Robuchen, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) winner chasing a double crown in the 93rd Japan Derby (G1, 2400m turf at Tokyo Racecourse on May 31), had a two-week-out workout on May 13 at Ritto Training Center. Ridden by his regular jockey Hiroyuki Matsuyama, the colt worked alone on the hill course, recording 55.0 seconds with a final furlong of 12.7 seconds while under a hold. “The hill track was a bit deep, and he slipped a bit with his hind legs at one point. Since we are two weeks out, we’ll see how he goes on the CW course next week. I’ll ride him again next week,” Matsuyama said.
The three-year-old son of World Premiere, trained by Seiichi Sugiyama, is not typically a standout on the hill. “We sent him to Northern Farm Shigaraki to recover from fatigue. From what I can see, there is no damage from his last start,” Sugiyama explained. He is expected to build up his condition toward his bid for the second classic.