G1 Shuka Sho

Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) produced a dominant performance to justify favouritism in Sunday's G1 Shuka Sho at Kyoto Racecourse, the final leg of the fillies' Triple Crown in Japan. She became the fifth winner of the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) to follow up in this race in the last decade, with the others including the same owner's Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) when she won all three legs of the fillies' Triple Crown last year. Trained by Tetsuya Kimura for Sunday Racing, Cervinia's hopes of emulating Liberty Island fell...

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...

Stunning Rose (Jpn) (King Kamehmeha {Jpn}), runner-up in the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), thwarted Stars on Earth (Jpn)'s (Duramente {Jpn}) Triple Crown bid with a victory in third jewel of the sophomore fillies' Triple Crown in Kyoto's G1 Shuka Sho Sunday. Breaking sharply, the third betting choice settled behind pacesetters Bright on Base (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) and Sound Vivace (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) in a two-wide fourth down the backstretch. Meanwhile, race favorite Stars of Earth missed a beat at the start and was pinched back, forcing her to...

The G1 Shuka Sho had been billed as the stomping grounds of wildly popular white filly and G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas heroine Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune {Jpn}), but instead, 7-1 shot Akaitorino Musume (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) spoiled the party at Kyoto on Sunday. Following in the hoofsteps of her dam, 2010 Shuka Sho victress Apapane, the Makoto Kaneko Holdings-owned dark bay settled in a tracking sixth through the early going as A Shin Hiten (Jpn) (A Shin Hikari {Jpn}) cut out steady fractions while Sodashi sat in second several lengths...

Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), who won two races at the highest level, has been pronounced in foal to Coolmore's Wootton Bassett (GB), trainer Mitsuru Hashida has told the Japanese press. The Toji Morita-owned 7-year-old, a half-sister to Japanese listed-placed Odysseus (Jpn) (Falbrav {Ire}), won the G1 Shuka Sho in 2017, as well as the G1 Nassau S. at Goodwood in 2019. She was also runner-up in the 2018 G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup and third in both the G1 Dubai Turf and G1 QIPCO Champion S. while earning north of...

(Deep Impact {Jpn}) to her inside flashing a similar turn of foot. That duo blew past the longtime leader late, with Daring Tact always holding her rival safe. It was another 3/4 of a length back to Soft Fruit (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was slow to begin. Maltese Diosa tired to seventh. Sunday's card was the first time limited fans had been permitted to the racecourse. "The filly seemed a bit nervous at the paddock but she broke well and we were able to race in good position and...