While most attention will be focused on the clash between Mike de Kock's massed ranks of Vercingetorix, Sanshaawes and Mujaarib against Godolphin's True Story in the Al Rashidiya at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday night, the debut of a new enterprise might be missed.
Salem bin Ghadayer has proved that rookie trainers in Dubai can generate success with the right backing, and Takashi Kodama is out to repeat the trick.
The Japanese trainer calls The Curragh in Ireland, where he trains no more than 15 horses at any time, his base of operations. The eye-catching Argentine filly Sociologa Inc, who has scored at the Group 1 level in South America, will be his first runner in Dubai.
He also runs Scighera in the concluding handicap.
Kodama has been in Dubai for two weeks looking after his equine team of five that includes Emirate’s Girl, another Argentine Group 1 winner.
He returns to Dubai having worked as a racing manager for Japanese horses during the Nad Al Sheba years in 2004 and 2005 but does not envisage a winning debut.
“She is a very good filly, but she needs around 2,800 metres, so the Al Rashidiya will be too short for her,” Kodama said. “Ideally, I see her as a Dubai Gold Cup horse in time.”
Sociologa Inc is owned by Japan Health Summit, a manufacturer of health food supplements in Japan owned by Takaya Shimakawa.
The Japanese businessman is a regular at yearling sales and routinely goes to sums in the millions of dollars to secure bloodstock.
Shimakawa has more than 200 horses in training in addition to 100 yearlings in Japan, and he has chosen Kodama to be his international trainer.
“He wants to have runners on the world stage,” Kodama said. “So I started looking in South America last year because Europe is so expensive.
“I have been to Dubai many times before, so it is easy for me to come here.
“Our dream is just to have one winner at the Carnival, and if possible a runner on World Cup night.
“It is small steps.”
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