Admire Rakti

{{Infobox racehorse | horsename = Admire Rakti | image = Admire-Rakti IMG 7835-2 20140504.JPG | caption = Admire Rakti in Kyoto Racecourse (May 2014). | sire = Heart's Cry | grandsire = Sunday Silence | dam = Admire Teresa | damsire = Helissio | sex = Stallion | foaled = 20 February 2008 Japan | death_date = {{dda|2014|11|04|2008|02|20}} Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | country = Japan | colour = Bay | breeder = Northern Farm | owner = Riichi Kondo | trainer = Tomoyuki Umeda | record = 28: 7-6-5 | earnings= $5,170,763 | race = | wins = Diamond Stakes (2013) Caulfield Cup (2014) | honours = }}

'''Admire Rakti''' (20 February 2008 – 4 November 2014) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Diamond Stakes in Japan and the Caulfield Cup in Australia. He died in his stall just minutes after competing in the 154th Melbourne Cup on 4 November 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Admire Rakti death a sad Cup postscript |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/admire-rakti-death-a-sad-cup-postscript/ebk8d6vs0 |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=SBS News |date=4 November 2014 |language=en}}</ref>

==Background== Admire Rakti was a bay horse with a white star, bred in Japan by Northern Farm. He was from the first crop of foals sired by Heart's Cry, a horse whose wins included the Arima Kinen and the Dubai Sheema Classic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/597689/hearts-cry |title=Heart's Cry Stud Record |publisher=Racing Post |date=2012-02-15 |accessdate=2014-04-13}}</ref> During his racing career Admire Rakti was owned by Riichi Kondo and trained by Tomoyuki Umeda.

==Racing career==

===2010–2014: racing in Japan=== Admire Rakti ran twice as a two-year-old in late 2010, winning an 1800-metre maiden race at Hanshin Racecourse on his second appearance on December 11. In the following year he ran seven times, recording his only success over 2000 metres at Hanshin in September. As a four-year-old he again contested seven races, winning twice at Nakayama Racecourse and taking the 2400 metre Koto Stakes when moved in distance at Kyoto in October. In his last two races of the year he was moved up in class to finish third in both the Listed Andromeda Stakes and the Grade II Kinko Sho.<ref name="jbisrace">{{cite web|url=http://www.jbis.jp/horse/0001093542/record/|title=Race Records:Lifetime Starts – Admire Rakti(JPN) – JBIS-Search|author=Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association|publisher=}}</ref>

As a five-year-old, Admire Rakti showed improved form and competed in some of the most prestigious races in Japan. After finishing third on his debut he was moved up in distance to 3400 metres and won the Diamond Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse, beating the 2010 Spring Tennō Shō winner Jaguar Mail by two and half lengths.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/315/tokyo/2013-02-16/573238|publisher=Racing Post|title=Results From The 6.45 Race At Tokyo (JPN) – 16 February 2013}}</ref> He failed to win in his remaining six races but finished fourth in both the Tennō Shō and the Japan Cup. In his first two starts of 2014 the horse finished second to Gold Ship at Hanshin before running unplaced in the Tennō Shō.

===2014: Australian campaign=== In the autumn of 2014, Admire Rakti was sent to Australia, with the Melbourne Cup as his objective. On 18 October, he prepared for the race with a run in the Grade I Caulfield Cup over 2400 metres in which he was ridden by Hong Kong-based Australian Zac Purton. Eleven days before the race he had avoided serious injury after being involved in an incident at the Werribee quarantine station in which he was attacked by his training companion Admire Inazuma.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/admire-rakti-melbourne-cup-hope-escapes-injury-in-bizarre-attack/1730651/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104234342/http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/admire-rakti-melbourne-cup-hope-escapes-injury-in-bizarre-attack/1730651/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-11-04|work=Racing Post|title=Melbourne Cup hope escapes injury in bizarre attack – Horse Racing News}}</ref>

