Three meetings in Japan on Friday with NAR action from Funabashi, Sonoda and Kasamatsu. We've done the form and picked out the best bets across the day.
Funabashi Race 11- #1 Elizabeth Minoru
If Elizabeth Minoru runs up to her last start she'll be taking care of these. She notched up her second career win last time out on the JRA at Chukyo over 1200m, running on strongly from back in the field to score, posting a new peak rating. That form is far superior to these and if she runs anywhere near that level she'll be too strong. It is interesting to see a last start JRA winner come back to this NAR level and she does typically get back in the field but she looks awfully hard to beat. #3 Fukuno Arzu might be the best of the NAR horses who can challenge if Elizabeth Minoru isn't right.
Kasamatsu Race 6- #7 Shadow Veil
Just a field of seven here and I like Shadow Veil to get the job done after an encouraging run last time out, sitting just off the pace and boxing on well to finish third, beaten a length. She's now run up to that rating twice in her past four starts and that would go a long way to winning this. The small field again means she won't be far off the leaders and given she started $5.40 last start I doubt she's favourite here. That honour will likely go to #5 True Grit who ran second at $2.10 last time out having won three back in a very similar rating to Shadow Veil. There isn't much between them but at the prices I'd rather be with Shadow Veil.
Sonoda Race 12- #10 Satono Priere
Handy race and while Satono Priere isn't racing in the best of form of late you don't have to go back far to see she's more than capable of winning at this level. She won two in a row, one at Sonoda and one at Himeji, just three and four starts back before two below par efforts at her last two. She's a filly that appreciates firm tracks which she should get this time around and if she were to find that level I've no doubt she'd be a leading contender at an inflated price. #2 Sunrise Titan and #3 Osumi Reve are both likely to be popular given their short prices and good form of late but at their best, Satono Priere is just as good as them and I'm happy to back her in to find her best.
