Almond Eye (Jpn) | Horse Racing Free Tips

Almond Eye Claims Second Japan Cup in Triple Crown Trifecta

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, Almond Eye was away in good order from stall two and pilot Christophe Lemaire positioned the star mare near the rails in a stalking fourth as 2017 G1 Japanese St Leger hero Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) took up his preferred position on the engine. Daring Tact settled a few lengths off Almond Eye in seventh, while Contrail was farther back in ninth. Kiseki quickly opened up a 20-length advantage on the rest of the field, covering the first 1000 metres in a swift :57.90 and getting the mile in 1:33.10.

It appeared for a handful of strides that Kiseki had perhaps poached too great of an advantage a quarter mile from home, but that was an illusion, as the sharp fractions began to viably wear on the frontrunner almost immediately thereafter. Almond Eye was letting down with authority and she set her sights on 2019 G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase victor Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was gaining on Kiseki with every stride. Out in the middle of the course, Contrail was making his patented run, as was Daring Tact a few paths toward the inside, with last year’s runner-up Curren Bouquetd’or (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) also in the mix.

Almond Eye gained the lead at the 150-metre mark, and asserted from there to withstand the withering late burst from Contrail by 1 1/4 lengths in her career finale. Only a neck separated the 2020 Triple Crown winners, with Daring Tact a nose to the good of fourth-place Curren Bouquetd’or. She in turn was only a neck in front of Glory Vase. The brave pacesetter Kiseki faded to eighth. European raider Way To Paris (GB) (Champs Elysees {Jpn}), a winner of the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and reluctant to load on Sunday, was outrun for the majority of the contest, but passed some tiring rivals to finish 10th.

“Since this was her final start, it was very special for me and I’m thrilled we were able to win,” said Lemaire. “After winning the Victoria Mile in the spring, we had three weeks to get her prepared for the Yasuda Kinen in which she was second. She had an extra week this time and was tuned up beautifully. She was relaxed in the gate, broke smoothly and was able to sit in a good position. The turf condition near the rails was much better than last week so I don’t think the inner draw was a problem. The pace was just right for her and she responded well in the stretch. The others closing in on us didn’t worry me at all. Almond Eye is a perfect mare and doesn’t have any weak points. Her career as a race horse ended today but I look forward to riding her children.”

Added trainer Sakae Kunieda on Almond Eye who was winning her eighth JRA Group 1 and ninth overall, “She looked good since arriving at the racecourse–she has definitely matured mentally. We were worried about the rough going near the rails, but Christophe did a good job in finding a good path. The pace was ideal for Almond Eye and her response was totally different from that in the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Since expectations of an eighth Group 1 title were enormous in her last Tenno Sho start, we did feel pressure but today, all we wanted was for her to come back safe and sound. The victory is such a bonus, we couldn’t be happier. She has given us so much excitement and joy and it has been fulfilling to be a part of her career. It would be great if I could be involved in training her colt or filly someday.”

Second in a newcomers’ race in August of 2017, she rattled off seven straight wins afterward, encompassing a maiden that October, before a score in the G3 Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen to open her 3-year-old year. After winning the Japanese Fillies’ Triple Crown, Almond Eye saluted in her first Japan Cup in November of 2018 and was named the Japanese Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. She took her show on the road with a win in the G1 Dubai Turf in 2019, before a shock third in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in June of 2019. Back on top in the first of two G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) wins, the bay was unplaced in the G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama last December. First in the May 17 G1 Victoria Mile, Almond Eye was second in the Yasuda Kinen locally in June.

A winner of the Tenno Sho (Autumn) last out, Almond Eye became the first JRA horse to capture eight Group 1 races over turf with that race. Adding in the spoils of her second Japan Cup victory, Almond Eye retires with a mark of 15-11-2-1 and ¥1,915,263,900 (US$18,393,937/£13,819,626/€15,374,801) in earnings, becoming the richest runner in JRA history. Breeding plans have not been decided.

Pedigree Notes

One of four Group 1 winners and 23 total black-type winners for her sire, Almond Eye is a member of her sire’s first crop. Fusaichi Pandora has produced 10 foals so far, with eight winners from eight runners. Besides Almond Eye, the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup bridemaid’s next most decorated offspring would be the Listed Anemone S. third Unakite (Jpn) (Johannesburg), while her latest is a juvenile by Rulership (Jpn).

Almond Eye’s second dam is an unraced Nureyev half-sister to champions and successful sires El Gran Senor (Northern Dancer) and Try My Best (Northern Dancer), as well as Irish highweight Solar (Halo). The quartet are out of blue hen Sex Appeal (Buckpasser), herself a half-sister to Malinowski (Sir Ivor), GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Blush With Pride (Blushing Groom {Fr}), and GSW Monroe (Sir Ivor).

