By Michael Lee, Singapore Turf Club
Racing fans could be forgiven for having already consigned Jupiter Gold to the archives of Singapore racing for a while now.
After racing only twice in 2020 for two unplaced runs, the son of Congrats hasn’t been sighted since December 27 that year. The Kaz Hosaka-owned nine-time winner and 2018 Emirates Singapore Derby winner was seven then, and with his history of leg niggles, most thought he had already said sayonara to Kranji, an impression deepened by his no-show for the whole of 2021.
Like a blast from the past, though, Jupiter Gold has sprung out of nowhere to the top of the card in this Saturday’s $100,000 Kranji Stakes A race over 1600m.
Even Takaoka sounded a little bemused his veteran warrior was not out somewhere in Cameron Highlands or Hokkaido enjoying a well-deserved retirement.
But the Japanese horseman is neither one to push the envelope if a horse’s welfare could be compromised.
There have been many twists and turns to the “here today, gone tomorrow” saga of the former ridgling, but the old Derby winner will be slipping back into his racing plates this Saturday.
“Most people thought Jupiter Gold had retired, but he’s always been at the stable,” said Takaoka.
“We all know his leg issues, but after his two runs in 2020, he had another problem, which the vets couldn’t quite identify.
“They suspected it was a hairline fracture to the hip but they couldn’t be 100% sure. We just rested him for three months.
“When we brought him back, he started trotting and didn’t show any pain. He looked okay.”
All systems were go for his reboot in a Class 1 race over 1400m three weeks ago (won by Lim’s Kosciuszko on Chinese New Year day).
He even trialled for the first time in more than a year on January 20. It didn’t matter if he ran last as it was all about ticking another box towards the comeback, but there was another spanner in the works.
“He kicked the wall in his box and hurt his left hind. It wasn’t serious but enough to scratch him,” said Takaoka.
“One week later, he was okay, and I brought him back. He’s been coming along nicely since.
“Marc (Lerner) galloped him yesterday and said his action was okay, but he was still a bit heavy, which is normal.
“I weighed him last week and he was at 517kgs, which is overweight from his normal 495kgs, but after the gallop this week, he may have lost a bit of weight.”
Takaoka is under no illusions turning back the clock for such half-retired horses more often than not end in disappointment, but he remained open-minded.
“There is nothing special about him now compared to what he was in the past. He’s probably only 50% of what he was at his peak, but don’t forget he’s already eight,” he said.
“To me, he can go for a race again. The owner has been very patient with him, and now that he’s right, why not try racing him again.
“There is no set goal for him, just take it race by race. We still can’t say how he’ll take his first race after so long, we will know more after Saturday.
“The owner and I will then discuss what’s next for him afterwards.”
Takaoka would not commit to any long-term goals, let alone grandiose plans, given the touch-and-go nature of his former stable star’s phoenix-like rise from the ashes. The Singapore racing calendar’s first feature race is the $1 million Group 1 Kranji Mile (1600m) on May 21.
