By Heather Anderson
Circle of Life (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) became the third Group 1 winner for her sire in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Hanshin on Sunday. A third-generation homebred for Masatake Iida of Chiyoda Farm, the bay was also the race's 4-1 number three pick and likely sewed up 2021 Japanese Champion Juvenile Filly honours.
Near the tail of the field as Dark Page (Jpn) (Dark Angel {Ire}) zipped through a solid half-mile in :46.40, she began to make up ground with 1000 metres remaining. Camped six deep as the field reached the stretch, she spun even wider out into the centre of the course for her bid, and overhauled the leaders in the final 25 metres for a half-length win. A trio of horses had briefly appeared to have the race at their mercy late, but Lovely Your Eyes (Jpn) (Logotype {Jpn}) settled for second, with G3 Fantasy S. victress Water Navillera (Jpn) (Silver State {Jpn}) third, the same margin back. Race favourite Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) closed resolutely with a rails run, but could not master the top three and was a neck behind in fourth.
“She was great today, she had a good break, and we had a smooth trip,” said Mirco Demuro. “We went wide at the stretch, but the track was really good on the outside and the horses (in previous races of the day) seemed to stretch well along that path. My filly has closed well over the smooth track, so I trusted her to make it and indeed she exhibited strong finishing speed. I was certain in the last 200 meters that she would win. I've ridden her since her debut, and she really takes it in her stride in new surroundings and unfamiliar tracks so she has plenty of energy to use in the race. I'm sure she can further extend her distance in future races so I'm really looking forward that too.”
Third in a Niigata newcomers' race over 1800 metres when unveiled in August, the bay graduated cut back to 1600 metres at Nakayama on Sept. 20. She captured her first black-type race, the G3 Artemis S. at Tokyo on Oct. 30.
Pedigree Notes
Already one of five black-type winners (four group) for her 11-year-old sire, Circle of Life joins MG1SWs and Classic scorers Daring Tact (Jpn) (2020 Japanese Fillies Triple Crown Winner) and Efforia (Jpn) (2021 Japanese St. Leger Winner) as Group 1 progeny of the Shadai resident.
The fourth foal, fourth runner and third winner out of the triple winner Sea Breeze Life, Circle of Life has yearling and weanling Declaration of War half-siblings. After producing a colt in 2020 and a filly this term, the dam returned to Declaration of War this spring. Circle of Life's third dam, Star My Life (Storm Cat), was a half-sister to American Horse of the Year and MG1SW Lady's Secret (Secretariat). She was purchased for $350,000 out of the Keeneland July Sale in 1995 by Iida prior to winning one of six starts in her adopted country, a 1000-metre dirt maiden in 1997.
Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES-G1, ¥125,140,000, Hanshin, 12-13, 2yo, f, 1600mT, 1:33.10, fm.
1–CIRCLE OF LIFE (JPN), 119, f, 2, by Epiphaneia (Jpn)
1st Dam: Sea Breeze Life (Jpn), by Admire Japan (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Precious Life (Jpn), by Taiki Shuttle
3rd Dam: Star My Life, by Storm Cat
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Masatake Iida; B-Chiyoda Farm (Jpn);
T-Sakae Kunieda; J-Mirco Demuro. ¥66,288,000. Lifetime
Record: 4-3-0-1. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lovely Your Eyes (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Logotype (Jpn)
1st Dam: Open Your Eyes (Jpn), by Victoire Pisa (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Ave (GB), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
3rd Dam: Anna Amalia (Ire), by In the Wings (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (¥10,000,000 Wlg '19 JRHAJUL).
O-Yasuyuki Iuchi; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); ¥26,368,000.
3–Water Navillera (Jpn), 119, f, 2, Silver State (Jpn)
1st Dam: Shining Sayaka (Jpn), by King Halo (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Shinsei Akari (Jpn), by Mayano Top Gun (Jpn)
3rd Dam: Pink No Onepeace (Jpn), by Tosho Boy (Jpn)
1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Masato Yamaoka; B-Fushikida
Farm (Jpn); ¥16,184,000.
Margins: HF, HF, NK. Odds: 4.10, 50.20, 5.60.
Also Ran: Namur (Jpn), Namura Clair (Jpn), Belle Cresta (Jpn), Sternatia (Jpn), Statistics (Jpn), Anegohada (Jpn), Kimiwa Queen (Jpn), Saku (Jpn), Sea Cruise (Jpn), Toho la Vie En (Jpn), Dark Page (Jpn), Tana the Wing (Jpn), Personal High (Jpn), Namura Lycoris (Jpn), Hinokuni (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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