Starting at odds of 10/1 in the Caulfield Cup, Admire Rakti moved to the outside to make his challenge in the straight, took the lead in the closing stages, and won by half a length from the New Zealand filly Rising Romance, with the Australian favourite Lucia Valentina a further half length away in third place. After the race, his trainer Tomoyuki Umeda said, "I am so happy I am crying. A Japanese horse has never won this race before so I am so honoured to win this race. He had a handicap of 58kg [today] and hasn't done much big racing in Japan so we weren't sure how he would go, but possibly he likes Australia."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/admire-rakti-tomoyuki-umeda-zac-purton-australia-admire-strikes-for-japan-in-caulfield-cup/1735412/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018134358/http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/admire-rakti-tomoyuki-umeda-zac-purton-australia-admire-strikes-for-japan-in-caulfield-cup/1735412/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-10-18|work=Racing Post|title=Australia Admire strikes for Japan in Caulfield Cup – Horse Racing News}}</ref><ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/admire-rakti-shows-up-lack-of-staying-class-in-australia/story-e6frg7t6-1227095480108 Admire Rakti shows up lack of staying class in Australia], ''The Australian'', 20 October 2014</ref>

====2014 Melbourne Cup and death==== Admire Rakti's victory at Caulfield meant that his weight for the Melbourne Cup was increased to 58.5 kg, a weight higher than any winner of the race had carried since Think Big in 1975. Admire Rakti started 9/2 favourite, but weakened badly in the last 600 metres and finished last of the twenty-two runners. Just five minutes after the race, he collapsed and died from cardiac arrest after ventricular fibrillation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Admire Rakti cause of death revealed|url=http://www.racing.com/news/2014-11-05/admire-rakti-died-of-acute-heart-failure|accessdate=4 November 2014|work=racing.com|date=4 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Spooner |first=Patrick Bartley and Rania |date=2014-11-04 |title=Two horses, including favourite, die soon after Melbourne Cup |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/two-horses-including-favourite-die-soon-after-melbourne-cup-20141104-11gv58.html |access-date=2025-12-15 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref>

Following Admire Rakti's death, Purton commented "I knew he was in trouble when he didn't tow me into the race around halfway from home, so I eased him down straight away, the horse's welfare comes first. It's very sad. He gave me a great thrill at Caulfield and for this to happen to him is just not fair."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-04/admire-rakti-collapses-and-dies-after-melbourne-cup/5865932|title=Admire Rakti dies in stalls in Melbourne Cup collapse after finishing last, Araldo euthanased after breaking leg|work=ABC News|date=4 November 2014 }}</ref>

Admire Rakti's remains were interred at the Memorial Garden of Living Legends in Greenvale.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-06 |title=Our Legends {{!}} Living Legends |url=https://www.livinglegends.org.au/our-legends/ |access-date=2023-08-26 |language=en-AU |quote=The garden is the final resting place for local and international champions including Bay Story, Better Loosen Up, Doriemus, Little Bridge, Manduros Son, Wunderwood, and 2014 Melbourne Cup runners Admire Ratki and Araldo.}}</ref>

