The 41st running of the G1 Mile Championship was a salty one, and when the dust settled, it was Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) who came out on top to claim his first victory at the highest level in the autumn highlight at Kyoto on Sunday.
The fourth betting choice faced a line up which included defending champion Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), who had last been seen in a runner-up effort in the G1 Yasuda Kinen, as well as European multiple Group 1 winner Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Soul Rush was entering this contest after a second-place finish in the G2 Fuji Stakes at Tokyo and a third behind three-time Hong Kong champion, multiple Group 1 winning Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Namur in that Yasuda Kinen.
Soul Rush broke well with the line and was reserved in midpack as frontrunner Balsam Note (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) stepped out to set a moderate early tempo. Positions didn't change much until they swung through the turn and the field fanned out for the final stretch. Still in fifth as the sprint for the line began in earnest, Soul Rush produced a ferocious kick down the center of the course to overtake Win Marvel (Jpn) (I'll Have Another) and it was how much he wanted to win by from there. With a jubilant Taisei Danno in the saddle, he was 2 1/2 lengths clear of Elton Barows (Jpn) (Deep Brillante {Jpn}) as that one just got up over Win Marvel for second. Betting favourite Brede Weg (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) ran fourth as Charyn put in a respectable effort to claim fifth. Namur came in a distant last.
The final time was 1:32.00, just .70 seconds off the course record of 1:31.30 and .50 off the race record set by Danon Shark (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in 2014.
“I feel great,” said Danno afterwards. “I was initially thinking of positioning him further in front, but racing among such strong contenders, sitting in an ideal position wasn't so easy. However, with some of the key members within eye sight, I kept cool and waited for the moment.
“His movement was really good and he wanted to make his move rather early but I let him go as he pleased and he continued to respond really well. In the end [with a good 2-1/2 lengths between us and the rest of the field] I couldn't hear any thundering hooves from behind, only the cheering crowd.”
Of Charyn's fifth-place finish as the only overseas contender, trainer Roger Varian was largely happy with the effort, even if the result was not what they'd hoped for.
“He ran a very good race but he was slow coming out of the gate, so the first furlong cost him in the end–you get behind and [go] wide around the whole field. After the start, he wasn't able to secure a good position and afterwards, it was always going to be hard work for him.
“He finished strong, so I thought the horse performed very well–in defeat he proved himself to be very good horse. We have to accept the result although it is disappointing because we came here to win. But it has been a fantastic year for this horse to win three mile Group 1 races in Europe, and we wanted to finish with another win here, but it did not happen. It was still was a very good race–in my opinion, just the start cost him.”
Jockey Ryan Moore added, “He couldn't make a good jump at the start and had to race behind, but despite the disadvantages, he gave a terrific effort at the straight.”
【🇯🇵 Mile Championship (G1), Kyoto, 1600m, 3yo&up, approx US$ 2.59m】
Winner: Soul Rush(JPN)
J: Taisei Danno
T: Yasutoshi Ikee
Sire: Rulership
Dam: Eternal Bouquet#マイルチャンピオンシップ は、#ソウルラッシュ が優勝！！ pic.twitter.com/y6435pGiEz— JRA World Racing (@JRA_WorldRacing) November 17, 2024
Pedigree Note:
Out of a placed mare in Japan, Soul Rush is her first offspring to the races and the most accomplished thus far. He does have a half-brother named Dio (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) who claimed a group placing when running second in the G3 Sekiya Kinen this past August. That sibling is a Listed winner after taking the Kochi Stakes in March. Their dam Eternal Bouquet has an unraced 3-year-old in-training named Ambassador (Jpn) (Makfi {GB}). She did not produce a foal in 2022 after visiting Epiphaneia (Jpn), but has delivered a 2024 colt by Kiseki (Jpn)–a son of Rulership who won the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) and was five times Group 1-place in Japan. Kiseki made 10 appearances at the elite level in total and was placed in Group company 11 times including once in France.
The female family is internationally busy as there are runners at the group and graded levels in no less than five countries through the generations. Second dam Cat Ali (Storm Cat) produced G2 TV Tokyo Hai Aoba Sho winner Hiraboku Deep (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) as well as the dam of American Listed winner Union Express (Unbridled Express). Third dam Careless Kitten (Caro {Ire}) produced multiple group winner Arkadian Hero (Trempolino) as well as GII Breeders' Futurity second Lorenzoni (Clever Trick), both of whom became sires. Through her daughters, she has several branching lines with those families producing at least eight black-type earners and a three-time Slovakian champion mare.
This is the distant female line of Group 1/Grade I runners Field Cat (Herbager); European champion 2-year-old Hold That Tiger (Storm Cat); Editor's Note (Forty Niner); Springing Leopard (Hawaii) and his full-sister Island Kitty; Hennessy (Storm Cat); Pearl City (Carson City); U.S. champion 2-year-old filly Family Style (State Dinner); and Lost Kitty (Magesterial).
Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
MILE CHAMPIONSHIP-G1, ¥347,160,000, Kyoto, 11-17, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:32.00, fm.
1–SOUL RUSH (JPN), 128, h, 6, by Rulership (Jpn)
1st Dam: Eternal Bouquet (Jpn), by Manhattan Cafe (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Cat Ali, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Careless Kitten, by Caro (Ire)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Tatsue Ishikawa; B- Shimokobe Farm; T-Yasutoshi Ikee; J-Taisei Danno; ¥183,612,000. Lifetime Record: 22-8-3-2, ¥754,665,001. *Half to Dio (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}), SW & GSP-Jpn, ¥148,805,001. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Elton Barows (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Deep Brillante (Jpn)–Shonan Carat (Jpn), by Brian's Time. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Hirotsugu Inokuma; B-Kuwata Bokujo; ¥73,032,000.
3–Win Marvel (Jpn), 128, h, 5, I'll Have Another–Cosmo Marvelous (Jpn), by Fuji Kiseki (Jpn). O-Win Inc.; B-Cosmo View Farm; ¥45,516,000.
Margins: 2HF, NK, NO; Odds: 4.30, 17.90, 40.50.
Also ran: Brede Weg (Jpn), Charyn (Ire), Serifos (Jpn), Time to Heaven (Jpn), Nihonpiro Kyiv (Jpn), Fierce Pride (Jpn), Jun Blossom (Jpn), Al Naseem (Jpn), Obamburumai (Jpn), Balsam Note (Jpn), Matenro Sky (Jpn), Comstock Lode (Jpn), Labeling (GB), Namur (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.
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