Hanshin Racecourse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Kizuna Breaks Group 1 Duck as a Sire in QE Cup

Unconsidered in Sunday's G1 Queen Elizabeth Cup at Hanshin, Akai Ito (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) gave her sire his first Group 1 winner at 63-1. The 2200-metre contest featured 17 fillies and mares, and Akai Ito was the 10th choice.

Breaking a touch slowly, the dark bay raced in 13th for much of the journey, as Shamrock Hill (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) laid out fractions of :22.90, :46.60 and 1:11.30 while chased by Rose Amour (Jpn) (Rose Kingdom {Jpn}). Shamrock Hill's lead began to look tenuous with less than 600 metres remaining as a host of rivals took aim on the pacesetter.

Sweeping six wide into the home straight, Akai Ito made a bold move as favoured Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) took command. The Koji Oka colourbearer closed the door on the bid of Akaitorino Musume (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), collared Lei Papale 200 metres from the wire and held firm to win going away. Stellaria (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) closed to take second two lengths behind, and it was a neck to Clavel (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in third. Soft Fruit (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was an equal measure back in fourth.

“As she seemed to be a bit tense when I trained her the other day, I tried to race her in her own rhythm,” said jockey Hideaki Miyuki, who was winning his eighth Group 1. “Though I could not break her smoothly out of the gate, I was able to eventually race her in the intended position at the backstretch. I was confident that she will stretch well at the end and, because it was a Group 1 race, I made [my] bid earlier than usual. We were able to take the front earlier than I had expected and, as there was no horse right behind us, I just kept on urging her to go until [we won].”

A winner of the Nishio Tokubetsu at Chukyo in January, Akai Ito ran second dropped back to 1800 metres in the Asuka S. over this course on Feb. 13. Third in the local 2000-metre Kyobashi S. in April, she reported home second in the A.T.C. Sydney Trophy returned to Chukyo on May 22. Given one more run to her spring campaign, the 4-year-old filly won the June 20 Tarumi S. here and was put away until the autumn. She warmed up for this with a seventh in the Oct. 16 G2 Ireland Trophy Fuchu Himba S.

Pedigree Notes
Kizuna celebrated his 16th black-type winner and first Group 1 winner with Akai Ito's victory. His 10 group winners were previously led by three-time Group 2 winner Deep Bond (Jpn), who won the G2 Prix Foy earlier this autumn. Akai Ito is bred on the same cross as G2 Fuji S. heroine Songline (Jpn), who is also out of a Symboli Kris S mare, and she is Symboli Kris S's second Group 1 winner in that sphere after Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). One of two winners out of the dual scorer Wadjet, Akai Ito is followed by the placed 3-year-old full-sister Enishino Uta (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), and a weanling half-sister by Screen Hero (Jpn).

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
QUEEN ELIZABETH CUP-G1, ¥ 204,660,000, Hanshin, 11-14, 3yo/up, f/m, 2200mT, 2:12.10, fm.
1–AKAI ITO (JPN), 123, f, 4, by Kizuna (Jpn)
      1st Dam: Wadjet (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S
      2nd Dam: Reach to Peace, by Mud Route
      3rd Dam: Waki Betty, by Miswaki
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN.
O-Koji Oka; B-Tsuji Farm (Jpn); T-Kazuya Nakatake; J-Hideaki
Miyuki. ¥108,612,000. Lifetime Record: 20-5-4-1. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Stellaria (Jpn), 119, f, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)
      1st Dam: Pollenator (Ire), by Motivator (GB)
      2nd Dam: Ceanothus (Ire), by Bluebird
      3rd Dam: Golden Bloom (Ire), by Main Reef (GB)
O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shiraoi Farm (Jpn); ¥43,092,000.
3–Clavel (Jpn), 123, f, 4, Epiphaneia (Jpn)
      1st Dam: Dia de la Madre (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn)
      2nd Dam: Dia de la Novia (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
      3rd Dam: Potrizaris (Arg), Potrillazo (Arg)
O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥26,546,000.
Margins: 2, NK, NK. Odds: 63.90, 24.10, 45.90.
Also Ran: Soft Fruit (Jpn), Izu Jo no Kiseki (Jpn), Lei Papale (Jpn), Akaitorino Musume (Jpn), Des Ailes (Jpn), Rambling Alley (Jpn), Win Kiitos (Jpn), Terzetto (Jpn), Musica (Jpn), Kotobuki Thetis (Jpn), Lune Rouge (Jpn), Shamrock Hill (Jpn), Win Marilyn (Jpn), Rose Amour (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Japan: Sophomore Akaitorino Musume Headlines Sunday’s QEII Cup

