, Gentildonna, can cement her place in history by becoming only the second Japanese horse to win the $5 million (Dh18.36 million) Dubai Sheema Classic (G1).

The four-year-old daughter of celebrated Japanese stallion Deep Impact is a dominant 13/8 favourite with British bookmakers William Hill to win the 2,400m contest, where she faces 11 rivals including dual Coronation Cup (G1) scorer St Nicholas Abbey and Shareta, the winner of last year’s Yorkshire Oaks (G1) and the Prix Vermeille (G1) at Longchamp.

Judged on the form Gentildonna has shown in all her Grade 1 victories last season, and especially the Japan Cup (G1), Ishizaka believes that she justifies her strong favouritism and can emulate Stay Gold, who won the contest in 2001.

“When she won the Japan Cup it was her best performance and everyone said that the Japan Cup was the best race of the year,” he said. “She is the best filly in the world and she has a very good chance of winning [on Saturday].

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“Even at this age she is better than some of the past Japanese Triple Crown fillies, and considering she is still young and still has to mature, I think she can get even better than she is.”

Ishizaka dismissed talk that, historically, Japanese fillies have a poor track record when they run outside their own country.

“The Japan Cup and Oaks are run over 2,400m, which were her best races. The Dubai Sheema Classic is run over the same distance and over a left-handed track, which are ideal conditions for her,” he said.

“I walked the turf track yesterday [Monday] and I felt that it was in perfect condition and will suit Gentildonna’s running style. I know it’s going to be tough for her, having travelled a long distance from Japan to Dubai, but she’s a tough horse and the conditions here will suit her.”

Gentildonna stormed through 2012, winning six of her seven starts in distances from 1,600 to 2,400 meters. Bred by Northern Racing, she is owned by Sunday Racing, a Shadai group racing club.

Japan’s top jockey Yasunari Iwata takes the ride on a horse that Ishizaka believes can become the best filly ever to grace the country’s racecourses.

“To be ranked as the top filly in the world is a great honour,” he said. “In domestic racing a lot of people tried to jinx her by pointing out that no three-year-old filly had ever won the Japan Cup, but she proved everyone wrong and re-wrote history in a way.

“Bringing a horse to Dubai and expecting her to perform at this high level is not easy, but I believe that Gentildonna is not an ordinary superstar horse, she’s out of the range of a normal horse.

“She’s a very clever horse with plenty of ability. History will prove just how good she is.”

Odds

Saturday’s Dubai Sheema Classic (G1)

Gentildonna 7/4; St Nicholas Abbey 3/1; Shareta 6/1; Dunaden 8/1; Masterstroke 8/1; Await The Dawn 12/1; Trailblazer 12/1; Sharestan 16/1; Girolamo 25/1; Prince Bishop 25/1; Royal Diamond 33/1; Very Nice Name 100/1.