FRENCH racing has struggled to hold off foreign raiders in recent years, and something similar could be unfolding in Australia, where the three big races at Moonee Valley last Saturday went to Hunting Horn from Ireland (115, Moonee Valley Gold Cup), Chief Ironside from Britain (115, Schweppes Crystal Mile) and Lys Gracieux from Japan (125, Cox Plate).

Japan’s poster girl at present, Almond Eye, ran perhaps her most convincing race yet when taking the Tenno Sho at Tokyo last Sunday with a 126-rated performance.