By Alan Carasso
Ridden with supreme confidence by Yuga Kawada, reigning champion Japanese 2-year-old filly Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) was given her cue with 400 metres to race and stormed home down the centre of the course to post a breathtaking victory in Sunday's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin Racecourse. Kona Coast (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) was swamped late and completed a Sunday Racing 1-2, while Carrot Farm colourbearer Perifania (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) checked in a sound third.
Void of early speed, the odds-on favourite was content to drop out to race with just two rivals behind her as G2 Tulip Sho winner Mozu Meimei (Jpn) (Real Impact {Jpn}) showed the way at a good clip in advance of Kona Coast, who just failed to reel in Mozu Meimei in the Tulip Sho. Still third last, but quietly ridden by Kawada as the Oka Sho field raced midway on the turn, Liberty Island peeled off heels once heads were turned for home, with the better part of 10 lengths to find. Kona Coast took over from the weakening front-runner at the 200-metre mark and Perifania also laid down a challenge, but by this time, Liberty Island was in high gear and she whistled home to score a shade cosily in the finish. She covered her final three furlongs in a wicked :32.9.
“I feel relieved to have done my job of guiding her to the wire in time,” said Kawada. “We [landed] an inside draw and she wasn't keen to hurry out of the gate so the position was where it was going to be. But she was relaxed today, was in good rhythm in the race and clicked into gear nicely so this is where she ended up [winning], so I am glad. Now that we have accomplished our aim in the first of the Triple Crown, I hope that we can meet expectations in the following title.”
The late Duramente also accounted for last year's Oka Sho heroine Stars on Earth (Jpn), who doubled up in the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (2400m) before falling just short in the G1 Shuka Sho (2000m) when attempting to sweep the Classic series. This year's Oaks takes place at Tokyo Racecourse May 21.
A debut winner over a mile last July–in which she finished off in an other-worldly :31.4–Liberty Island struck trouble and was second to Ravel (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G2 Artemis S. in October before stamping her authority on the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies over this course and distance Dec. 11.
Pedigree Notes:
A son of the late King Kamehameha (Jpn), Duramente was sadly lost to a bout of acute colitis in September 2021, but had already left his mark as the leading first-crop sire in Japan the previous season. From just three crops of racing age, Duramente is already responsible for Classic and three-time Group 1 winner Titleholder (Jpn) and last year's G1 Hopeful S. hero Dura Erede (Jpn), recent runner-up in the G2 UAE Derby and pointing towards the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). Duramente has now accounted for the winner of four Classic races.
Liberty Island's dam was purchased for just A$10,000 at the 2015 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale and went on to take three of her first four career starts, inclduding the G1 Inglis Sires' S. two weeks after finishing a half-length second to Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) in the G1 Longines Golden Slipper S. She would add the G1 Spring Champion S. in October 2016 and retired with four wins from 10 runs and earnings in excess of US$1.6 million before being acquired privately and exported to Japan.
Yankee Rose's first foal, the current 4-year-old filly Romneya (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), was purchased by that sire's owner Kaneko Makoto for $1.9 million as a foal at the 2019 JRHA Select Sale and won her most recent start at Kokura back in February. The current 2-year-old out of the mare, a colt by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), fetched $3.35 million at the same event in 2021. Yankee Rose produced a filly by Kizuna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in 2022 and was among the first book of mares served by Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
OKA SHO (JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥304,020,000, Hanshin, 4-9, 3yo, f, 1600mT, 1:32.10, fm.
1–LIBERTY ISLAND (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Duramente (Jpn)
1st Dam: Yankee Rose (Aus) (Ch. 2yo & 3yo Filly & MG1SW-Aus, $1,627,487), by All American (Aus)
2nd Dam: Condesaar (Aus), by Xaar (GB)
3rd Dam: Condescendance, by El Gran Senor
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Mitsumasa Nakauchida; J-Yuga Kawada; ¥166,614,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Filly-Jpn, 4-3-1-0, ¥252,046,000. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com pedigree.
2–Kona Coast (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Kona Brewers (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥63,604,000.
3–Perifania (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Maurice (Jpn)–Katies Heart (Jpn), by Heart's Cry (Jpn). O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm; ¥38,802,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.60, 17.40, 16.60.
Also Ran : Harper (Jpn), Doe Eyes (Jpn), Shinryokuka (Jpn), Sing That Song (Jpn), Light Quantum (Jpn), Bouton d'Or (Jpn), Emu (Jpn), Ravel (Jpn), Kita Wing (Jpn), Mozu Meimei (Jpn), Dura (Jpn), Conch Shell (Jpn), June Orange (Jpn), Moon Probe (Jpn), Tosen Laurier (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart.
Kawada-cam: Join in as the King dances LIBERTY ISLAND home in the G1 Oka Sho #Yuga 👑pic.twitter.com/0m9rHGw75D https://t.co/7ZZMaBgcFM
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) April 9, 2023
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