Japanese horses struggle in Jacques Le Marois G1 at Deauville

Japanese thoroughbreds Strauss and Sixpence struggled in the 105th Jacques Le Marois G1 race held at Deauville Racecourse in France. Strauss, ridden by Joao Moreira, finished 9th out of 10 runners. Moreira noted that despite the horse attempting to move during the race, it failed to respond when he called for a push 2.5 furlongs from the finish.

Sixpence, ridden by Yutaka Take, finished in last place. The poor performance has sparked discussions regarding the challenges Japanese horses face in French racing, including potential issues with transport and conditioning during the long journey from Japan via Amsterdam.

While Japanese horses have seen success in other global regions like Hong Kong and the Middle East, they have struggled in French G1 races in recent years. Since the late 1990s, when horses like Taiki Shuttle won this specific race, the success rate for Japanese-trained horses in French G1 events has significantly declined.