The Almond of their Eyes

The four-year-old Japanese filly Almond Eye has been quite the rage.

For all intents and purposes, all eyes will quite obviously will be on the magnum opus - the $12 million Dubai World Cup - at the Meydan Racecourse on Saturday night.
The best horses from around the world are here for the showpiece but there are many more top quality equines who will be seen in action in the supporting acts, one of them being Almond Eye.
The four-year-old Japanese filly has been quite the rage, screaming to an astonishing six wins on the trot ever since she finished second on debut. Of them four have been Group 1 victories.
Her high point came in the Group 1 Japan Cup where she won by two lengths to cap a fairytale season where she had already wrapped up the Triple Crown - Shuka Sho, Oka Sho and Yushun Himba.
The prospect of Almond Eye featuring in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is gaining momentum, but before that, she will be the one to watch in the Group 1 $6 million Dubai Turf to be run across nine furlongs. And Silk Racing Club, who own the filly, are over the moon following her achievements in such a short span.
"For me it has been a real dream come true and to win the Filly Triple Crown on its own was such a thrill," said the club's president Masashi Yonemoto.
"To follow that up with her performance in the Japan Cup was surreal. The thrill is hard to describe but I always find myself almost immediately worrying about her or my other horses and hoping they have come back from the race OK. It is also so exciting to have the opportunity to travel abroad with a horse of this calibre, another dream come true. I hope we can do well with her and participate in many other races around the world, with both Almond Eye and other horses from the club in the future," he added. It was a toss up between the Dubai Turf and the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic before the connections opted for the latter.
"We discussed the options with both her jockey Christophe Lemaire and her trainer Sakae Kunieda after the Japan Cup and decided that the Dubai Turf was best for her on multiple levels. Coming off a long layoff, the distance would be good for a first race and the fact that the Dubai Turf has been a consistently highly rated race. For example, after winning it, Just a Way went on to be the 2014 Longines World's Best Racehorse. On many levels it was the best choice for her at this time," he explained.
Yonemoto wouldn't reveal what's on the plate next, for her. "Honestly there is absolutely no plan for her after Dubai. We are taking it one step at a time. She has a clear slate from April 1 until we see how she runs in Dubai, and how she comes back from the trip. Then we will discuss with options with her trainer, Mr. Kunieda, to hear his recommendations. Yes, hopefully the Arc will be our target in the fall, on the condition that this weekend goes the way we also hope it will. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves planning, for her sake and ours. We want to stay focused on the race that is before us and do our best in the moment," Yonemoto said.
Nonetheless, everyone at the Meydan Racecourse will turn back to have a second glance at the beautiful and gorgeous Almond Eye.