Tag: Efforia

Equinox Overpowers Rivals in Arima Kinen

Five years after his sire clinched a second consecutive Horse of the Year title in Japan with a victory in the G1 Arima Kinen, Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) stated his case for top year-end honours for 2022 with a dominating display in front of a pandemic-restricted, but boisterous crowd of roughly 47,000 fans Christmas Day at Nakayama Racecourse.

The firming 13-10 favourite in the fan-voted affair, Equinox left without incident from gate nine and landed in midfield on the back of defending champion and reigning Horse of the Year Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) as Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn})–returning off an 11th in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe–showed the way at an even tempo. Content with his position through the middle furlongs, Christophe Lemaire eased Equinox out for a four-wide sweep around the turn and it was all academic from there, as the flashy dark bay struck the front with a furlong and a half to travel and kicked on smartly. Boldog Hos (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}), this year's G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) runner-up, also made a bold move on the bend from far back and was a brave second ahead of G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup heroine Geraldina (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), who closed off well after missing the kick. Efforia was a meritorious fifth first off a six-month absence.

“What happens twice will happen thrice,” said the winning jockey who was recording a 43rd Group 1 on the JRA circuit. “I won the Arima Kinen with Heart's Cry and Satono Diamond both on Christmas Day, and I'm really happy to be able to win the race on Christmas Day again. We were able to make a good start and the horse was keen to go so I held him and responded strongly when I brought him to the outside. Though he was not mature yet during his spring campaign, he became really strong from this fall and I look forward to his performance next year.”

Winning trainer Tetsuya Kimura indicated that Equinox is likely to travel in early 2023, with the Saudi Cup program a potential starting point.

“But first I need to watch his condition after the race,” the conditioner said.

Pedigree Notes:

Kitasan Black, who was narrowly second to Satono Diamond in 2016 before closing his career in this race, is the sire of 64 winners from his first two crops to the races and is also responsible for group winners Gaia Force (Jpn) from his first crop as well as the 2-year-old filly Ravel (Jpn), who took out this year's G2 Artemis S. Equinox's year-older half-brother Weiss Meteor (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) also carried the Silk Racing colours to victory in last year's G3 Radio Nikkei Sho. Shadai Farm acquired Equinox's fourth dam Blanche Reine (Fr) (Nureyev) carrying Maison Blanche for $410,000 at the 1988 Keeneland November Sale. Chateau Blanche is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Just a Way (Jpn) and a yearling filly by Kizuna (Jpn). She was blank for 2022 and is due for a full-sibling to Equinox in 2023.

Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
ARIMA KINEN-G1, ¥764,800,000, Nakayama, 12-26, 3yo/up, 2500mT, 2:32.40, fm.
1–EQUINOX (JPN), 121, c, 3, by Kitasan Black (Jpn)
1st Dam: Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (GSW-Jpn, $1,096,970), by King Halo (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Blancherie (Jpn), by Tony Bin (Ire)
3rd Dam: Maison Blanche (Jpn), by Alleged
O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuya Kimura; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥403,360,000. Lifetime: 6-4-2-0, ¥806,602,000. *1/2 to Weiss Meteor (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $820,531. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Boldog Hos (Jpn), 121, c, 3, Screen Hero (Jpn)–Boldogsag (Fr), by Layman (Fr). O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm; ¥160,960,000.
3–Geraldina (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Maurice (Jpn)–Gentildonna (Jpn), by Deep Impact (Jpn). O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥100,480,000.
Margins: 2HF, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 1.30, 13.10, 6.40.
Also Ran: Izu Jo no Kiseki (Jpn), Efforia (Jpn), Win Mighty (Jpn), Justin Palace (Jpn), Deep Bond (Jpn), Titleholder (Jpn), Vela Azul (Jpn), Boccherini (Jpn), Potager (Jpn), Last Draft (Jpn), Aristoteles (Jpn), Akai Ito (Jpn), Breakup (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart.

 

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Fan-Voted Arima Kinen Lures Japan’s Star Gallopers

Sunday's G1 Arima Kinen offers fans of international racing the ultimate Christmas gift, as a field of 16–largely selected by the public–will face the starter in one of the world's most valuable Group 1 races not held in a desert environment.

Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) was the leading votegetter and looks to atone for his speed-and-fade 11th-place effort in that boggy-ground renewal of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp Oct. 2. He'd earned the right to contest Europe's weight-for-age championship, having defeated fellow Arc runner Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) over the metric two miles in May followed by a two-length score in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen the next month. Fifth in this race last season, Titleholder looms the controlling speed and could prove tough to peg back.

“Last week, jockey Kazuo Yokoyama, who knows him best of all, rode to check his balance and how well he was communicating with the rider. Everything was fine,” said trainer Toru Kurita. “He carried himself well, with good balance, and raced solidly to the end. He is improving slowly, but surely. His muscle tone and coat are looking good and his wind was better than it had been the week before. He is also more eager to run. There are no particular points of concern.”

The flashy Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) was second in this year's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and most recently returned from a five-month break to post an improbable victory over loose leader Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo Oct. 30.

“At the bottom of the slope, he was so far behind the front-runner I was worried he wasn't going to make it,” admitted assistant trainer Yu Ota. “In the end, however, he moved on his own, gave it his all and was able to overtake the front-runner.”