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
JAPAN CUP-G1, ¥574,620,000 (US$5,519,130/£4,146,327/€4,613,255), Tokyo, 11-29, 3yo/up, 2400mT, 2:23.00, fm.
1–ALMOND EYE (JPN), 121, m, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn) MSW & G1SP-Jpn,
                                $3,264,457, by Sunday Silence
                2nd Dam: Lotta Lace, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Sex Appeal, by Buckpasser
O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Sakae Kunieda;
J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥303,234,000. Lifetime Record:
HotY-Jpn, Ch. 3yo Filly-Jpn, Filly Triple Crown-Jpn, Hwt. Older
Mare-UAE, MG1SW-Jpn, G1SW-UAE, 15-11-2-1,
¥1,915,263,900. *1/2 to Unakite (Jpn) (Johannesburg), SP-Jpn,
$290,564. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Contrail (Jpn), 121, c, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Rhodochrosite,
by Unbridled’s Song. O-Shinji Maeda; B-North Hills (Jpn);
¥120,924,000.
3–Daring Tact (Jpn), 117, f, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Daring Bird
(Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). (¥12,000,000 Ylg ’18
JRHAJUL). O-Normandy Thoroughbred Racing; B-Hasegawa
Farm (Jpn); ¥75,462,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, NO. Odds: 1.20, 1.80, 2.70.
Also Ran: Curren Bouquetd’or (Jpn), Glory Vase (Jpn), World Premiere (Jpn), Mikki Swallow (Jpn), Kiseki (Jpn), Makahiki (Jpn), Way to Paris (GB), Perform a Promise (Jpn), You Can Smile (Jpn), Crescendo Love (Jpn), Taurus Gemini (Jpn), Yoshio (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Triple Crown Showdown In Japan Cup

The G1 Japan Cup rarely fails to deliver an epic clash of sexes and generations at Tokyo Racecourse on the last weekend in November, and this year’s lineup on Sunday features a historic showdown of three individual Triple Crown winners.

Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is the most widely known of those internationally, Silk Racing’s 5-year-old having swept the Japanese fillies’ Triple Crown in 2018 en route to victory in this race. She dropped back in trip to take the G1 Dubai Turf the following spring, and has since added two renewals of the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn over 2000 metres as well as the G1 Victoria Mile. The Japan Cup has been earmarked as Almond Eye’s last race before she retires to stud.

Jockey Christophe Lemaire partnered Almond Eye in a work on Thursday and he said, “I was very happy with the horse’s condition. Riding Almond Eye is always very special for me. Today was the last fast work of her career and she was very focused and she was enjoying herself the whole time. The only difference between her fast work today and her work before the Tenno Sho was the pace. Today, I didn’t want her to overdo it, but wanted her to keep some power in reserve. She has gotten stronger and looks to be in good condition.

“Two years ago she was three years old and she only carried 53 kg in the Japan Cup. This time she’s five and it’s quite a different race. The 3-year-olds this year are incredibly strong and I think it’s going to be a good race.”

Those 3-year-olds are unbeaten stars Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who one week apart in October swept the fillies’ and colts’ Triple Crowns. While none of the seven prior colts to win the Triple Crown have taken the Japan Cup in the same year, filly Triple Crown winners have done it twice: Almond Eye and Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in 2012. Contrail and Daring Tact have had four and five weeks’ rest, respectively, from their wins in the G1 Kikuka Sho and G1 Shuka Sho. While Daring Tact steps back up in trip, Contrail is coming down from the 3000 metre journey of the Kikuka Sho.

Lemaire said of the opposition, “Both Contrail and Daring Tact are amazing horses and they’ve given us some very good races. They showed us both speed and stamina. The two of them are very talented. So I think this year’s Japan Cup is going to be quite difficult. It’s very hard to tell who will win. I’ll think about my strategy two days before the race.”

This year’s Japan Cup has drawn one international challenger, the French raider Way To Paris (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}). The 7-year-old entire has been a model of consistency over the past four seasons but has proven better than ever in 2020, winning G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly and, over this trip, the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in June. He was last seen finishing ninth in a heavy-ground G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 4.

“After the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud victory in June, it was decided to challenge the Japan Cup and give the horse an opportunity of a lifetime at the end of his career,” said Zoe Pfeil, assistant to trainer Andrea Marcialis. “The race tactics will be Mirco Demuro’s call and whether the horse should fare well against the Triple Crown winners will depend on whether Way To Paris is relaxed in the later stages and able to show his good turn of foot. We are confident that the turf at Tokyo Racecourse, not to mention the 2400-meter distance, will suit our horse and we are looking forward to seeing how he handles it.”

Not to be discounted in a contentious lineup are Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), last year’s G1 Hong Kong Vase winner who won the G2 Kyoto Daishoten over this trip on Oct. 11, and Curren Bouquetd’or (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who rides a frustrating streak of four straight second-place finishes in top company, including last year’s Japan Cup and the G2 Sankei Sho All Comers S. on Sept. 27.

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Asian Notebook: Almond Eye Confirmed For Japan Cup

Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is likely to have the final start of her illustrious career in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo Racecourse, her trainer Sakae Kunieda announced through the Twitter account of the Silk Horse Club syndicate that campaigns her.

