Japan is out for revenge. Two decades on from the defeat of Heart's Cry to Hurricane Run and Electrocutionist in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, Masquerade Ball (Duramente) will bid to go a couple of places better and deliver a memorable triumph for Japan in one of Europe's great middle-distance races.Teruya Yoshida, the man behind Shadai Race Horse, the syndicate that owned Heart's Cry and now Masquerade Ball, still hasn't forgiven himself for the defeat of 2006. Yoshida is in little doubt that, had Heart's Cry had a travelling companion for that trip to Ascot, it would have been worth more than the length he was defeated by at the winning line.Connections of Masquerade Ball have not made the same mistake twice and the notoriously-tricky traveler will have the company in Britain of Wurttemberg (Kitasan Black), who races in Yoshida's own silks.The Shadai Farm boss said, “It was mainly my idea to try and win the King George with Masquerade Ball this year. We tried to win the race many years ago with Heart's Cry but he was beaten only a length into third by Hurricane Run and Electrocutionist. Heart's Cry had won the Dubai Sheema Classic by over four lengths on the bridle before the King George. But, when we brought him to Ascot, his barn was very much isolated at that time, so he lost a lot of weight on that trip. I blamed myself for that defeat. That's why, ever since that race, we have been wanting to bring two horses for the race so we have been waiting for the right time to bring two very good horses.”Masquerade Ball is very much the number one. He went down by only a head to Calandagan in the Japan Cup in November and chased home international superstar Romantic Warrior in the FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin last time. But Wuttemberg is no shrinking violet. He may be the supporting runner but a reproduction of his nose defeat to Croix Du Nord in the Tenno Sho would give him a chance of being in the frame at least.Yoshida said, “Wurttemberg has some very good form. Last time, he was beaten just a nose behind Croix Du Nord in the Tenno Sho, so if he could produce a run like that, he could go very well. We expect something from him. Nothing very big but we expect a good run. We wanted something to go with Masquerade Ball and he is the number one. Christophe Lemaire will ride Masquerade Ball and Oisin Murphy rides Wurttemberg so I am very happy about that.” Both horses have arrived in Newmarket, where they will be stationed in the build-up to the King George on July 25. While Japan has enjoyed something of a golden spell on the international stage, success in Europe has not come so easily. Yoshida has his own theory as to why that might be and outlined his hopes for that to change at Ascot, where Masquerade Ball will renew rivalry with Calandagan along with a stellar cast that could also include top-class racemares Minnie Hauk and Kalpana.Yoshida said, “Masquerade Ball left for England last Friday [July 11]. Of course, we are very excited. We enjoy this experience and look forward to seeing how a Japanese horse will run in a top race in Europe. You know, we have been successful in Dubai, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, but not very much in Europe. Maybe that is something to do with the surface because, in Europe, it can be softer than the ground we have in Japan. Whereas in the Middle East or in Hong Kong, you usually get a quick racing surface. It has been very warm in England recently so maybe we might get good-to-firm ground at Ascot. I hope so. But it is the same for Calandagan. He does not like soft ground. We saw that at Epsom when he did not like the heavy going very much. We want good ground but so does Calandagan.”He added, “I prefer our horses to run at Ascot than at Longchamp in the autumn, when the ground can be soft. It is more practical for us to run our horses in England over the summer. After the King George, Masquerade Ball will come back to Japan. He loves Japan.” King George contender Masquerade Ball | Japan Racing Association Parallels can be drawn between Coolmore's John Magnier and Yoshida, a towering figure in the global thoroughbred breeding and racing industry in his own right. As the president of Japan's legendary Shadai Farm and acting chairman of the Japan Racing Horse Association, he – along with his brothers, Katsumi and Haruya – has transformed Japan into a powerhouse nation. The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe remains a race that Japan obsesses over and Yoshida revealed that he agreed with Magnier's robust criticism of France Galop's reported plans to allow geldings to run in the race from next year.“I don't like [the changes] so much, but they decide,” he said before following up with, “I agree with John Magnier and also Andre Fabre. For the future of the stallion industry, it is not a very good idea. Temporarily, they will have a very good horse to run in the race, but for the future of the industry, they should keep the Arc as a stallion-making race.”Win, lose or draw, Masquerade Ball will not be heading to France. The King George has been the sole target for many months now and Yoshida is daring to dream about what revenge might taste like. Not only will Masquerade Ball mark 20 years since Heart's Cry was defeated in the race, he will also bid for King George glory in a year when Yoshida celebrates his 50th as an owner.Yoshida said, “Our first success came when we bought Northern Taste, a son of Northern Dancer, in Saratoga back in 1972. So that is over 50 years ago. Then came Sunday Silence and both horses became extremely important in Japan and it is still continuing. But as an owner, this year marks our 50th anniversary. I am very much proud. Very happy, very satisfied but also very lucky. We are so lucky.”He added, “Even from my childhood, the racetrack was always full and that is still continuing in Japan. In Europe, the racetrack used to be full but that does not happen now. In Japan, we need to limit the number of tickets for bigger meetings. At one time, they would fit 160,000 people into Tokyo racecourse. Now, they are afraid of too many people so they limit it to around 80,000 people. That does not happen in other countries. We very much welcome the audience.”Laughing off the prospects that a Japanese King George success could be written in the stars, Yoshida concluded, “It would be special but I try not to think about that because it is not easy. My one big regret with Heart's Cry was that I sent him to the King George on his own. Maybe he needed company and we have learned from that. So, 20 years on, maybe this will be the revenge for Heart's Cry! Let's hope.”The post ‘This Is Revenge For Heart’s Cry!’ – Yoshida Pins King George Hopes On Masquerade Ball appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.