Sir Michael Stoute's Islington will bid to follow up her Breeders' Cup FillyAnd Mare Turf success in Sunday's Japan Cup at Tokyo. The four-year-old filly, who will be partnered by Kieren Fallon, has been drawn in stall 14 for the 11-furlong race, which is worth 3.8million. Stoute has won this race twice before - with Singspiel in 1996 and Pilsudski the following year.
Islington has had a relatively light campaign with just five runs and she leads the European contingent. She will be joined by Ange Gabriel, who will be partnered by Thierry Jarnet, and he looks the leading French hope. The grey could finish only ninth last time in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on heavy ground and that was the most disappointing performance of an otherwiseexcellent campaign.
The Eric Libaud-trained runner travels well and a previous trip to the Far East resulted in victory in the Hong Kong Vase last December. Robert Collet's Tigertail and Philippe Demercastel's Ana Maries, who were third and eighth in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup in Kyoto, are the two other Gallic pretenders. Local runner Symboli Kris S, who is the mount of Olivier Peslier, is the 7-2 favourite for the race with Ladbrokes and he will be bidding to improve on his third place behind Falbrav last season.
American challenger Johar is the joint second favourite along with Islington on the back of his dead-heat for first in the Breeders' Cup Turf with High Chaparral. Johar is joined by fellow American runner Sarafan, who finished second in this race last year, and Bobby Frankel's Denon. Tony McEvoy's Australian runner Fields Of Omagh also takes his chance after winning the Cox Plate last month.
The Japan Cup Dirt, which has no European-trained runners, is staged 24 hours earlier. Both Olivier Peslier and Italian Mirco Demuro have local rides on Silent Deal and Name Value respectively.
Filed by Brendan Cole