==Racing form== Admire Rakti won seven races and placed in another 11 out of 28 starts. This data is available in JBIS, netkeiba and racing.com.<ref name="jbisrace"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Admire Rakti Race Record and Form {{!}} Horse Profile |url=https://en.netkeiba.com/db/horse/result/2008103079/ |website=netkeiba |publisher=NET DREAMERS, Co., Ltd |access-date=28 January 2026 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Caulfield Cup (Race 9) |url=https://www.racing.com/form/2014-10-18/caulfield/race/9#/results |website=www.racing.com |publisher=Racing.com Media Pty Ltd |access-date=28 January 2026 |date=18 October 2014}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap" !Date !Track !Race !Grade !Distance (Condition) !Entry !HN !Odds (Favored) !Finish !Time !Margins !Jockey !Winner (Runner-up) |-style="background-color:white" | colspan="13" align="left" |'''2010 – two-year-old season''' |- |Nov 14 |Kyoto |2yo Newcomer | |2,000 m (Firm) |9 |3 |3.4 (3) |2nd |2:04.6 |0.1 |Kota Fujioka |Plus Ultra |- |Dec 11 |Hanshin |2yo Maiden | |1,800 m (Firm) |13 |9 |2.2 (1) |1st |1:48.1 |–0.2 |Yasunari Iwata |(Susan Great) |- |-style="background-color:white" | colspan="13" align="left" |'''2011 – three-year-old season''' |- |Jan 8 |Kyoto |Fukujuso Tokubetsu |ALW (1W) |2,000 m (Firm) |14 |11 |5.7 (2) |6th |2:01.5 |0.7 |Yasunari Iwata |Cosmo Hager |- |Mar 20 |Hanshin |Wakaba Stakes |OP |2,000 m (Firm) |16 |5 |34.3 (10) |5th |1:59.9 |0.8 |Yusuke Fujioka |Danon Mill |- |Apr 2 |Hanshin |3yo Allowance |1W |2,400 m (Firm) |18 |5 |8.1 (6) |10th |2:27.0 |1.6 |Yusuke Fujioka |Carmine |- |Sep 24 |Hanshin |3yo+ Allowance |1W |2,000 m (Firm) |14 |9 |6.9 (3) |1st |2:01.3 |0.0 |Yasunari Iwata |(Red Sheriff) |- |Oct 22 |Kyoto |Kitano Tokubetsu |ALW (2W) |2,000 m (Firm) |7 |5 |4.3 (2) |2nd |1:58.4 |0.0 |Yusuke Fujioka |Danon Spasibo |- |Nov 13 |Kyoto |Doncaster Cup |ALW (2W) |2,000 m (Firm) |10 |3 |3.5 (2) |3rd |1:59.6 |0.6 |Yuga Kawada |D'accord |- |Dec 10 |Hanshin |Sakaiminato Tokubetsu |ALW (2W) |2,200 m (Firm) |7 |3 |2.1 (1) |3rd |2:16.4 |0.5 |Ioritz Mendizabal |All That Jazz |- |-style="background-color:white" | colspan="13" align="left" |'''2012 – four-year-old season''' |- |Feb 15 |Hanshin |Senriyama Tokubetsu |ALW (2W) |2,000 m (Firm) |13 |6 |5.5 (2) |2nd |2:02.9 |0.0 |Yasunari Iwata |Gentleman |- |Mar 10 |Nakayama |Tateyama Tokubetsu |ALW (2W) |2,000 m (Heavy) |9 |6 |2.0 (1) |1st |2:08.9 |–0.2 |Yasunari Iwata |(Satono Emperor) |- |Apr 7 |Nakayama |Wangan Stakes |ALW (3W) |2,200 m (Firm) |12 |6 |3.0 (1) |1st |2:13.8 |0.0 |Hiroyuki Uchida |(Satono Emperor) |- |Jun 10 |Hanshin |Tarumi Stakes |ALW (3W) |2,000 m (Firm) |11 |4 |6.1 (3) |2nd |2:01.2 |0.2 |Yasunari Iwata |Lord of the Ring |- |Oct 20 |Kyoto |Koto Stakes |ALW (3W) |2,400 m (Firm) |10 |5 |2.4 (1) |1st |2:24.9 |0.0 |Mirco Demuro |(Victory Star) |- |Nov 11 |Kyoto |Andromeda Stakes |OP |2,000 m (Soft) |14 |11 |2.7 (2) |3rd |2:02.1 |0.4 |Mirco Demuro |Danon Ballade |- |Dec 1 |Chukyo |Kinko Sho |2 |2,000 m (Soft) |12 |5 |6.4 (4) |3rd |2:00.6 |0.2 |Mirco Demuro |Ocean Blue |- |-style="background-color:white" | colspan="13" align="left" |'''2013 – five-year-old season''' |- |Jan 20 |Nakayama |American Jockey Club Cup |2 |2,200 m (Firm) |12 |4 |3.6 (2) |3rd |2:13.6 |0.5 |Hiroyuki Uchida |Danon Ballade |- |Feb 16 |Tokyo |Diamond Stakes |3 |3,400 m (Firm) |16 |15 |4.3 (1) |1st |3:31.9 |–0.4 |Hiroyuki Uchida |(Jaguar Mail) |- |Apr 28 |Kyoto |Tenno Sho (Spring) |1 |3,200 m (Firm) |18 |7 |21.7 (4) |4th |3:15.0 |0.8 |Yasunari Iwata |Fenomeno |- |May 26 |Tokyo |Meguro Kinen |2 |2,500 m (Firm) |18 |8 |3.8 (1) |10th |2:30.8 |1.2 |Yasunari Iwata |Mousquetaire |- |Oct 6 |Kyoto |Kyoto Daishoten |2 |2,400 m (Firm) |13 |4 |30.1 (5) |4th |2:23.2 |0.3 |Futoshi Komaki |Hit the Target |- |Nov 3 |Tokyo |Copa Republica Argentina |2 |2,500 m (Firm) |18 |16 |6.9 (4) |2nd |2:31.1 |0.2 |Ioritz Mendizabal |Asuka Kurichan |- |Nov 24 |Tokyo |Japan Cup |1 |2,400 m (Firm) |17 |6 |21.1 (4) |4th |2:26.2 |0.1 |Craig Williams |Gentildonna |- |Dec 22 |Nakayama |Arima Kinen |1 |2,500 m (Firm) |16 |10 |14.4 (3) |11th |2:35.3 |3.0 |Craig Williams |Orfevre |- |-style="background-color:white" | colspan="13" align="left" |'''2014 – six-year-old season''' |- |Mar 23 |Hanshin |Hanshin Daishoten |2 |3,000 m (Firm) |9 |8 |15.6 (5) |2nd |3:07.2 |0.6 |Hirofumi Shii |Gold Ship |- |May 4 |Kyoto |Tenno Sho (Spring) |1 |3,200 m (Firm) |18 |15 |88.5 (10) |13th |3:16.2 |1.1 |Hirofumi Shii |Fenomeno |- |Oct 18 |Caulfield |Caulfield Cup |1 |2,400 m (Good) |18 |1 |– |1st |2:32.1 |–0.1 |Zac Purton |(Rising Romance) |- |Nov 4 |Flemington |Melbourne Cup |1 |3,200 m (Good) |22 |1 |– (1) |22nd |– |– |Zac Purton |Protectionist |} '''''Legend:''''' {{Legend inline|#f8f9fa|Turf}}

