U.S. horse favoured for International

Press, 27 November 1982, Page 22

U.S. horse favoured for International

NZPA-Reuter Tokyo The leading American jockey. Willie Shoemaker, said yesterday he believed John Henry had a good chance of winning the Japan International Cup in Tokyo tomorrow. Shoemarker, aged 51, who has a record of 8189 wins, was speaking after testing the Tokyo racecourse with the seven-year-old gelding for the first time yesterday. "The horse has done very well. He’s done everything by himself,” he said. Shoemaker said John Henry, thoroughbred racing’s richest horse, appeared to like the course and had galloped about five furlongs yesterday. The turf seemed tough, he

said, but the course was better than last year when he rode the French five-year-old, P’tite Tete, into fourth place in the first Japan Cup race. He said the main threats were expected to be April Run. a four-year-old French mare, and Frost King, a Canadian four-year-old gelding. Ten overseas thoroughbreds from New Zealand, United States, France, Ireland, Italy, West Germany, Canada and five from Japan are entered in the 2400 metre race. It has $NZ606,000 in prize money, including incentive money for all outside finishers. First prize is $NZ279,000. April Run, the winner of the coveted Turf Classic at

Aqueduct and the Washington D.C. International, and All Along, a three-year-old French filly which won the group I Prix Vermeille, are also rated highly be Japanese tipsters. The American jockey. Cash Asmussen, will ride April Run and the Australian, Gary Moore, will ride All Along. The Canadian jockey, Lloyd Duffey, will ride Frost King. George Hanlon, the trainer of the only horse from the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand’s four-year-old, Isle of Man, said he was in good condition and was not affected by the cold weather. The New Zealand jockey, Bob Vance, said the horse seemed very well. “I hope the horse will be in the same form as when he won the 1981 New Zealand Derby