Shinzan Kinen

Saturday, March 23, 2024 11th-HSN, Mainichi Hai-G3, ¥77.8m ($514k), 3yo, 1800mT NOBLE ROGER (c, 3, Palace Malice--Noble Ready, by More Than Ready), a $70,000 OBS April breezer, was an impressive debut winner going a mile at Tokyo Nov. 12 and successfully negotiated the hike to group level with a cozy success in the G3 Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen at Kyoto in early January (see below, SC 5). A May foal, Noble Roger is out of a multiple stakes-placed full-sister to GSW Zindaya, whose 'TDN Rising Star' son Carl Spackler...

Having been announced as one of the newest members of the stallion roster at Darley Japan, Palace Malice remained in a rich vein of form with his young progeny, as US-bred Noble Roger was given a perfect steer by Yuga Kawada to take out Monday's G3 Shinzan Kinen at Kyoto. It was the sire's second pattern winner in the last month, adding to the success of the American-conceived, but Japanese-foaled Jantar Mantar (Jpn) in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity. Looking to build on a smart debut victory going a mile...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this extended holiday weekend running at Nakayama and Kyoto Racecourses: Saturday, January 6, 2024 4th-NKY, ¥11,850,000 ($82k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m KITSUNENO YOMEIRI (f, 3, Justify--Aloof {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) looks to become the fifth winner from six to race from her dam, a Group...