By Heather Anderson
Aigle Noir (Jpn) (Bricks And Mortar) became the second stakes winner for his young sire with a narrow victory in the Listed Hyogo Junior Grand Prix at Sonoda on Wednesday. Bricks And Mortar has also been represented by G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup winner Gonbade Qabus (Jpn).
Tabbed the 7-5 favourite, the dark bay raced just behind the leading trio well off the fence into the first turn while avoiding most of the kickback. Set down for a drive approached the final bend, he raced in tandem with Satono Phoenix (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) to his outside the length of the stretch. A lucky bob saw him become a black-type winner. It was five lengths back to G3 Hakodate Nisai S. hero Seltsam (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) in third.
Fourth at first asking going 1600 metres on the grass in June, he won a maiden race on dirt at Kokura in September and took the Platanus Sho at Tokyo last month.
His dam, the Listed Lapis Lazuli S. heroine Ultima Blood (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), foaled a full-brother to the winner last year, but did not produce a foal this spring when bred back to the American Horse of the Year. His second dam is the two-time Japanese group winner Ultima Thule (Jpn) (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}), herself a half-sister to a trio of group winners including the G1 Tenno Sho third Silver Sonic (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest second Air Thule (Jpn) (Tony Bin {Ire}) is out of Group 1 winner and Classic-placed Ski Paradise (Lyphard) who was also second in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.
HYOGO JUNIOR GRAND PRIX-Listed (Jpn-G2), ¥57,000,000, Sonoda, 11-22, 2yo, 1400m, 1:29.40, gd.
1–AIGLE NOIR (JPN), 121, c, 2, Bricks and Mortar
1st Dam: Ultima Blood (Jpn) (SW-Jpn, $1,017,790),
by Symboli Kris S
2nd Dam: Ultima Thule (Jpn), by Fuji Kiseki (Jpn)
3rd Dam: Air Thule (Jpn), by Tony Bin (ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm
(Jpn); T-Hidetaka Otonashi; J-Kohei Matsuyama; ¥30,000,000.
Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, ¥77,608,000.
2–Satono Phoenix (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Henny Hughes–Mermaid
Tiara (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. O-Hajime
Satomi; B-Shimokobe Farm (Jpn); ¥12,000,000.
3–Seltsam (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Henny Hughes–Rosarium (Jpn), by
King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Junzo Miyakawa; B-Tomita Farm
(Jpn); ¥7,500,000.
Margins: NS, 5, NK. Odds: 1.40, 1.90, 6.60.
Also Ran: Stream (Jpn), Mitono Warrior (Jpn), Orchid Romance (Jpn), Torajiro (Jpn), Capsule (Jpn), Talis Man (Jpn), Love Me Tequila (Jpn), Delicious Party (Jpn), Vario (Jpn). Click for the NAR chart and NAR video.
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