By Heather Anderson
Unconsidered in Sunday's G1 Queen Elizabeth Cup at Hanshin, Akai Ito (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) gave her sire his first Group 1 winner at 63-1. The 2200-metre contest featured 17 fillies and mares, and Akai Ito was the 10th choice.
Breaking a touch slowly, the dark bay raced in 13th for much of the journey, as Shamrock Hill (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) laid out fractions of :22.90, :46.60 and 1:11.30 while chased by Rose Amour (Jpn) (Rose Kingdom {Jpn}). Shamrock Hill's lead began to look tenuous with less than 600 metres remaining as a host of rivals took aim on the pacesetter.
Sweeping six wide into the home straight, Akai Ito made a bold move as favoured Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) took command. The Koji Oka colourbearer closed the door on the bid of Akaitorino Musume (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), collared Lei Papale 200 metres from the wire and held firm to win going away. Stellaria (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) closed to take second two lengths behind, and it was a neck to Clavel (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in third. Soft Fruit (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was an equal measure back in fourth.
“As she seemed to be a bit tense when I trained her the other day, I tried to race her in her own rhythm,” said jockey Hideaki Miyuki, who was winning his eighth Group 1. “Though I could not break her smoothly out of the gate, I was able to eventually race her in the intended position at the backstretch. I was confident that she will stretch well at the end and, because it was a Group 1 race, I made [my] bid earlier than usual. We were able to take the front earlier than I had expected and, as there was no horse right behind us, I just kept on urging her to go until [we won].”
A winner of the Nishio Tokubetsu at Chukyo in January, Akai Ito ran second dropped back to 1800 metres in the Asuka S. over this course on Feb. 13. Third in the local 2000-metre Kyobashi S. in April, she reported home second in the A.T.C. Sydney Trophy returned to Chukyo on May 22. Given one more run to her spring campaign, the 4-year-old filly won the June 20 Tarumi S. here and was put away until the autumn. She warmed up for this with a seventh in the Oct. 16 G2 Ireland Trophy Fuchu Himba S.
Pedigree Notes
Kizuna celebrated his 16th black-type winner and first Group 1 winner with Akai Ito's victory. His 10 group winners were previously led by three-time Group 2 winner Deep Bond (Jpn), who won the G2 Prix Foy earlier this autumn. Akai Ito is bred on the same cross as G2 Fuji S. heroine Songline (Jpn), who is also out of a Symboli Kris S mare, and she is Symboli Kris S's second Group 1 winner in that sphere after Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). One of two winners out of the dual scorer Wadjet, Akai Ito is followed by the placed 3-year-old full-sister Enishino Uta (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), and a weanling half-sister by Screen Hero (Jpn).
Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
QUEEN ELIZABETH CUP-G1, ¥ 204,660,000, Hanshin, 11-14, 3yo/up, f/m, 2200mT, 2:12.10, fm.
1–AKAI ITO (JPN), 123, f, 4, by Kizuna (Jpn)
1st Dam: Wadjet (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S
2nd Dam: Reach to Peace, by Mud Route
3rd Dam: Waki Betty, by Miswaki
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN.
O-Koji Oka; B-Tsuji Farm (Jpn); T-Kazuya Nakatake; J-Hideaki
Miyuki. ¥108,612,000. Lifetime Record: 20-5-4-1. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Stellaria (Jpn), 119, f, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)
1st Dam: Pollenator (Ire), by Motivator (GB)
2nd Dam: Ceanothus (Ire), by Bluebird
3rd Dam: Golden Bloom (Ire), by Main Reef (GB)
O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shiraoi Farm (Jpn); ¥43,092,000.
3–Clavel (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Epiphaneia (Jpn)
1st Dam: Dia de la Madre (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Dia de la Novia (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
3rd Dam: Potrizaris (Arg), Potrillazo (Arg)
O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥26,546,000.
Margins: 2, NK, NK. Odds: 63.90, 24.10, 45.90.
Also Ran: Soft Fruit (Jpn), Izu Jo no Kiseki (Jpn), Lei Papale (Jpn), Akaitorino Musume (Jpn), Des Ailes (Jpn), Rambling Alley (Jpn), Win Kiitos (Jpn), Terzetto (Jpn), Musica (Jpn), Kotobuki Thetis (Jpn), Lune Rouge (Jpn), Shamrock Hill (Jpn), Win Marilyn (Jpn), Rose Amour (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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