Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) produced a dominant performance to justify favouritism in Sunday's G1 Shuka Sho at Kyoto Racecourse, the final leg of the fillies' Triple Crown in Japan.
She became the fifth winner of the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) to follow up in this race in the last decade, with the others including the same owner's Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) when she won all three legs of the fillies' Triple Crown last year.
Trained by Tetsuya Kimura for Sunday Racing, Cervinia's hopes of emulating Liberty Island fell by the wayside when she finished down the field in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) at Hanshin in April, but she proved her true worth when beating the winner of that race, Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), by half a length to win the Yushun Himba at Tokyo the following month.
The Shuka Sho brought Cervinia and Stellenbosch together for a third clash, while the form of two key trials was represented by the likes of Queen's Walk (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), successful in last month's G2 Rose Stakes at Chukyo, plus the first three from the G2 Shion Stakes at Nakayama, won by Christmas Parade (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) ahead of Mi Anhelo (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and Bond Girl (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}).
Cervinia broke alertly before finding a position in mid-division under Christophe Lemaire as Sekitoba East (Jpn) (Declaration Of War) took the 15-strong field along in the early stages. Sekitoba East's lead had grown to seven or eight lengths with less than 600 metres to run, ahead of Christmas Parade, who raced a couple of lengths in advance of the main pack. However, it was all change in the straight as that pair gradually came back to the field, with Cervinia emerging from between runners to hit front inside the final furlong. From there she kept going well to win by a length and three-quarters from Bond Girl, who ran on strongly on the outside to snatch second from Stellenbosch, having had just one rival behind her on the home turn.
It was a first success in the Shuka Sho for Kimura, while Lemaire was winning the race for the third time, having won consecutive renewals with Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) in 2017 and Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2018.
“As always, it's not easy to win a Group 1 race, but Cervinia ran an incredible race today and everything went smoothly,” said Lemaire afterwards. “The distance was right for her and we were able to sit in a good position. She found her own rhythm and was very calm throughout. The fast pace was also a good factor and she responded beautifully.”
Cervinia and the runner-up have history as they made their respective debuts in the same race at Tokyo in June last year when Bond Girl came out on top by three quarters of a length. Cervinia later opened her account at Niigata and won the G3 Artemis Stakes at Tokyo as a two-year-old, before returning this year in the Oka Sho.
【Shuka Sho (G1), 2000m, Kyoto, JRA】
Cervinia won the Shuka Sho !#JRA #horseracing #ShukaSho #Cervinia pic.twitter.com/u2smDvgXnh
— HorseRacingInJapan (@HorseRacing_JPN) October 13, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Cervinia's dam, Cecchino (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), who filled the runner-up spot in the 2016 Yushun Himba, has now produced three winners from as many runners. The others include the G3 Niigata Kinen victor Nocking Point (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) and the two-year-old Arlecchino (Jpn) (Bricks and Mortar), who registered his first success at Niigata in August. Cecchino has since produced a yearling colt by Epiphaneia (Jpn). She was bred to Efforia (Jpn) for this season.
Cecchino is a full-sister to Codino (Jpn), who ran second in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes and third in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas), in addition to being a multiple Group winner. She is also a half-sister to Pastophoria (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), who produced last year's G2 Hanshin Himba Stakes runner-up Sublime Anthem (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}).
The second dam, Happy Path (Jpn) (Sunday SIlence), was a multimillionaire racehorse in her own right, while this is also the immediate family of Japanese champion older mare Shinko Lovely (Caerleon).
Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
SHUKA SHO-G1, ¥214,620,000, Kyoto, 10-13, 3yo, f, 2000mT, 1:57.10, fm.
1–CERVINIA (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Harbinger (GB)
1st Dam: Cecchino (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Happy Path (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
3rd Dam: Happy Trails (Ire), by Posse
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuya Kimura; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥113,234,000. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, ¥328,424,000. *Half to Nocking Point (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, ¥120,507,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bond Girl (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–Coasted, by Tizway. (¥210,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHJUL). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Susumu Fujita; B-Shadai Farm; ¥44,024,000.
3–Stellenbosch (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Bloukrans (Jpn), by Rulership (Jpn). O-Katsumi Yoshida; B-Northern Farm; ¥28,462,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 3/4; Odds: 1.30, 13.60, 2.90.
Also ran: Lavenda (Jpn), Christmas Parade (Jpn), Mi Anhelo (Jpn), Tagano Elpida (Jpn), Chilcano (Jpn), Koganeno Sora (Jpn), Hohelied (Jpn), Rabbiteye (Jpn), Admire Belle (Jpn), Sekitoba East (Jpn), Lance of Queen (Jpn), Queen's Walk (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video.
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