Christmas Parade (Jpn)

As autumn tightens its grip on racing nations in the Northern Hemisphere, one of the year's final Classics takes place, Kyoto's G1 Shuka Sho (Japanese Fillies' St Leger) over 2000 metres. Handed ante-post favouritism is Sunday Racing's G1 Yushun Himba heroine Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}). The 2023 G3 Artemis Stakes heroine finished well back in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) field to rival Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in April, and the last time she was seen on a racecourse was in the May 19 Oaks, defeating that aforementioned...

G1 Racing's Christmas Parade (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) earned her first stakes victory and group win in the G2 Shion Stakes on Saturday. The filly blitzed the 2000 metres in a new stakes record of 1:56.60. Sent off at 28-5, the Shizuya Kato runner stalked Isola Felice (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}) from second as that foe sped through splits of :22.90, :46.70, and 1:10.70. The final four furlongs were all under :12 seconds each, with the eventual winner asked for her best inside the final 600 metres. She surged to...