G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ascoli Piceno Eyes Classic Ring In Oka Sho

Three starts, three wins, and now, Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) will attempt to add a Classic to her haul when she breaks from gate nine in the 18-horse G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin on Sunday.

Reuniting with Hiroshi Kitamura who she carried to G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies glory over this trip back in December, the near-black filly makes her 2024 bow in the first Classic of the Japanese season. Striking on a newcomers' affair in June and the G3 Niigata Nisai S. in August, the likely favourite and Sunday Racing colourbearer had Katsumi Yoshida's Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) and Corazon Beat (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}) back in second and third in the Juvenile Fillies.

“Everything is on track,” trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa told NetKeiba.com after the filly's Friday gallop. “She went faster than I as expecting and it seemed so easy to do. Today was perfect. The weather is a bit worrying, but I've trained her in a way where she can adapt to heavy ground.”

Yuga Kawada will be aboard February's G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup victress Queen's Walk (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) from stall two, who also represents Sunday Racing. Lightly raced, the half-sister to G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. hero Grenadier Guards (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}) and daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint victress Wavell Avenue (Harlington) has won her past two starts since running second at Kyoto when unveiled. She, too, turned in a strong gallop on Friday.

Said trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida to NetKeiba.com, “She was happy to run and is moving smoothly. She ran over 1600 metres at Tokyo Racecourse without a problem so 1600 meters at Hanshin should not be a problem for her either. This will be a great race to prepare for the G1 Japanese Oaks.”

A winner of the G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. in November, Corazon Beat recovered from her third to Ascoli Piceno with a second in the G2 Hochi Hai Fillies' Revue over this strip going 1400 metres on Mar. 10, one better than Cecilie Plage (Jpn) (Bricks And Mortar). In front of her that day was Too Darn Hot (GB)'s Etes Vous Prets (Ire), one of two in the race for Godolphin besides Listed Anemone S. heroine Catfight (Jpn) (Discreet Cat).

Second to Light Back (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the Listed Elfin S. in February, Sweep Feet (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}) rebounded to add the G2 Tulip Sho locally going 1600 metres on Mar. 2 with Sekitoba East (Jpn) (Declaration Of War) and Hawaiian Tiare (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) filling the next two placings.

Sporting a similar two-for-three record as Queen's Walk, Ipheion (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) was last seen in action in January, when taking the G3 Fairy S. by a neck over Mask All Win (Jpn) (Drefong), while G3 Artemis S. heroine Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) leaves from stall 18.

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Namur Hoping To Blossom In Oka Sho

Billed as the “Cherry Blossom Prize”, Japan's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over 1600 metres is the first Japanese Classic of the season, and a full field of 18 faces the starter on Sunday.

The diminutive three-for-four Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) is the likely favourite, and she enters this test on the back of a victory in the Mar. 5 G2 Tulip Sho. Her only loss was in her third start, when a close fourth after a slow break and a rough trip to Circle Of Life (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), Lovely Your Eyes (Jpn) (Logotype {Jpn}), and Water Navillera (Jpn) (Silver State {Jpn}), in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on Dec. 12. As her 2022 form has shown, the bay has progressed this term, but she must overcome breaking from gate 18, the widest post in the one-mile race. “I think she has pretty much fixed her form and only rose up in front a bit,” said trainer Tomokazu Takano.

Circle of Life graduated at second asking at Nakayama in September, then reeled off wins in the G3 Artemis S. at Tokyo on Oct. 30 and at Hanshin in December. Her victory in the latter helped boost her to the title of Japan's Champion 2-Year-Old Filly for 2021. The bay was closer than normal to the pace in the Tulip Sho, where she finished third to a resurgent Namur and Pin High (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}).

“She was a bit more high-strung than usual in this last race, but now that she's let off some gas, if she can get a nice smooth trip and make the most of her late speed, I think she has a chance to revenge the loss,” said trainer Sakae Kunieda.

Although without a win at group level, Lovely Your Eyes did place third versus colts in the G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. at Tokyo in November, and she was only a half-length off of Circle of Life in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. The Oka Sho will be her first appearance as a sophomore, and she is a member of G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas hero Logotype's first crop.

“She is refreshed now, both mentally and physically and has matured quite a bit,” said conditioner Yoichi Kuroiwa. “The jockey [Ryusei Sakai] rode her last week and liked what he felt. She is looking good. I think her weight will be up from her last start.”

The Group 1-placed Water Navillera won her first three starts at two, culminating with a victory in the G3 KBS Kyoto Sho Fantasy S. in November, defeating Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}). She was third in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, but produced a game effort to be fifth in the Tulip Sho, running on without a clear run and gaining on the leaders all the way to the line.

