By Heather Anderson
Green Fields' Mr Melody (Scat Daddy) was testing Group 1 waters for only the second time in Chukyo's Takamatsunomiya Kinen, and came through with a half-length victory over Seiun Kosei (Jpn) (Admire Moon {Jpn}) in the 1200-metre feature.
The dark bay raced in between horses just behind the first flight in fourth and saved ground entering the lone turn. In tight quarters, the 6-1 third choice shifted out a path and edged toward the front inside the final 300 metres, before grinding past a stubborn Seiun Kosei to his outside and holding off the belated rally of Shonan Anthem (Jpn) (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}) up the inside. Seiun Kosei was a head to the good of the latter, with favoured Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) another half-length away in fourth.
“He was in good form and I was able to race him as planned,” said reinsman Yuichi Fukunaga. “I tried to position him toward the front and was able to find an open space in the lane at the right time. He's a capable horse, behing able to handle his first Group 1 1200-metre race on turf with a win. There are many options for him going forward as he can also cover 1400 metres, as well as a dirt surface.”
Mr Melody donned cap and gown at first asking going 1300 metres at Tokyo in November of 2017 and won the G3 Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon S. just four starts later trying turf for the first time in March of 2018. Fourth in the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo last May, he dropped to fifth in the Listed Oro Cup, but ran second in the G2 Hanshin Cup on Dec. 22. The half-brother to the GIII Chicago H. bridesmaid Trendy Lady (Unbridled's Song) was last seen running seventh in the G3 Hankyu Hai sprinting 1400 metres at Hanshin on Feb. 24.
Pedigree Notes
One of 27 top-flight winners for his much-lamented late sire Scat Daddy, Mr Melody's second dam is the GII El Encino S. and GIII Monrovia H. heroine Klassy Kim (Silent Screen), while his third dam, Kool Arrival (Relaunch), scored her biggest win in the GI Las Virgenes S. and also ran third in the GI Santa Anita Oaks. The March foal was originally a $75,000 RNA from the 2015 Keeneland November Sale, but caught the eye of bloodstock agent David Meah, who purchased the bay for $100,000 out of the 2016 Keeneland September Sale on behalf of George Yeager's B G Thoroughbreds. Meah later sold the colt for $400,000 to Emmanuel de Seroux's Narvick International out of the 2017 OBSAPR sale. (Click here for a feature by Alan Carasso on David Meah).
Sunday, Chukyo, Japan
TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN-G1, ¥215,400,000 (US$1,959,540/£1,483,306/€1,733,577), Chukyo, 3-24, 4yo/up, 1200mT, 1:07.30, fm.
1–MR MELODY, 126, c, 4, Scat Daddy
1st Dam: Trusty Lady, by Deputy Minister
2nd Dam: Klassy Kim, by Silent Screen
3rd Dam: Kool Arrival, by Relaunch
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. ($75,000 RNA Wlg '15 KEENOV; $100,000
Ylg '16 KEESEP; $400,000 2yo '17 OBSAPR). O-Green Fields;
B-Bell Tower Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Hideaki Fujiwara; J-Yuichi
Fukunaga. ¥113,780,000. Lifetime Record: 10-4-3-0. *1/2 to
Trendy Lady (Unbridled's Song), GSP-US, $199,299. **27th
G1SW for his sire (by Johannesburg). Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Seiun Kosei (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Admire Moon (Jpn)—
Observant, by Capote. (¥13,000,000 Ylg '14 JRHAJUL).
O-Shigeyuki Nishiyama; B-Sakurai Farm (Jpn). ¥45,080,000.
3–Shonan Anthem (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Jungle Pocket (Jpn)–
Voladores (Jpn), by Kurofune. O-Shonan Inc.; B-Morinaga
Bokujo (Jpn). ¥28,540,000.
Margins: HF, HD, HF. Odds: 6.80, 107.00, 357.90.
Also Ran: Danon Smash (Jpn), Teehaff (Jon), Let's Go Donki (Jpn), Dea Regalo (Jpn), Logi Cry (Jpn), Ares Barows (Jpn), Rhein Spirit (Jpn), Daimei Fuji (Jpn), Peisha Felicita (Jpn), Hiruno Devaro (Jpn), Nac Venus (Jpn), Mozu Superflare, Daimei Princess (Jpn), Snow Dragon (Jpn), Love Kampf (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. JRA Video.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