Equinox will be looking to complete the same Tenno Sho/Arima Kinen double this year as did Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) did 12 months ago with a 3/4-length defeat of Deep Bond. But it hasn't been plain sailing since for the reigning Horse of the Year, who resumed with a slow-starting ninth in the G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin Apr. 3 and his lone appearance since was a moderate sixth to Titleholder in the Takarazuka Kinen.

Vela Azul (Jpn) (Eishin Flash {Jpn}) was given a masterful steer from Ryan Moore to be up in the final couple of jumps in the G1 Longines Japan Cup Nov. 27 and shoots for a fourth straight victory, while Geraldina (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) will try to follow-up on her win over recent G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase heroine Win Marilyn (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup last month. Geraldina's dam, the great Gentildonna (Jpn), swansonged victoriously in the 2014 Arima Kinen, as did the latter's legendary sire–Deep Impact (Jpn)–in 2006.

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All-Star Cast For Takarazuka Kinen

Hanshin Racecourse is the site of Sunday's fan-voted G1 Takarazuka Kinen over the metric 11-furlong trip, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland Race Course the first weekend of November. And with scarcely an exception, 18 of Japan's best middle-distance horses–with formlines from all over the world–are set to face the starter.

A logical case can be made for perhaps as many as nine runners Sunday afternoon, including reigning Horse of the Year Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who looks to bounce back from a lacklustre ninth as the $1.50 (1-2) favourite when making his 4-year-old debut in the G1 Osaka Hai at this venue back in April. In finishing four lengths adrift of the upset-minded Potager (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the Carrot Farm colourbearer was suffering the second defeat of his career, the first coming when pipped by this year's G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic hero Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the 2021 G1 Tokyo Yushun. Blinkers go on and his latest fast work–with the new equipment–made something of a statement.

“His preparation has gone well, and he's probably in better shape than he was for his last race,” said trainer Yuichi Shikato. “He has been more switched on wearing blinkers in training, and running in between two other horses. It was too bad about his last race, so I want to see the real Efforia this time, and hope that he can show what a talented horse he is and give his best showing in the race.”

 

 

 

Leaving votegetter Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) (by a shade less than 3000 votes over Efforia) made all when winning last year's G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) by five lengths and, since finishing fifth to Efforia in the G1 Arima Kinen in December, led throughout to win the G2 Nikkei Sho (2500m) in March and the 3200-metre G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) May 1, where he had the talented G2 Qatar Prix Foy hero Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) some seven lengths behind in second. Titleholder's pint-sized older half-sister Melody Lane (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) is one of three females in Sunday's test.

 

 

 

Two graduates of this year's Dubai World Cup program could make things tough up front for Titleholder. Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) was one of four winners for Christophe Lemaire on Saudi Cup night when leading them a merry chase in the G3 Neom Turf Cup over an extended 10 furlongs and set the pace in the Sheema before being overhauled late by Shahryar and the fast-finishing Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) took his rivals past every pole to annex the G2 Nakayama Kinen (1800m) by 2 1/2 lengths Feb. 27 and most recently shared the spoils with Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Dubai Turf. The 5-year-old is a bit of a question mark at Hanshin and over this distance.

Stay Foolish (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) is another with imposing Middle East form, having accounted for Sonnyboyliston (Ire) (Power {GB}) in the G3 Longines Red Sea Cup in Riyadh in February before repeating the dose–albeit from slightly off the speed–in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan Mar. 26.

Also not without a chance are the consistent Hishi Iguazu (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), second to Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in December's G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup and a running-on fourth in the Osaka Hai; and 2020 Filly Triple Crown heroine Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), who was a respectable sixth to multiple champion Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) first off a 15-month absence in last month's G1 Victoria Mile.

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Horse of the Year Efforia Resumes in Osaka Hai

A bit more than three months removed from a championship-clinching victory in the G1 Arima Kinen, Japan's reigning Horse of the Year Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) makes a much-anticipated return to the races in a high-class renewal of the G1 Osaka Hai (2000m) at Hanshin Racecourse.

Winner of six of his seven career starts, the bay son of Katies Heart (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) won the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) by three easy lengths and looked all over a winner of the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) before being chinned on the wire by last weekend's G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic hero Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Efforia beat Triple Crown and subsequent G1 Japan Cup winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) on the square when resuming in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) over this trip Oct. 31 and locked up Horse of the Year honours in the fan-voted Arima Kinen on Boxing Day.

“He came back to the stable from Northern Farm Tenei on Mar. 4, and his weight was around 530kg,” commented trainer Yuichi Shikato. “This has given us some leeway with his training, and while last time he did have a slight hoof issue, this isn't a problem now. He has been running with a good rhythm and all's well with him so far.”

 

 

 

It will have been a busy weekend for one-time Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn), with three runners in the G1 Australian Derby at The Championships on Saturday and the highly progressive Jack d'Or (Jpn) in the Osaka Hai. Raced exclusively over the metric 10 furlongs in his nine visits to the races to date, the bald-faced chestnut has won five on the trot, including a front-running, 2 1/2-length defeat of this race's defending champion Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and the re-opposing Akai Ito (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G2 Kinko Sho at Chukyo Mar. 13. Each of the mares was first-up last time, with Lei Papale having finished sixth to Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup and Akai Ito a midfield seventh in the Arima Kinen.

Hishi Iguazu (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) was a cracking fifth first off an eight-month absence behind Efforia in the Tenno Sho and came from well back in the field to nearly upset Loves Only You when last seen at Sha Tin.

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