After a great weekend at the Breeders' Cup for Japan, this coming Sunday (Nov. 14) sees the domestic Grade 1 action return to the Hanshin Racecourse, where the Queen Elizabeth II Cup will be run over 2,200 meters (about 1 3/8 miles) on the track's inner turf course. Established in 1976, it was originally run over 2,400 meters (1 1/2 miles), but when the race's format changed in 1996 to allow fillies and mares over 3 years old to enter, the distance was shortened to its current 2,200 meters. It became an international Grade 1 in 1999. It is also the first leg of four races of what is now known as the Japan Autumn International series of races, and one that includes the prestigious Grade 1 Japan Cup.

There are eighteen nominations for this year's Queen Elizabeth II Cup, including recent Grade 1 Shuka Sho winner Akaitorino Musume. As a 3-year-old filly, she'll be able to claim a 2kg allowance, whereas 4-year-olds and up are allotted 56kg. There were originally three runners nominated from overseas, but none of them will take a place in the final line-up. The race hasn't been kind to first favorites in the last ten years, with just two heading the market and going on to win. Third favorites have fared better, taking out four of the last ten races. 4-year-olds have been dominant over the same time period, winning on six occasions. Record time for the race was set just last year, when Lucky Lilac (now retired) won the race for the second year in a row, setting a time of 2 minutes 10.3 seconds, although it must be remembered that last year the race was also run at Hanshin, not its regular venue Kyoto. The winner's check this time around is JPY105 million (approximately USD 1 million).

The Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup will be Race 11 on the Sunday card at Hanshin, with a post time locally of 15:40. The final field and the barrier draw will be available later in the week.

Here's a look at some of the fillies and mares expected to take on the race:

Akaitorino Musume: The 3-year-old filly by Deep Impact managed to go one better last time than she did in the Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) back in May, when winning the Grade 1 Shuka Sho over 2,000 meters at Hanshin in October. It's a fairly tight rotation, but trainer Sakae Kunieda feels the horse is coping with everything just fine. “She ran a good race in the Shuka Sho, which was her first race in a while, and ran smoothly despite drawing an outside gate, so I was very pleased. She quickly recovered from the race, and getting her back in work has been an easy task,” said the trainer recently. The filly is now four wins from her seven career starts, and jockey Keita Tosaki is expected to ride her again here.

Lei Papale: Another filly by Deep Impact, her stunning six-win streak finally came to an end in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen back in June, when she finished third, and most recently she had to settle for fourth in the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers over 2,200 meters at Nakayama in September. It would seem she just has to find a bit more over the extended distance. Trainer Tomokazu Takano commented: “In the All Comers last time, I don't think she found her best rhythm throughout the race, but she did find the front briefly in the homestraight, and showed what ability she has. The extra furlong just found her out, so the key will be getting her to stay that little bit more.” Connections have been quick to secure the services of Christophe Lemaire this time, so a big run can be expected from Lei Papale.

Win Marilyn: Winner of the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers at Nakayama on her last start, the 4-year-old filly by Screen Hero looks set for a run here, and before her last victory she finished a creditable fifth in this year's Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) back in May. Trainer Takahisa Tezuka said, “She ran very well last time when taking on the male horses, especially when you consider she hadn't run in a while. She had an operation on a leg swelling a while ago, and after this last race it flared up a bit and she had a fever, but we've kept her at the stable since and she's been back in work recently. She's running slightly awkwardly, but I expect that to improve.”

Win Kiitos: As with Win Marilyn, Win Kiitos was also bred at Cosmo View Farm, but is a daughter of Gold Ship, who claimed his first Grade 1 as a sire earlier this year. Win Kiitos won the Grade 2 Meguro Kinen over 2,500 meters back in May at Tokyo, and is coming off a second place finish in the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers. “In recent training, I intended her to do a five-furlong piece of work solo in about 70 seconds, but in front of the stand she ended up running with a horse from another stable and got quite switched on. Consequently, her time was faster than expected. She's in good shape though, and things are pretty much going according to plan,” said trainer Yoshitada Munakata. The trainer is looking for his first ever JRA Grade 1 victory.

