 Expert - Naohiro Goda | |
|---|---|
| Naohiro is a leading journalist and commentator in Japan with regular television shows on networks such as NHK Network and Green Channel. He is a regular contributor for newspapers, magazines and websites including Sports Nippon, Weekly Gallop, and netkeiba.com. He also operates a bloodstock business marketing firm. Naohiro is a frequent international racing traveler and a regular visitor to the Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin. | |
Nakayama Racecourse – Track Analysis (Arima Kinen):
Nakayama is a clockwise oval track with two routes for turf course - the inner track and the outer track, and a dirt course. The outer track branches off from the inner track at the exit of near turn and rejoins the inner track at the entrance of the far turn. The homestretches for the turf course and dirt course are 310m and 308m respectively. Meanwhile, it is the tendency at Nakayama that the tempo is picked up at the middle of the far turn, and the runners who hold endurance and stamina enjoy better results than runners who hold sharp turn of foot.
The 2500m G1 Arima Kinen is conducted on the turf course at Nakayama. The starting gate is set on the outer turf track at 100m before rejoining to inner turf track. Runners will enter the far turn which lasts for 600m right after the break. Although the turns at Nakayama are famous for its sharpness and horses drawing high number will easily be parked wide, with the customary slow pace at this course in the early stages, they still have plenty of time to find the favourable position when travelling the homestretch for the first time. Therefore, barriers are of less importance. Besides, it is worth noting that there is a sudden upslope in the final 200m which is absolutely a disadvantage to front runners, but given the 310m short homestretch, runners who track leaders closely tend to enjoy better results than closers.
Winter meeting at Nakayama started on 30th November and the Arima Kinen is the eighth meeting there. The turf track keeps good cushion and quick ground. The weather at the area of Nakayama Racecourse has been dry for two weeks since the end of November, and there will be no rain until 20th December. While little amount of rain is forecasted on the evening of 21st December. It is likely that the track condition at Nakayama on the day of Arima Kinen should be Good.
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