Takashi Kodama - The Curragh based trainer is taking a global perspective - how the racing business has been affected during the Coronavirus shutdown
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By Lissa Oliver
The respected Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, often speaks about the dangers of a single story. A single story, or viewpoint, leads to misconceptions and many lost opportunities, preventing us from seeing the many and varied stories within a place, or a person—the multifaceted bigger picture. Ireland’s Curragh-based trainer Takashi Kodama can never be accused of such an error. His is a life of multiple stories; and perhaps this has gifted him with the ability to identify and value the multiple stories of the international thoroughbred industry.
As we talk, Kodama has five fillies waiting to be shipped from South America, to the USA and Ireland. The border had been closed due to the pandemic but was to have reopened in mid-May, so Kodama had everything organised for their export, only to receive last-minute news that the border closure had been extended. He had to spend the day urgently contacting local agents and rightly admits, “It has been my biggest nightmare with the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Kodama is no ordinary trainer. Yes, he has his own yard in Kildare and a small string of six horses in training. He faces the same struggles as any small trainer. Yes, he has known major success as a trainer, Pop Rock winning at the prestigious Galway Festival and Elusive Time landing the 2017 Irish Cambridgeshire, a premier handicap, during Irish Champions Weekend at his home track. That saw Kodama honoured with the Special Achievement Award at the 2017 Curragh Racing Awards.
But unlike many trainers, Kodama has embraced the idea of diversifying and, as a result, has his finger on the pulse of every racing nation as he searches for good value and winners, even if that means sending the horses in his care to other trainers. Even more than a trainer, he is a racing manager.
This brings additional work and issues, as the South American borders testify. “Afternoon here in Ireland is business hours in South America and the USA,” he points out, “and I have six horses in my yard who demand my attention in the morning.”
His passion for horses started a long time ago. “I first started working with horses a few days after my graduation from high school. I went to Hidaka, the main breeding area of Japan, to a pre-training and stud farm. It was supposed to be temporary, but in the typical way of these things I stayed five years!”
Breeding and pre-training are very much interlinked in Japan, so the young Kodama received a good foundation. “I worked at a facility where they did everything. I learnt to ride there, at the age of 18, and my interest went down the training side of the industry. A lot of things seem to happen by chance throughout life, and I met some people who suggested I should go to America. I worked at Santa Anita in California for three years, and then I came over to Ireland, in 1997.
“I got a trainer’s licence in 2002,” he says of his first start in Ireland, “but after three years I realised it was too difficult for a small stable to make a living in Ireland, so I gave up. It is still very difficult for small trainers to survive here.”
Acutely observant of cultures, politics and economies, Kodama is not a man to shy away from obstacles and, crucially, he makes a point of understanding the causes and implications to help him overcome barriers. He had gained from the experience, but it was time to explore different opportunities. “I sent my wife and two daughters to Japan, and I got jobs as a Japanese representative for Goffs and Connolly’s Red Mills. I worked with them for five years, and this brought me fresh opportunities to meet more people day by day.”
During that time Kodama began working for Japanese trainers and owners to assist their international operation. “I attended all the international sales and was familiar with Goffs and Tattersalls, Arqana, Keeneland, Gold Coast, Magic Millions, even Argentinian sales.” His training background also served him well. “I was also able to assist with their international runners in Dubai, Hong Kong, etc. and provided support to get the top international jockeys to ride in Japan, such as Mick Kinane, Ryan Moore, Fran Berry and Craig Williams. From these experiences I got to know more great international racing professionals and was travelling around the world for sales, racing and visiting stud farms.”
Those five years, Kodama says, were the biggest factor in shaping his life. Four times a year throughout that period, he bought a round-the-world ticket. “I started in Ireland, flew to the USA— visiting Kentucky, California and Florida—then on to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, to Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, then back to Europe, to Germany, France, Italy and the UK, and then home to Ireland. I travelled with an economy ticket all the time, but my airline status was Emerald Member!
“I met so many nice, experienced horsemen all around the world: breeders, trainers, sales people, vets, jockeys, farriers. I found that every part of the horse industry in every country in the world has a different history, culture and the way they trust in the knowledge gained from generations going back more than 100 years.
“I have learned so many things and gained an understanding of the fact that there are so many different ways, different schools of thought, different tools, cultures and history everywhere around the world, but we are all the same in our love and passion being passed down through every generation. That is what is holding the horse industry together, beside the financial supports.”