Terzetto: Looking like jockey Mirco Demuro's big race ride, the improving filly by Deep Impact is now six wins from eight career starts. Trainer Shoichiro Wada was pleased with her latest win in the Grade 3 Hokkaido Shimbun Hai Queen Stakes over 1,800 meters at Hakodate in August. “The jockey managed to get the best out of the horse last time, especially with a great turn of foot at the end of the race. She was relaxed, and it was just a short distance from the paddock to the track, so this helped her stay calm,” stated the trainer. Terzetto has run beyond 1,800 meters just once, when finishing third over 2,000 meters at Nakayama as a 3-year-old.

Des Ailes: Another filly by Deep Impact, the 4-year-old still boasts an almost 50% win strike rate, despite finishing outside the first three in her last two starts, an 8th in the Grade 1 Victoria Mile in May, and a disappointing 16th of 18 last time in the Grade 2 Ireland Trophy Fuchu Himba Stakes at Tokyo in October. Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi is not too worried about her latest run. ”It was unlike her to drop out of the race like she did last time, and since being back at the stable she seems her usual self. I think in the summer when she was at the farm, she obviously wasn't being prepared for a race, and it showed in that last run. I think we're in a much better place now that she's got a race under her,” commented the trainer.

Rambling Alley: As with Des Ailes, Rambling Alley carries the colors of the Shadai Race Horse Co. Ltd. and is a stablemate of the former. Every race she's taken on this year has been a graded one, so her experience in those races points to a likely good run in this one too. She finished second in the Grade 1 Victoria Mile in May, and last time out she was seventh in the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers over 2,200 meters at Nakayama in September. Of the 5-year-old mare, trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said: “She got a bit too far back last time and wasn't suited by the pace, but it wasn't a bad result. She's been working well in training and there's no change with her.” The trainer has thirteen JRA Grade 1 wins, but they don't include a win in this race, although it looks as if he'll be well represented here this time if both his runners get a start.

Clavel: The 4-year-old filly by Epiphaneia has been in the first three eight times from her twelve-race career, and her graded race experience, while limited, has been quite impressive. Most recently she produced a great late run in what was a tough race, the Grade 3 Niigata Kinen over 2,000 meters in September. Trainer Shogo Yasuda said, “She has done well before, saving ground in races and showing a good late turn of foot, but in her last race, she really flew home in a good final three-furlong time. It took a bit out of her, so she's had a rest at the farm, but on returning to the stable, she's currently running with a good rhythm.” The trainer is seeking his first JRA Grade 1 success.

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Chrono Genesis Defends Takarazuka Kinen Title

Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) justified 4-5 favouritism and took her second consecutive G1 Takarazuka Kinen title at Hanshin on Sunday. The 2200-metre contest is a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar in November, as well as the Oct. 23 G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Down Under.

Unicorn Lion (Ire) (No Nay Never) led the charge into the first turn while shadowed by Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Chrono Genesis sat third a few lengths back. A touch keen, pilot Christophe Lemaire found a bit of cover for the grey who had drifted to fourth. Primed to take off after the leaders rounding the final bend, Chrono Genesis immediately scythed in between horses when given the opportunity 1 ½ furlongs from home, as Lei Papale engaged Unicorn Lion on the front end. She employed her superior turn of foot-covering her final three furlongs in a race-best :34.40–and dashed past the pacesetting duo to win by 2 ½ lengths with her ears pricked.

“The mare was in very good condition and looked great at the paddock,” said Christophe Lemaire, who was deputising for the injured Yuichi Kitamura. “We were able to race in good position behind Lei Papale. She stretched really well and was able to run the last 200 meters easily. She can race really well in soft track, so I think she will perform well especially in France.”

The Oct. 3 G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a potential long-term target for Chrono Genesis.

