Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)

The 2020 G1 Japan Cup delivered on its billing as primarily a three-way battle between 2018 Fillies' Triple Crown Winner Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and this year's undefeated pair of Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and 2020 Fillies' Triple Crown victress Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). The 2400-metre contest went to Silk Racing's 2018 Horse of the Year duly saluting as the 6-5 favourite over second choice Contrail at 9-5. Daring Tact narrowly secured third place as the 5-2 third pick. When the gates opened,...

Not having the rub of the green when runner-up in the G3 Leopardstown Fillies Trial S. over seven furlongs last time June 9, Qatar Racing's Know It All (GB) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) took a sizeable step forward to dominate Wednesday's G3 Derrinstown Stud Fillies S. over another furlong at that venue. Always travelling with ease in a pocket on the rail tracking the leading duo, the 3-1 second favourite struck the front approaching the furlong pole en route to a 2 1/4-length defeat of Celestial Object (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with...

Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), third in last year's renewal of the G1 Yasuda Kinen, returns to take another crack at Sunday's 1,600-meter Tokyo feature, a 'Win and You're In' to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Victorious over this turf course in the 2,400-meter G1 Japan Cup in 2018, she added two more Group 1s last season in the Dubai Turf in March prior to the Tenno Sho (Autumn) in October. Her 2020 debut was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, however, she once again made short work of...

The G1 2000 Guineas card at Newmarket on June 6 and Japan's G1 Yasuda Kinen on June 7 will be simulcast for betting beginning in the late evening of Saturday, June 6, the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on Sunday. Newmarket's seven races are headed by the 2000 Guineas, where European Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) is expected to take part. Meanwhile in Japan the next day, the 1600-metre G1 Yasuda Kinen features Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and the race will be...

Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) made it seven Group 1 wins, after a tour-de-force in Sunday's G1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo. Now a "Win and You're In" for the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, the Victoria Mile was the second time the bay has won at the top level going 1600 metres since her win in the 2018 G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). It was four lengths back to Sound Chiara (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was a neck...

2018 Japanese Horse of the Year and six-time Group 1 winner Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is in good form as she prepares to defend her G1 Dubai Turf title at Meydan on Mar. 28. The Silk Racing colourbearer will return to trainer Sakae Kunieda's base at Miho this week before contesting the $6-million 1800-metre feature over the grass in Dubai. Successful in the 2018 Japanese Filly Triple Crown and G1 Japan Cup that same year, the 5-year-old was most recently ninth in the G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama...