Racing: Godolphin's global aims kept in check by Japanese

Japanese racing is famously insular, not least because the prize-money is so excellent at home. But, in recent years, the foreign incursions have become more regular and more successful and the nation is quietly making global inroads into the sport of kings.

Further proof of the march came in Hong Kong yesterday when Eishin Preston and Agnes Digital led home an international field in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the second leg of the World Series. This provided further evidence in two areas. Firstly, Japan's long-held policy of buying the world's most expensive stallions is sending the stature of the country's racing skywards. Secondly, the Japanese are truly awful at naming bloodstock, appearing to borrow monikers from the card at Catford to stamp their horses.

The home-trained Indigenous was third at Sha Tin yesterday, allowing his trainer, Ivan Allan, to make his name in quarters other than court cases, while Universal Prince was fourth for Australia. They all led home Godolphin's runner, Grandera, in the hands of Frankie Dettori.

"He has run okay," the Italian said. "He came round the bend nice and steady and I said 'let's go' and he hit the front, but then he got tired and his head came up. Maybe he is just a race short of his best."

The Italian will see plenty of trollies in the next fortnight as he flashes round the globe fulfilling his commitments to the Emirates team. Most interestingly he will be in Louisville on 3 May to ride Imperial Gesture in the Kentucky Oaks, a race which is also the target for Godolphin's Tempera. Both fillies, as well as the colt Essence Of Dubai, have been passing through quarantine at Keeneland racecourse.

However, when it comes to Essence Of Dubai's participation in the Kentucky Derby itself, a week on Saturday, Dettori will be on a different continent, partnering Naheef in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

While the Kentucky Derby remains the contest Sheikh Mohammed and his team would most like to win, it also appears clear they do not trust Dettori to do the job. Jerry Bailey is a favoured Stateside rider, but, in this instance, Godolphin will rely on David Flores.

Officer, a one-time favourite for the Run For The Roses, is out of the race. The form of Bob Baffert's colt has crumpled since he was humiliated by Johannesburg in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last autumn. Now he will be out for three months with a soft-tissue injury.

Johannesburg himself and his Ballydoyle stablemate Castle Gandolfo are likely to run in the Kentucky Derby, though jockey arrangements are still unclear. Michael Kinane has until today to decide whether to appeal against a Newmarket riding suspension which would absent him from 4 May. It may be time for the sort of legal manoeuvrering which allowed the Irishman to keep the ride on Galileo in last year's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

One jockey we will not see for the next 48 hours is Kieren Fallon, who has aggravated an old neck injury, while another we will not get any sense out of over the same period of time is Johnny Murtagh.

The Irish jockey is refusing to comment on suggestions that he will, this season, ride for the Queen in general and be aboard her Derby aspirant Right Approach in particular. Murtagh's reticence is not entirely surprising when you consider that the colt is trained by Sir Michael Stoute, who is becoming as helpful as dandruff when it comes to discussion of his horses. It is easier to get comment out of Sven.

We do know, though, that Right Approach could reappear at Sandown on Friday, in the Classic Trial. The next challenge for Redback, the victor in Saturday's Greenham Stakes, tells us all we need to know about the value of the Newbury contest as a trial for the 2,000 Guineas. Richard Hannon's colt is on course for the easier picking of the French equivalent, the Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

* The amateur jockey Paul Robson is aiming to return to riding on Wednesday after the crashing fall in Saturday's Scottish Grand National which claimed the life of his mount, Wishbone. The rider is bruised, but has not broken any bones. Wishbone was put down after breaking a shoulder.

* The cross-country course at Punchestown was yesterday passed fit for racing for the five-day festival, Ireland's most valuable National Hunt meeting, which starts tomorrow.