In little more than thirty years Japanese thoroughbred
racing and breeding has been transformed from industry outpost to global
powerhouse - but how has it happened?.
SKY Racing's new feature documentary Global Impact: The
Rise of the Japanese Thoroughbred, screening tonight, Monday 27 March in
Australia on Sky Thoroughbred Central, and Tuesday 28 March on Trackside New
Zealand, traces this extraordinary transformation from the first running of the
Japan Cup in 1981 to the international Group 1 successes of Japanese horses in
2016.
It is the story of a nation's determination to compete at
the highest level, of a family's bold ambition and a single stallion's
re-shaping of an entire industry.
SKY Racing's senior producer Jon Glanville says, "This
has been an exciting project to work on because the recent history of Japanese
racing is so remarkable. Only this weekend we saw Vivlos win the Dubai Turf on
Dubai World Cup Night impressively – their horses are truly dominating on a
world stage now, across every corner of the globe.
"We were given generous access to, for example, Katsumi
and Teruya Yoshida, Northern Farm's state-of-the-art training facilities and
horses at the Shadai Stallion Station such as Deep Impact and Maurice, so it's
very much an insider's view of what's happening in the Japanese industry.
"It's essential viewing for anyone who wants to
understand why Japanese horses do so well when they come to Australia, why
their racing is so attractive and why their sales and stallions are now
attracting international investment."
The documentary premieres in Australia on Sky
Thoroughbred Central, Channel 528, on Monday 27 March at 8.30 pm AEDT, and in
New Zealand on Trackside 1 Tuesday 28 March at 7.30pm.
