Kizuna's Eri King Remains Undefeated In Kyoto

Favoured at 90 cents on the dollar, Eri King (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) ran to the money, winning the G3 Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nisai Stakes at Kyoto on Saturday by 1 1/4 lengths over the closing Giovanni (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). Claudiai (Jpn) (Saturnalia {Jpn}) was third, another length behind.

Breaking widest of all in stall eight, the near-black colt soon found himself punching the breeze out by his lonesome in a tracking fifth as Water Clark (Jpn) (Water Build {Jpn}) showed the way into the right-handed bend. The pace was steady with a quarter-mile split of :24.70 and a half-mile in :49.40. Kept on cruise control by Yuga Kawada, Eri King began to make up ground through 1000 metres in 1:01.90. Water Clark's advantage shrank as noses pointed for home, and Kawada appeared to be sitting on go with Eri King. Given a shake of the reins, he went into overdrive in pursuit of the pacesetter and Sarakosth (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who had stalked in second the hole way. In charge by the 100-metre mark, Eri King survived the rallying effort of Giovanni for the victory.

The colt won a Kyoto newcomers' contest over 1800 metres of yielding ground in June with Sarakosth second, before making it two in a row at Chukyo over this trip on Sept. 21. In the latter start, he defeated Giovanni.

Pedigree Notes

Fresh off the news that Kizuna will stand for ¥20,000,000 at Shadai Stallion Station next year, Saturday's winner became his 36th overall stakes winner and 24th group winner. In 2024 alone, the son of Deep Impact (Jpn)'s progeny have bolted up in 21 stakes, with Justin Milano (Jpn) winning the G1 Satsuki Sho in the spring. Also on Saturday, Kizuna colt Natural Rise (Jpn) threw his hat in the ring on Japan's Road to the Kentucky Derby when he won the Cattleya Stakes (allowance).

An A$1,400,000 Inglis Chairmans Sale purchase by Katsumi Yoshida in 2020 before beginning her broodmare career in Japan, G1 Queensland Oaks heroine Youngstar has a weanling filly by Contrail (Jpn) as her second foal, with Eri King her first.

Youngstar is a half-sister to G1 Flight Stakes scorer Funstar (Aus) (Adelaide {Ire}), while her Galileo (Ire) half-sister Baggy Green (Aus) is the dam of four stakes winners including top-level winners Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and No Compromise (NZ) (Pins {Aus}). Third dam was the outstanding racemare User Friendly (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}), a winner of the G1 St Leger, G1 Irish Oaks, G1 Oaks, G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and G1 Yorkshire Oaks. She was also second in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Saturday, Kyoto, Japan
RADIO NIKKEI HAI KYOTO NISAI STAKES-G3, ¥63,020,000, Kyoto, 11-23, 2yo, 2000mT, 2:00.90, fm.
1–ERI KING (JPN), 123, c, 2,  Kizuna (Jpn)
                 1st Dam: Youngstar (Aus) (G1SW-Aus, $766,777),
                                by High Chaparral(Ire)
                 2nd Dam: Starspangled (Ire), by Danehill
                 3rd Dam: User Friendly (GB), by Slip Anchor (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (¥210,000,000 Ylg '23
JRHAJUL). O-Susumu Fujita; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥33,294,000.
Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, ¥56,620,000. Click for the
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Giovanni (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Barefoot
Lady (Ire), by Footstepsinthesand (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST
   GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-KR Japan; B-Taihei Farm (Jpn);
¥13,084,000.
3–Claudiai (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Saturnalia (Jpn)–Mon Coeur (Jpn), by
Deep Impact (Jpn). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE.
O-K's Japan; B-Kasamatsu Farm (Jpn);  ¥8,342,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 5.50, 7.70.
Also Ran: Water Clark (Jpn), Three Kings (Jpn), Take It All (Jpn), Sarakosth (Jpn), Laurel Orb (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.