Christophe Lemaire | Horse Racing Free Tips

Draw Favours Gran Alegria in Victoria Mile

Having run with credit when fourth trying the 2000-metres for the first time in the G1 Osaka Hai last month, champion Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) returns to a much more manageable trip as the warm favourite for the G1 Victoria Mile at the Fuchu Racecourse in Tokyo. The race serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar in November.

After taking down the colours of 2020 Victoria Mile heroine and former Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) for a female 1-2 in the G1 Yasuda Kinen over this course and distance last June, the daughter of US MGISW Tapitsfly (Tapit) bested future G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint winner Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Sprinters' S. (1200m) in October. The bay closed out a magnificent season with an eye-catching success in the G1 Mile Championship and, having passed on the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, was first-up in the Osaka Hai, in which easy underfoot conditions blunted her otherwise stinging late run and she could do no better than a meritorious fourth to the unbeaten Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). She is drawn nicely in gate six, with Christophe Lemaire back in the boot.

“The horse is calm and has done what I expected,” commented trainer Kazuo Fujisawa. “Last time the distance and the ground went against her, but she still ran pretty well. She'll be back at Tokyo and over a mile, where she's had success.”

Terzetto (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) carries the Silk Racing colours same as Almond Eye and is the 1600-metre doppelganger of Lei Papale. Five-for-six in her career, with her only defeat coming over 10 furlongs, the bay has won four on the trot, including a fast-finishing tally against the boys in the G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy going this distance at Nakayama Apr. 3.

“She's looked good in training, moving well, and she displays her natural ability,” said trainer Shoichiro Wada. “It won't be easy against the strong horses here, but she handles challenges well, and it will be interesting to see what she can do. She'll be going into the race in good condition.”

Terzetto is out of a half-sister to Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), recent winner of the G1 FWD QE II Cup at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.

Des Ailes (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a daughter of 2014 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane winner Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), found the Oaks distance of 2400 metres a task too tall last season, but has found her niche over shorter trips and enters this return to Group 1 company off a neck defeat of Magic Castle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the se-restricted G2 Hanshin Himba S. going the metric mile Apr. 10.

Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), an unlucky runner-up in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen at the end of March, fits with these on class, but drew miserably in stall 18 and is accordingly double digits in the market

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Aristoteles Looks to Rebound in Tenno Sho Spring

The G1 Tenno Sho (Spring), first run at Hanshin in 1938, was subsequently moved to Kyoto, but returns to Hanshin for the 2021 renewal as Kyoto undergoes extensive renovation this spring. Among this season's likely favorites, Aristoteles (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) finished runner up behind 2020 Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) in last fall's G1 Kikura Sho (Japanese St. Leger) before taking the 2,200-meter G2 American Jockey Club Cup at Nakayama Jan. 24. Heavily favored in his latest start in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten over 3,000 meters Mar. 21, the 4-year-old finished a distant seventh behind winner Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}).

“One of the keys will be getting him to run with a good rhythm, so these past two weeks the jockey has been working the horse uphill in training, as well as on the woodchip course, and getting good contact and understanding with him,” said trainer Hidetaka Otonashi of Aristoteles. “His last piece of work was a lot quicker. I think if the ground is good on the day of the race, the 3,200 meters won't be a problem, and as I've said, getting into the flow of things will be important, but I'd like him to bounce back to form this time.”

In regards to tactics in this weekend's contest, jockey Christophe Lemaire added, “He's become more mature, especially mentally. He's in top condition right now. The start will be important, and also not losing anything in the run. His footwork is good and, hopefully, he can show this inside the last 500 meters.”

Also likely to gain plenty of support, Deep Bond recorded a pair of credible fourths behind winner Contrail in a pair of group starts last season, including the aforementioned Kikura Sho, but couldn't build on those when posting a forgettable 14th in the 2,000-meter Nakayama Kimpai Jan. 5. The 4-year-old's connections hope his eye-catching five-length win in the Daishoten can get the colt back in the winner's circle Sunday.

“He's always been a big striding horse, but in some of his previous races he's looked a bit slow,” said trainer Ryuji Okubo. “Now though, he's looking a lot faster and lighter, and even in the ground last time, he was impressive.”

