Kids have all sorts of dream jobs – they want to be a fireman, an astronaut, an actor, something cool and exciting. Not me.

No, I wanted to be the Japanese cherry picker guy.

Don’t know the Japanese cherry picker guy? Watch the start before any race in the land of the rising sun – especially before a feature, like One And Only’s Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) last year.

The Japanese cherry picker guy, immaculately dressed, walks to his little platform. It rises up, he waves the red flag, the “army” band launches into a fanfare and the crowd breaks into a slow clap before going berserk. Pure magic.

His job is actually quite mundane – he is merely the official starter. Not quite the same adrenaline rush as an astronaut or the same importance as a fireman, but he’s an actor. Of sorts.

Sunday was my first chance to see my dream job in action, heading across the East China Sea to Osaka’s Hanshin racecourse for the Takarazuka Kinen, Japan’s last Group One race until October.

It is one of two Grand Prix races in Japan, the other being December’s Arima Kinen, where the public is responsible for selecting more than half the field through a popular vote. More than 700,000 votes were cast by punters, an incredible figure.Not that horses are forced to run if they are selected, though – of the top 10 in voting, only Gold Ship (first), Lachesis (third), Toho Jackal (seventh) and One And Only (eighth) actually lined up.

Epiphaneia (injured), Spielberg (ran at Royal Ascot), Kizuna (out of form) and Duramente (sticking to three-year-old path but subsequently injured) received plenty of votes but didn’t run.

Still, it’s a marketing gimmick that works wonders, for it gives the public some ownership over the race. It was the leading story across all forms of media and there were over 200 members of the press trackside.

After Sunday’s experience, though, my desire to be the Japanese cherry picker guy evaporated once and for all as he was involved in one of the country’s biggest controversies since Deep Impact’s Arc disqualification a decade ago – he released the field just as fan favourite Gold Ship reared, meaning the market leader missed the start by the best part of 20 lengths.

Watch a replay of the race:

Only 94 people complained to the Japan Racing Authority (JRA) but it’s somewhat surprising that the Hanshin crowd didn’t storm the track and head for the starter, such was the shock and anger directed his way.

To understand the magnitude of the debacle, it is crucial to grasp how popular the insane six-year-old is in Japan.

Sure, Gold Ship is a recognisable horse on the world stage, despite only leaving Japan once, finishing 14th behind Treve in last year’s Arc.

The most popular The Griffin blog was the piece on crazy horses, of which Gold Ship was front and centre. Look up Gold Ship on Twitter and you’ll see plenty of love.But global interest and fascination with Naosuke Sugai’s charge is nothing compared to the level of affection and adoration he attracts from Japanese fans.

If the college of cardinals were all Japanese, Gold Ship would probably be Pope Peter. He is so popular, Shinzo Abe probably should be worrying about a challenge for Prime Minister.

His picture adorns trains, his likeness is used all over the country for advertising campaigns, he made the front page on nearly every newspaper and magazine, he’s a bonafide grey celebrity.

But as JRA representative Kaori Ishida explained, the level of adulation for past champions like Orfevre, Vodka, Deep Impact and TM Opera O was similar – although Gold Ship’s nutty antics have earned him a special place in the heart of Japanese race fans.It was almost disappointing walking into the paddock and seeing Gold Ship as calm as a lamb. Where was the nutcase? 

Patience, Andrew-san.

When he made his way out of the tunnel onto the track, the crowd started yelling out to Gold Ship, almost as though they were trying to talk to him.

Perhaps in recognition of the insanity of trying to talk to a horse as though he’ll understand, Gold Ship turned on a display of madness, spit flying everywhere, eyes bulging, a true maniac. And the crowd went wild. They loved every minute.

The other big cheer was saved for Toho Jackal, probably the most striking horse I have ever seen – a rich chestnut with a flaxen mane, almost palomino-esque. He walks around like he knows how good looking he is, like the male model that walks into the bar, knowing every girl’s eyes have darted in his direction.

The cheers were replaced by jeers as Gold Ship missed the start, and some fans were even seen in tears before the field had passed the post the first time. 

And yet, as Gold Ship tacked onto the field, the crowd went mental. I have only experienced one thing that is even close to comparable – the Cheltenham crowd as the late Kauto Star was pulled up at his final start in the 2012 Gold Cup.

That day, it was in appreciation for one of the greatest chasers the world has ever seen, well aware it was likely to be the last time he’d grace a racecourse.

With Gold Ship, it was a belief that he could achieve the impossible, a feat even more remarkable than his Tenno Sho win or some of Orfevre’s implausible performances.  

Alas, he could only manage 15th of the 16 runners, almost eight lengths astern of ownermates Lovely Day and Denim And Ruby. In reality, they were immaterial to the main storyline of the day.

After the race, there were fangirls fainting as winning jockey Yuga Kawada passed them – what would have happened if Yutaka Take had won on Tosen Stardom? And the crowd, ever respectful, gave a tremendous roar for the winner as the trophies were presented.

But still, Gold Ship dominated proceedings. Fans rushed to buy little toy Gold Ship plushies, so much so that I could only get my hands on the last one on track – a gift for a friend in Australia.

And just like that, it was time to see the starter head up the cherry picker again, ready to wave his flag before the 12th race.

In that instant, I knew I was happy to keep my day job. So long, childhood dreams.

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