IN addition to a long-established star in Almond Eye, Japan now has a couple of rising talents in Contrail – who added the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) at Tokyo recently to his win in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) back at Nakayama in April, beating Salios both times – and Daring Tact, who won the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) a week earlier at Tokyo to go with the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin.

Daring Tact’s time at Tokyo was fractionally faster than Contrail’s, for what it’s worth, but she did carry 5lb less so would be rated behind the colt if the ground could be assumed to be identical on both occasions. She also failed to string out her opposition in the manner that Contrail did, with only about four lengths between the first dozen in the fillies’ race but more than that back to the third in the colts’ one.

They are both promising individuals, though, with Contrail on 117 and Daring Tact on 113 on my figures (WBRR level), and the former, in particular, can be expected to improve further when faced with open-aged competition.

Sha Tin

Elsewhere there were good wins for the former Irish-trained Exultant in the Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin, an effort worth a 118 figure with me, and from Raging Bull (115) in the Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita, the latter possibly fortunate that former British Without Parole encountered trouble in third.

In France, the very smart stayer Call The Wind won a farcically slow Prix de Barbeville at Deauville (worth no more than 90 with a couple of rags close up), Way To Paris ran to at least 118 once sectionals have been allowed for in landing the Grand Prix de Chantilly at Deauville, and can shake up some of the better middle-distance/staying performers. The sprinter Tour To Paris was an impressive winner of the Prix du Gros-Chene at Deauville with a 118 effort.