== Pedigree == {{Pedigree |name = Admire Rakti (JPN), 2008<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jbis.jp/horse/0001093542/pedigree/ |title=Five-generation Pedigree Table: Admire Rakti (JPN) |work=JBIS |accessdate=4 November 2014}}</ref> |f = Heart's Cry 2001 |ff = Sunday Silence |fff = Halo |ffff = Hail to Reason |fffm = Cosmah |ffm = Wishing Well |ffmf = Understanding |ffmm = Mountain Flower |fm = Irish Dance |fmf = Tony Bin |fmff = Kampala |fmfm = Severn Bridge |fmm = Buper Dance |fmmf = Lyphard |fmmm = My Bupers |m = Admire Teresa 2000 |mf = Helissio |mff = Fairy King |mfff = Northern Dancer |mffm = Fairy Bridge |mfm = Helice |mfmf = Slewpy |mfmm = Hirondelle |mm = Heed |mmf = Caveat |mmff = Cannonade |mmfm = Cold Hearted |mmm = Swan |mmmf = Nijinsky |mmmm = Her Demon }}

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20141104115444/http://www.racing.com/horses/admire-rakti-jpn Profile] on racing.com

Category:2008 racehorse births Category:2014 racehorse deaths Category:Racehorses bred in Japan Category:Racehorses trained in Japan Category:Filmed deaths in sports Category:Thoroughbred family 8-f Category:Horses who died from racing injuries Category:Caulfield Cup winners