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Oka Sho Goes Through the Comebacking Sodashi

Japanese Classics season gets underway Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse with the running of the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) for which the popular Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) figures to go favoured in her first start of the year.

A registered white out of the cult hero Buchiko (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the homebred filly enters the Oka Sho with an unblemished record from four racetrack appearances, including a 1 3/4-length defeat of Kukuna (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the G3 Artemis S. last October before just getting the better of Satono Reinas (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) when locking up a championship in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in December (see below).

“Last week and the week before, we pushed Sodashi hard and I can't even begin to describe how well she has come along,” said trainer Naosuke Sugai. “When she first got back, she was a bit nervous, but she has matured over these two months and I see a marked difference.”

Christophe Lemaire looks to have had a decision to make and the Frenchman sides with Satono Reinas. The full-sister to GSW and Classic-placed colt Satono Flag (Jpn) cost an even ¥100 million (US$902,000) at the 2019 JRHA Select Yearling Sale and won her first two tries in the lower grades before ending up on the losing end of the bobber in the Juvenile Fillies in her most recent run. However, Lemaire will have to work out a trip from the widest alley in the field of 18.

Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) has had eventful trips in each of her last two starts. She raced very wide from a high draw in the Juvenile Fillies, yet remained in the thick of it deep into the final 200 metres, eventually settling for a close fourth. Drawn the inside for her seasonal debut in the G2 Tulip Sho (1600m) at Hanshin Mar. 6, she pulled furiously, forcing Yutaka Take to send her to the front fully a half-mile from home. She kept on bravely in the stretch and was joined on the line by Elizabeth Tower (GB) (Kingman {GB}) to share the spoils. Meikei Yell drew the middle of the gate in eight for the Oka Sho.

Fine Rouge (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) dropped her sprint debut in August, but has since won two straight, including a handy defeat of Ho O Ixelles (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) in the G3 Flower Cup Jan. 11. The form of the race was flattered when the latter returned to down Enthusiasm (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G3 Flower Cup Mar. 20.

WATCH: Sodashi locks up a championship in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

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Triple Crown Winner Returns In Loaded Osaka Hai

A field of 13–including a half-dozen by the legendary Deep Impact (Jpn)–will face the starter for a cracking renewal of the G1 Osaka Hai (2000m) Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse, led by the late stallion's 2020 Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn).

Raced by Shinji Maeda and bred by the family's North Hills Co. Ltd., the son of Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song) built on an undefeated 2-year-old season with four on the bounce last term, defeating Salios (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (2000m) in April and more soundly in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (2400m) the following month. The hasslefree winner of the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai fresh up in September, he completed a sweep of the Triple Crown in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger)–albeit narrowly–over a 3000-metre trip that surely stretched him and tasted defeat for the first time when a clear runner-up to Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in November's G1 Japan Cup (2400m).

“His workload has been good and things have gone as expected with him,” assistant trainer Shigeki Miyauchi commented. “There has been nothing to worry about, and the race distance of 2,000 metres will be just right for him. I'm sure if he gets to run his true race, he'll get a good result.”

Salios, runner-up to Contrail for champion 2-year-old honours in 2019, bounced back from his Derby defeat to easily win the G2 Mainichi Okan in October and was last seen running fifth in the G1 Mile Championship at Kyoto in November.

The winner of the latter event was Gran Alegria (Jpn), a Deep Impact daughter of American multiple Grade I winner Tapitsfly (Tapit), who was adding that event to her barnstorming tally in the G1 Sprinters' S. the month prior. An easy choice for champion sprinter/miler, she stretches out to 10 furlongs for the first time and Christophe Lemaire will try to make best use of her stinging turn of foot in the final stages.

“She's an easy horse to ride, can settle well in a race, and I know what I have to do with her,” the French ex-pat said. “Even though it's her first time at 2,000 meters, I'm sure she'll put in a big run. Speed is also needed over the inner turf course.”

Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is perfect and untested from her five career starts and gets the litmus test Sunday. The Carrot Farm runner made her most recent appearance over this track and distance, accounting for the re-opposing Bravas (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the G3 Challenge Cup in December.

Persian Knight (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) is winless in over three years, but was runner-up in this event in 2018, is drawn well and can outrun longshot odds if he gets his preferred quick conditions underfoot.

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