Deep Impact (Jpn)

It was a mere 8 1/2-length margin on Saturday as Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) read the script to become the 15th filly to follow up her G1 Epsom Oaks success in The Curragh's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. Always travelling comfortably in fourth under Ryan Moore, the 2-7 favourite coasted to the lead two out and powered clear in now-customary fashion to put safe distance between her and stablemate Divinely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with Nicest (Ire) (American Pharoah) half a length back in third. While there was no repeat of...

Danox Inc.'s Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) dethroned MG1SW Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in her bid to win back-to-back G1 Yasuda Kinens, with a narrow victory at Tokyo on Sunday. It was the 5-year-old entire's first win at the highest level after he had been placed in a pair of Classics in 2019 and the race is a "Win And You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile this fall. Sent off at 47-1, Danon Kingly perched three deep in midfield as Daiwa Cagney (Jpn) (King Kamehameha...

Aidan O'Brien saddled five in Friday's G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom, but ultimately there was only one that mattered as Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) ran away with the prize by a record-setting margin of 16 lengths under Frankie Dettori. Serving notice that she had turned around her fortunes from a largely disappointing juvenile campaign when making all in the G3 Musidora S. at York May 12, the 11-2 shot arrived from rear under a tight hold to brush aside Mystery Angel (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) passing two out. Sprinting...

One of the prestige races missing from Aidan O'Brien's resume before Wednesday, York's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. is now in the bag for the Ballydoyle master after Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) proved a rare outsider to win for the stable as she made all in the extended 10-furlong Oaks trial. Last seen finishing eighth when the subject of the notorious mix-up with stablemate Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in Newmarket's G1 Fillies' Mile in October, the relative of Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was soon in front under Ryan Moore...

Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), undefeated in five previous appearances, relished the soft going in the 2000-metre G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin on Sunday, defeating several well-hyped Group 1 winners including 2020 Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The Carrot Farm colourbearer is just the third horse in JRA history to claim a Group 1 title for older horses unbeaten after Fine Motion (Ire) (Danehill) in 2002 and Chrysoberyl (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) in 2019. Sent off as the fourth choice at 11-1, the bay was...

Deep Impact (Jpn)'s Terzetto (Jpn) closed from off the pace to win the G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy at Nakayama on Saturday. The 4-year-old filly brought her record to five-for-six with the score. Third choice at 5-1, Terzetto raced well off the pace set by My Style (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). The field was well strung out due to a demanding pace, with the first half-mile covered in :45.60. She began to edge closer nearing the far turn and swung out four deep to challenge with a quarter mile remaining....

The G2 Kinko Sho was supposed to be 2020 Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown winner and heavy favourite Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn})'s coming out party, but she had to settle for second behind 226-1 Deep Impact (Jpn) horse Gibeon (Jpn). Able to set off on an uncontested lead, the 6-year-old entire was shadowed by Satono Flag (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) just off his right flank. He dawdled through a half-mile in :49.50 and six furlongs in 1:13.10. Still going easily with four furlongs to go, he caught the more fancied...

Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) conquered all her rivals in the G2 Kyoto Kinen on Valentine's Day at Hanshin. Wearing a full hood, the 4-5 crowd's pick found a good spot in a tracking fourth one off the fence as Happy Grin (Jpn) (Lohengrin {Jpn}) threw down splits of :23.10 for the quarter and :47.20 for the half-mile. The field was well strung out due to the demanding pace, but pilot Yuga Kawada was calm aboard the 2019 G1 Japanese Oaks winner. After seven panels in 1:23.20, Happy...

Akaitorino Musume earned her first black-type and group win in the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup at Tokyo on Saturday. In midfield three paths off the fence through the initial stages, the 4-1 second choice sat six deep through 1000 metres in :58.40. She cruised into contention at the 400-metre mark, took over a furlong from home and withstood the late runs of Art de Vivre and favoured Kukuna to win by a neck. The same margin separated that duo in second and third, respectively, while A Shin Hiten (Jpn)...

For the first year since 2008 there will be no Deep Impact (Jpn) foals born this season, but the late Shadai resident was still Japan's champion sire in 2020, a title he has held without pause since 2012. That was the year his eldest runners were four; he had also been champion first-season sire in 2010. He had already been responsible for former Horse of the Year Gentildonna (Jpn) but Deep Impact's crowning glory among his many talented colts has come posthumously, with his son Contrail (Jpn) having become his...

The setting of new sire records in the modern era tends more than not to be a direct consequence of ever-greater book sizes. But they must still be acknowledged as legitimate breeding benchmarks as they will inevitably feature some outstanding performances. Just look at Mehmas (Ire)'s tally of first-crop 2-year-old winners this term. Currently on 56 winners, he is already 17 clear of Iffraaj's old record and in normal circumstances we might be entitled to expect his record to stand for many years. It may well do, but his strike...

Fan favorite Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}), who will attempt to add a victory in Sunday's G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama after a win in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen earlier this season, aims to follow in the illustrious hoofprints of Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), who completed the double in 2019. The 2019 G1 Shuka Sho winner, Chrono Genesis kicked off 2020 with a score in the G2 Kyoto Kinen in February before finishing second to Lucky Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) in the 2,000-meter G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin...