Eric Musgrove’s star jumper Karasi scored his second successive victory in the $1.97 million Nakayama Grand Jump in Japan on Saturday.By Brad Kingsbury
KARASI was issued an immediate invitation to defend its title as Japan’s premier jumper after Eric Musgrove’s star won a second consecutive Nakayama Grand Jump on Saturday.
The $1.97 million race over 4250 metres is one of the greatest tests of both horse and jockey in the world and only open to the lucky few invited by the Japan Racing Club.
Karasi started as second favourite in the race and was joined in the elite field by another Musgroveprepared jumper, Merlos, but it was the 11yearold gelding that took all the honours producing, a determined effort to hold off local favourite T.M. Dragon in the straight.
The Officerbased trainer said that he could not describe the feeling after race and the enormity of his horse’s effort astounded all at the track.
JRC officials said Karasi would be invited to attempt a record third win next year and Musgrove said he would accept the challenge providing the horse was fit and prepared.
Karasi, which has now won more than $2.7 million in prizemoney, will return to Australia and immediately go to the spelling paddock.
The Japanese triumph capped off a huge weekend for Musgrove, who flew back from Asia only hours after the race to be at Oakbank in South Australia to watch his two steeplechasers, Chakra and Super Cobra, contest the Great Eastern Steeple.
Super Cobra finished a distant third to John Wheeler’s Real Tonic in the rainmarred race, while Chakra fell and failed to finish.
On Saturday, while he was in Japan with Karasi, Musgrove’s star hurdler Bello Signor saluted for the second year in succession in Oakbank’s Von Doussa Hurdle, giving the trainer a record 11th win in the feature jumping race.
Nar Nar Goon trainer John Leek was also successful at Oakbank when his emerging jumper The Big Ask, ridden by his wife Andrea, had an effortless win in the hurdle event on Saturday’s program. Leek quinellered the race when Mr Tambourineman ran second.