Click here for the group field.

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Classic Laurels For Kurofune’s Sodashi

The undefeated white filly Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune), once again defeated arch-rival Satono Reinas (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin on Sunday. The order of finish had been the same in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last December and both fillies were making their 3-year-old bows. It was also a new course record of 1:31.10 for the 1600 metres, breaking the mark set by Black Moon (Jpn) (Admire Moon {Jpn}) in 2017.

Second choice in the wagering at 5-2 versus Satono Reinas's 2-1 favouritism, the striking white filly jumped well and found an ideal position tracking Stutti (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) from the fence in second. Passed by several foes to sit fourth entering the far turn, Sodashi split horses in upper stretch, took command from distance relation and new leader Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) at the 200-metre mark and flashed home to win by a neck.

Satono Reinas broke a step slowly from the widest gate in 18, and was trapped very wide near the rear of the field for the backstretch run. She started to weave up in between horses by the 300-metre mark, and let down strongly out in the centre of the course to just miss. Fine Rouge (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) also rallied well from midfield to take third, a half-length back. Akaitorino Musume (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was another neck back in fourth.

“It's a great feeling,” said pilot Hayato Yoshida, who was celebrating his first Classic win and third Group 1 win. “There was a lot of pressure with many doubting how strong a white filly could be, so I'm thrilled we were able to prove them wrong. I was a bit worried that the fast track would be a disadvantage, but she responded beautifully and ran well holding off the others closing in on us which I saw and made me driver her to the wire. Her potential is limitless and I look forward to her future starts.”

Sodashi won on debut at Hakodate going 1800 metres on July 12 and stepped up to take the G3 Sapporo Nisai S. on Sept. 5. She added yet another win in the G3 Artemis S. at Tokyo on Halloween cutting back to 1600 metres for the first time and sealed her championship season with a victory over her rival Satono Reinas in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on Dec. 13.

Pedigree Notes

The first foal out of the four-time winner and popular painted wonder Buchiko, Sodashi has a 2-year-old full-sister. Her dam is a half-sister to Japanese MSW Yukichan (Jpn) (Kurofune), the granddam of G2 Tulip Sho, G3 Kokura Nisai S. and G3 Fantasy S. heroine Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), who ran last in the Japanese 1000 Guineas behind Sodashi on Sunday. Buchiko was barren to the cover of Maurice (Jpn) for 2020, but returned to that stallion last spring.

Fourth dam Storm and Sunshine (Star de Naskra), who struck in the 1986 GII Test S. and GIII Post-Deb S., foaled GII Bel Air H. hero Smile Again (Wild Again), SW & MGSP Halo Sunshine (Halo) and SW & MGSP Montecito (Seeking the Gold). The last-named threw SW and G3 Give Thanks S. and G3 Athasi S. runner-up Bunairgead (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}).

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
OKA SHO (JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥237,870,000, Hanshin, 4-11, 3yo, f, 1600mT, 1:31.10 (NCR), fm.
1–SODASHI (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Kurofune
           1st Dam: Buchiko (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
           2nd Dam: Shirayukihime (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
           3rd Dam: Wave Wind, by Topsider
O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Naosuke
Sugai; J-Hayato Yoshida. ¥131,859,000. Lifetime Record: Ch.
2yo Filly-Jpn, 5-5-0-0. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Satono Reinas (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)
           1st Dam: Balada Sale (Arg), by Not For Sale (Arg)
           2nd Dam: La Balada (Arg), by Confidential Talk
           3rd Dam: La Baraca (Arg), by Mariache II (Arg)
(¥100,000,000 Wlg '18 JRHAJUL). O-Satomi Horse Company;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥49,170,000.
3–Fine Rouge (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)
           1st Dam: Passion Rouge (Jpn), by Boston Harbor
           2nd Dam: Sexy Coconuts (Jpn), by Dance in the Dark (Jpn)
           3rd Dam: Coco Passion (Fr), by Groom Dancer
(¥33,000,000 Wlg '18 JRHAJUL). O-Genichi Mutsui; B-Northern
Farm (Jpn); ¥29,595,000.
Margins: NK, HF, NK. Odds: 2.60, 2.30, 14.30.
Also Ran: Akaitorino Musume (Jpn), Art de Vivre (Jpn), Kukuna (Jpn), Stutti (Jpn), Enthusiasm (Jpn), Ho O Ixelles (Jpn), Minnie Isle (Jpn), Ginestra (Jpn), Dtripe (Jpn), Elizabeth Tower (GB), Blue Bird (Jpn), Songline (Jpn), Shigeru Pink Dia (Jpn), Yoka Yoka (Jpn), Meikei Yell (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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