The 5-year-old daughter of Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) swept the Japanese Filly Triple Crown in 2018 and capped a Horse of the Year campaign with a smooth 1 3/4-length defeat of front-running Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) in the Japan Cup. She added the G1 Dubai Turf and G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) last season and most recently became the first horse in the history of the Japanese turf to win eight Group 1 races when successfully defending her Tenno Sho title Nov. 1.

Also confirmed for the Japan Cup are the twin Triple Crown winners of 2020, the colt Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), neither of whom has tasted defeat in their careers.

Almond Eye’s connections opted for the Japan Cup over a trip to Hong Kong for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup Dec. 13, a race for which she was entered last term, but did not ultimately make the journey. Sha Tin is the destination for another Asian-based runner, as connections confirmed that three-time defending champion Hong Kong jockey Zac Purton has accepted the call aboard Inferno (Aus) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint. Trained by Cliff Brown for owner Glenn Whittenbury’s Barree Stable, the 4-year-old is eight-for-nine lifetime and exits a flashy success in the Oct. 25 Lion City Cup at Kranji Racecourse in Singapore.

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Almond Eye Claims Eighth Group 1 Win in Tenno Sho

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 winner Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) third by a neck.

Caught two deep in fourth into the opening bend, Almond Eye relaxed as Danon Premium (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) galloped on an five-length lead. The field reached the final 800 metres with the 2-5 favourite maintaining her position in between horses and when they reached the head of the straight, jockey Christophe Lemaire cut her loose. Out in the four path, Almond Eye set sail for the longtime leader, passing Daiwa Cagney (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) just inside the quarter pole. Chrono Genesis and Fierement were also making similarly rapid progress farther out on the course, but Almond Eye, who passed Danon Premium inside the final 50 yards, held on for the victory. Fierement fought past Chrono Genesis late on for place honours. The pacesetter was another two lengths back in fourth.

“Today, the mare was relaxed before the start and we were able to break well,” said Lemaire, who was noticeably emotional-a rare occurrence for him-post race. “She showed a great turn of foot in the straight but ran out of steam a bit climbing the hill. The others were gaining on us but she didn’t give up. I have to admit, to win the eighth Group 1 title was a big pressure, but she didn’t let us down—her performance was awesome. Her future lay in the hands of the owner and trainer but I would very much like to ride her again.”

The Japanese Filly Triple Crown winner of 2018 claimed Japanese Horse of the Year honours after winning the G1 Japan Cup later that year. She also scored in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in March of 2019 and returned to her homeland to take third in the G1 Yasuda Kinen that June. A winner of last year’s G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), Almond Eye ran an uncharacteristic ninth in her 4-year-old swansong, the G1 Arima Kinen in December. Kept in training this term, she saluted in the May 17 G1 Victoria Mile, but was runner-up in the June 7 Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo, her last start prior to defending her title on Sunday.

Pedigree Notes

Almond Eye is one of four Group 1 winners and 23 black-type winners for her sire Lord Kanaloa (Jpn). The seventh of 10 foals out of her dam, and one of eight winners from eight runners, the 5-year-old is followed by the winning duo of Listed Anemone S. third Unakite (Jpn) (Johannesburg), a 4-year-old filly, and 3-year-old colt Satono Esperanza (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn)’s latest foal is an unnamed juvenile by Rulership (Jpn).

The extended family under blue hen third dam Sex Appeal (Buckpasser) is riddled with Group 1 winners like champions and successful sires El Gran Senor (Northern Dancer) and Try My Best (Northern Dancer), GI Breeders’ Cup Mile victor Domedriver (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), G1 Nunthorpe S. winner Bahamian Pirate (Housebuster) and GI United National S. hero Chinchon (Ire) (Marju {Ire}). Italian highweight and sire Blue Air Force (Ire) (Sri Pekan) is also present, as is Brazilian champion and Group 1 winner Estrela Monarchos (Monarchos).

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan

TENNO SHO (AUTUMN)-G1, ¥289,600,000 (US$2,762,578/£2,134,219/€2,365,843), Tokyo, 11-1, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 1:57.80, fm.
1–ALMOND EYE (JPN), 123, m, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn) (MSW & G1SP-Jpn,
                                $3,264,457), by Sunday Silence
                2nd Dam: Lotta Lace, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Sex Appeal, by Buckpasser
O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Sakae Kunieda;
J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥152,520,000. Lifetime Record:
HotY-Jpn, Ch. 3yo Filly-Jpn, Hwt. Older Horse-UAE, G1SW-UAE,
14-10-2-1. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Fierement (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Lune d’Or (Fr),
by Green Tune. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥60,720,000.
3–Chrono Genesis (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Bago (Fr)–Chronologist(Jpn),
by Kurofune. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥38,360,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 2. Odds: 0.40, 16.40, 3.40.
Also Ran: Danon Premium (Jpn), Kiseki (Jpn), Daiwa Cagney (Jpn), Jinambo (Jpn), Cadenas (Jpn), Scarlet Color (Jpn), Win Bright (Jpn), Blast Onepiece (Jpn), Danon Kingly (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree

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