Japanese racing

Although she left it until late, Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) displayed a scintillating turn of foot once she found running room to rush by her rivals and claim the G1 Mile Championship at Hanshin on Sunday. It was the fourth Group 1 win for the daughter of Breeders' Cup heroine Tapitsfly and she is the eighth horse-after the runner-up Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn})--to claim both mile events in Japan having earlier scored in the G1 Yasuda Kinen. The first filly or mare to claim the Mile...

Japanese Champion Juvenile Filly Lucky Lilac (Orfevre {Jpn}) became just the fourth filly or mare to win consecutive G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cups with a neck victory at Hanshin on Sunday. Favoured at 2-1, the 5-year-old was a tad sweated up over her withers before loading in the 18 post, but was able to secure a good position tucked back in 12th in the two path into the first turn. The grey Normcore (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), second choice in the wagering at 5-2, led the charge through splits of :23.70...

Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) ephasised her status as one of the greats of the Japanese turf with a half-length score in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo on Sunday. The first back-to-back winner since Symboli Kris S (Kris S.) in 2002/03, the bay mare is the sixth horse to salute in seven Japanese Group 1s and the first Japanese horse to win eight Group 1 races worldwide on turf. Two-time G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) victor Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was second, with the G1 Takarazuka Kinen...

Second choice on the board at 3-1, Shock Action earned his first black-type badge in the G3 Niigata Nisai S. at Niigata on Sunday. Positioned in the center of the track in fifth for the backstretch run, he began to inch into contention on the bend despite still racing wide. In a contested third 600 metres out, he motored up toward the leaders inside the final quarter mile, seized command a furlong from home and won going away by 1 3/4 lengths. Blue Symphony closed to take second, a half-length better...

Sunday Racing's Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) booked her ticket to the Breeders' Cup while defeating nine other Group 1 winners in the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday. The 1600-metre feature is a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland in November. It was 2 1/2 lengths back to 2018 Japanese Horse of the Year and 1-5 favourite Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who was slowly away. 2019 victor Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) was third. Made an 11-1...

Fresh off a G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) victory Apr. 19, Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will try to remain undefeated in the 2,400-meter G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) at Tokyo Racecourse Sunday. Victorious in last season's 1,800-meter G3 Hai Nisai S. over this course in November, he punctuated his juvenile campaign with a win in the G1 Hopeful S. Dec. 28. The likely race favorite will be reunited with Yuichi Fukunaga. "He had a break at the farm after his last race and came back to the stable...

The 2020 Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) Select Sale catalogue, featuring 13 yearlings from the penultimate crop of the late Deep Impact (Jpn), was released on Monday. Despite the ongoing challenges presented by the coronavirus, the live-format sale at the Northern Horse Park offers 257 yearlings on July 13th, with 239 weanlings catalogued for the day after. The JRHA is also preparing to take bids over the phone, as well. Print catalogues will be available the first week of June. Deep Impact's thirteen yearlings-divided between 10 colts and three fillies-include...

Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn})'s win in the G1 Yushun Himba at Tokyo on Sunday puts her in an exclusive club as only the second filly to take the first two legs of the Japanese Fillies' Triple Tiara while undefeated alongside Miss Onward (Jpn) (Hard Sauce {GB}), who completed that feat in 1957. Bet down to 60 cents on the dollar, the heavy chalk drifted towards the fence from the rail and, although bumped a bit in close quarters, settled in the back third of the 18-strong field into the...

Sunday Racing's Luftstrom (Jpn) (Kinshasa no Kiseki {Aus}) maintained his unbeaten record with a half-length win in the 1600-metre G2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama on Saturday. Second choice in the wagering at 7-2, the colt raced near the tail of the field one off the fence for the first half-mile. Unleashing a sizzling burst once spun to the outside of all but Win Greatest (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) nearing the final bend, he appeared to clip heels and was steadied. Balanced up by Shu Ishibashi, he regained his momentum and...

Coronavirus cases in Japan spiked on Sunday, leading to a state of emergency in some regions set to be declared by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday. One-hundred forty-three new coronavirus cases in Tokyo were confirmed on Apr. 5, bringing the total in Japan to 4,563. The state of emergency, made possible by a recently amended law, empowers local authorities to instruct the public to stay at home and request the closure of schools and other facilities. Racing in Japan, which has continued...

Second choice on the board at 3-1 after favoured Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), 2017 Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Lucky Lilac (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) claimed her third Group 1 title in Sunday's 2000-metre G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin. The normally well-attended Japanese meetings have been held behind closed doors for several weeks now due to the coronavirus pandemic. Happy to take a sit in third behind Danon Kingly with Jinambo (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) pushing him in second a half-length back into the first corner, Lucky Lilac was perfectly...