Crucially, Kodama has also acquired a great understanding and depth of knowledge of the financial systems of racing around the world. “I examine the cost of breeding, cost of training, average horse values, market valuations, prize money, etc., and then I find the balance of all costs and prize money and sales money; and from those calculations I can calculate the cost of performance of the horse in each country.”
He also has an in-depth knowledge of the racing programmes for each region of the world, which he values. “I realised how important it was to have a knowledge and sense of judgement of the ability level of international horses and of the racing and breeding level in each country. I can compare the ability of horses in various countries and know their value, for buying and selling, in order to try to find the best value performance horses for my owners.”
Kodama cites European horses as definitely the most expensive in the world. “For the same money, you might buy only a maiden winner in Ireland but could get a Listed winner in some other European country or the USA; and you might be able to get a Group winner in South America. The important thing is to compare these horses’ abilities.” He laughs, a typically cheerful man who belies the pressure he is so often under. “Horses bought with the same budget, if you let them run in the same race together, who will win—the Irish maiden winner or the South American Gp1 winner? That is a difficult question to answer and may be impossible to find, but it is also a very important aspect of my job.”
It’s easy to think of him as a walking encyclopaedia, but he does have a lot of help. “I would not be able to do what I’m doing now without the help of the great horse people around the world I have been fortunate to meet. International jockeys who ride worldwide give me their opinion of each country’s racing and the quality of horses, and that also helps my knowledge.”
Communication is key and is one of the talkative Kodama’s chief talents.
“At one time, text and other mobile communications were not as popular as now. Although it might be much easier to communicate with people around the world right now, actually I feel that many, many of the people I have met directly face to face and have shared a drink with, eaten with, or just sat and had a chat or discussion with—or even sometimes arguing and fighting with them! ...but it’s those personal meetings that are my fortune in life and will be for a long time to come.”
Of course, as much as he relishes learning from others, his true passion is working with horses, and the lure of a return to training was never far from his heart. “In 2010, by chance, I was given the opportunity to train the Japanese Group winner Pop Rock, together with a few other Japanese horses in Ireland. So I renewed my licence and re-opened my yard once more.”
Pop Rock may have broken a few hearts when a narrow second in the Melbourne Cup to his compatriot Delta Blues, but he realised a dream once in the care of Kodama. “Legend Mick Kinane had retired a few years before I renewed my licence, but he very kindly helped me to try and get my first winner as a trainer. I had been with Mick as a translator in Hong Kong and Japan, and every night when we had a nightcap at the hotel bar he told me so much great things about racing and horses. He started riding out Pop Rock for me—at the beginning once a week—but getting closer to the race, he was finally riding out most of the week. We got Fran Berry as Pop Rock’s jockey for his first time out in Europe, at the Galway Festival.” The rest, as they say, is history. “Pop Rock won as my first winner at Galway and as my dream come true!”
Sadly, Pop Rock was injured during running next time out in the Gp1 Irish St Leger and retired after the race. But as Kodama reflects, “My time with Pop Rock and with Mick and Fran gave me another super experience as a trainer. After this great time I was so pleased to be able to support Fran for his first season riding in Japan. And when Pop Rock retired, a friend who I had met during those five years of travel found a great place for him as a stallion.
“I cannot say my training career has been good,” he admits, “but I’ve still got Elusive Time, who won three times for me, including the Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh on Champions Weekend, which was my biggest success as a trainer. Elusive Time was also my first winner at the Curragh, when Joseph O’Brien rode. Now Joseph trains two colts by Galileo for my owners, and also a South American Group winner is going to him with the aim of running her in the Dubai winter carnival.”
Elusive Time with Kodama, Ross Coakley and The Elusive Time syndicate after winning The Tote Irish Cambridgeshire.
Kodama has some very good Japanese owners he met during his time with Goffs, and they have provided him with the opportunity to turn his small stable into an international racing operation. “As a trainer, I have had a runner at Royal Ascot, at the Arc meeting; and I have stayed in Dubai for the winter carnival with five horses, even though I was a really small trainer with not much experience and only 8-10 horses in my yard.
“I got horses for these international races from South America, Scandinavia, Italy—everywhere—with help from people I met while travelling. I also had help from every racing authority, through having met on my travels. I really wished I could step up onto the international racing stage as a trainer for these great Japanese owners who had given me fantastic opportunities, but unfortunately I realised I was not good enough as a trainer. I just felt so sad and sad and sad... because I could not give back anything good to these great owners who supported me so much.
“And I kept thinking, thinking, thinking… How can I give something good to these owners? What can I do for them? …
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