By Michael Lee,Zdin

Copyright tnp

A mildly surprising and unheralded win in the Prix Foy may have handed Japan an unexpected wildcard in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe but, to their fervent racing fans, the aptly named Byzantine Dream will once again let them dream about ending a 56-year-long wait.

The four-year-old entire by Epiphaneia does not quite have the star power of previous unsuccessful Japanese raiders like Deep Impact (third in 2016 but subsequently disqualified), or unlucky runner-ups El Condor Pasa (1999) and Orfevre (2012 and 2013) – among some of the better losers in 22 attempts since 1969.

But, for a relatively lightly raced veteran of only nine starts, he already packs two international wins on his resume.

Before his come-from-behind victory defeating one of Arc’s home favourites Sosie in the Group 2 Prix Foy (2,400m) at ParisLongchamp on Sept 7, he had already annexed the Group 2 Red Sea Turf Handicap (3,000m) on Saudi Cup day in Riyadh on Feb 22.

After Oisin Murphy stepped into the irons for the first time in Saudi Arabia, his connections unsurprisingly gave the four-time English champion jockey the leg-up again at his European debut in the Prix Foy.

With a two-from-two record, it was a no-brainer Murphy would be back aboard for his own bid at a first Arc triumph in the €5 million (S$7.57 million) Group 1 race (2,400m) at ParisLongchamp on Oct 5.

But, without taking anything away from the top Irish jockey and his own agenda, such a feat, if accomplished, would be eclipsed by the grand premiere for the Land of the Rising Sun.

The weight of expectations rest squarely on the young shoulders of Byzantine Dream’s trainer Tomoyasu Sakaguchi, as well as Japan’s second runner Croix Du Nord’s trainer Takashi Saito.

However, typical of the dispassionate but rigorous and disciplined work ethic of the Japanese, the task at hand comes first for Sakaguchi.

“The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is a very prestigious race. There will be a lot of people watching the race, even in Japan,” he said.

“There are so many fans in Japan, but my only goal is to prepare the horse for this race.”

One critical facet of overseas racing Byzantine Dream seems to have mastered without a hitch is acclimatisation.

Barely a week after landing on French soil at trainer Satoshi Kobayashi’s Chantilly base on Aug 30, he had already conquered Paris.

If there is one flaw that Sakaguchi was glad to have ironed out by the clocking of frequent flyer miles, it was his highly strung demeanour.

“He’s much calmer during races than he used to,” he observed.

“He still gets excited sometimes but I think that’s a good thing. With the change of environment, he’s still a bit excitable in the morning.

“But he should calm down with a bit of time. In any case, I think the trip to Saudi Arabia did him good. He’s really matured.”

Sakaguchi feels that the upward curve towards the Prix Foy is peaking at the right moment for the one that matters.

“The horse was in very good condition. The jockey rode a perfect race. It was a beautiful victory,” he said.

“(The Prix Foy) was just a prep race, and he still had something in hand.

“He still has room for improvement. He will be at the peak of his condition for the Arc.”

Despite his French win at 11-1 on the same course and distance, it would appear those lukewarm odds are not about to shorten any time soon, even with 10 days to go.

The question mark over his unproven soft track record may largely be behind the 12-1 odds.

Sakaguchi does not seem overly concerned, though, preferring to focus on what he knows and just leave what is outside his control in fate’s hands.

“The question will be the ground, but the main goal is to have the horse ready for the Arc, and then we’ll see how the ground turns out on the day,” he said.

“Byzantine Dream is a horse with a lot of stamina and he’s known for staying over long distances.

“He is very consistent and has a lot of good qualities.”

manyan@sph.com.sg