2007 Japan Cup Dirt preview

Vermilion makes his third start of the season when he faces against 15 rivals in the Japan Cup Dirt at Tokyo on Saturday afternoon. The 5-year-old El Condor Pasa horse is coming off an impressive 4-length victory in the JBC Classic at NRA Ohi after getting a good fourth-placed finish in the Dubai World Cup in late-March. Certainly, he could be the one to keep an eye on.

The leading opponent to Vermilion will be Dragon Fire, who is in the middle of 4 winning streak with Sirius Stakes victory on his last outing. This could be a real test for the 3-year-old colt to face the top company for the first time.

The other to watch will be Student Council(USA), one of the 3 foreign entries. Having won the Pacific Classic Stakes, the 5-year-old Kingmambo horse seeks the extra prize in the Japan Cup Dirt. The victory would give him a 133+ million yen first prize plus a 100 million yen bonus.