The reigning Japanese Horse of the Year, Buena Vista, will be out to restore her slightly tarnished reputation in Sunday's HK$26.6 million Group One Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin.
While the five-year-old mare has been runner-up at her past three runs on home soil, including that controversial protest defeat in the Japan Cup, she was lacklustre in Dubai prior to defeat in a fillies and mares-only Victoria Mile last time.
Apapane, who downed her there, didn't exactly give the result a lot of credibility when she was comfortably held in the Yasuda Kinen as favourite since, but trainer Hiroyoshi Matsuda has given Buena Vista a good report card heading to the Group over 2,200m event on the weekend and believes the return to a staying trip will see her back to top form.
'We appreciate that she's got so many fans behind her and we have a responsibility to meet their expectations,' he said.
'She's a lot more relaxed compared to how she was last time. I've been saying all along the mile isn't for her, and the distance won't be an issue as long as she has at least 2,000 metres. I like the vibes she's giving off this time.'
Like the Arima Kinen in December, the Takarazuka Kinen is an unusual Group One in that the composition of the field is decided by the votes of racing fans, whose top 10 selections are guaranteed a place in the race. Although it is an international event, only one visitor has ever lined up, the Australian-trained Seto Stayer, who was ninth in 1997.
Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa, Apapane (fourth) and defending champion Nakayama Festa have all bypassed the race, but Buena Vista will be rematched with her Japan Cup conqueror Rose Kingdom, who has a new jockey in Australian Craig Williams.
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