G1 Japanese Oaks

In a gutsy bounce back to form after only managing 13th place in the G1 Oka Sho, Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) found redemption in the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) on Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse when she ran down said Japanese 1,000 Guineas winner Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). Having made her debut in June of her juvenile season, Cervinia graduated from the maiden condition at second-asking in August 2023 and claimed her first Group victory two months later in the G3 Artemis S. Slated for the year-end championship-making G1 Hanshin...

Katsumi Yoshida's Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) is aiming to add a second Classic to her resume in Sunday's G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). Facing off against 17 other fillies, the daughter of the three-time winner Bloukrans (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) will leave from gate seven under Keita Tosaki. She defeated her G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies conqueress Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) and Listed Elfin S. heroine Light Back (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over 1600 metres back in April. If she prevails on Sunday,...

The G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) was not without its challenges for last month's G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas heroine Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) as she was trying a distance beyond a mile for the first time, but ultimately the 2400 metres held no fears, as she strolled home a sixth-length winner in 2:23.10 in Tokyo. Sunday Racing's imperious dame became the 17th filly--following her paternal half-sister Stars On Earth (Jpn) in 2022--to win the first two legs of the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown. It was the largest winning margin...

Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}--Kirov Premiere {GB}, by Sadler's Wells), named Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in 2005, passed away due to a uterine hemorrhage at Northern Farm on Feb. 27, Netkeiba reported on Sunday. An increasingly influential broodmare with three sons at stud-Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S.), Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn})--she was 19. "I was just surprised by the suddenness of it and I feIt that my chest tightened," said Northern Farm's Katsumi Yoshida to Netkeiba. "In addition to the brilliant track record...