Third in the first two legs of the 2019 Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown, Chrono Genesis delivered in the third leg, the G1 Shuka Sho at Kyoto in October of that year, her first top-level triumph. Her next win did not arrive until last February's G2 Kyoto Kinen, and, after a second-place showing in the G1 Osaka Hai that April, she captured her first Takarazuka Kinen at the end of June. Benched until Nov. 1, she ran third in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) to Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), and claimed the G1 Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) on Dec. 27. Her only prior 2021 start was a good second in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic on Mar. 27.

Pedigree Notes

Chrono Genesis is French champion Bago's most decorated progeny. One of two Group 1 winners for the 2004 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, the grey is joined by G1 Kikuka Sho victor Big Week (Jpn). The pair lead seven group winners and 11 black-type winners overall.

The eighth foal, and one of eight winners out of her winning dam who captured a 1700-metre maiden in two starts, Chrono Genesis is also one of two black-type winners, alongside her year-older half-sister Normcore (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}). The latter, also grey, was first past the post in both the G1 Victoria Mile in her native land and also a winner of the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup. Chronologist's 2017 filly, Clotho Nona (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) is followed by 2018 colt Klug (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}). Covered by Drefong later that year, Chronologist did not produce a foal in 2019, but has since produced fillies of 2020 and 2021 by Maurice (Jpn) and Rey de Oro (Jpn), respectively.

Her second dam is an unraced full-sister to Fusaichi Airedale (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), a MSW in Japan and the dam of Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fusaichi Richard (Jpn) (Kurofune), MSW Lailaps (Jpn) (French Deputy) and the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies third Beach Samba (Jpn) (Kurofune).

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
TAKARAZUKA KINEN-G1, ¥290,020,000, Hanshin, 6-27, 3yo/up, 2200mT, 2:10.90, fm.
1–CHRONO GENESIS (JPN), 123, m, 5, Bago (Fr)
                1st Dam: Chronologist (Jpn), by Kurofune
                2nd Dam: In This Unison (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
                3rd Dam: Rustic Belle, by Mr. Prospector
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Takashi Saito;
J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥152,814,000. Lifetime Record:
15-8-3-3. *1/2 to Normcore (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), G1SW-Jpn
& HK, $5,619,785. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Unicorn Lion (Ire), 128, h, 5, No Nay Never–Muravka (Ire), by
High Chaparral (Ire). (850,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-Lion Race
Horse; B-Desert Star Phoenix Jvc (Ire); ¥60,804,000.
3–Lei Papale (Jpn), 123, m, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Shells Lei
(Jpn), by Kurofune. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥38,402,000.
Margins: 2HF, NK, 2. Odds: 0.80, 26.80, 2.50.
Also Ran: Curren Bouquetd'or (Jpn), Kiseki (Jpn), Miss Mamma Mia (Jpn), Cadenas (Jpn), Mozu Bello (Jpn), Aristoteles (Jpn), Wipe Tears (Jpn), Melody Lane (Jpn), Admire Alba (Jpn), Shironii (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Champion White Filly Sodashi Remains Undefeated With Oka Sho Triumph To Kick Off Japanese Classics

Undefeated champion filly Sodashi, Japan's trailblazing white Thoroughbred, launched her 2021 at Hanshin Racecourse on Sunday with a neck victory over Satono Reinas in the 81st running of the Group 1 Oka Sho, the Japanese 1,000 Guineas that kicks off the series of classic races for 3-year-old fillies.

The daughter of the grey American-bred Kurofune set a new course record of 1:31.1 for the 1,600 meters (about one mile). Owned by her breeder, Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd. and trained by Naosuke Sugai, Sodashi was ridden to victory by Hayato Yoshida. She was the second choice in the wagering behind Satono Reinas, a Deep Impact filly ridden by Christophe Lemaire.

Sodashi broke quickly and was prominent throughout the Oka Sho, traveling along the rail in third or fourth position on the right-handed course while Satono Reinas did not get away cleanly and was far back in the field 18. After reaching the straight, Yoshida shifted Sodashi off the rail and found a seam in the three path, taking command with about 300 meters remaining and then just having enough to withstand the late run of Satono Reinas, who was flying in the final yards and just missed.

The Oka Sho is the first leg of the fillies' Triple Crown in Japan, which continues with the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks at 2,400 meters) and the Shuka Sho (2,000 meters). Six fillies have swept the series, most recently by Daring Tact, who became the first undefeated filly to complete the sweep last year.

“It's a great feeling,” said jockey Yoshida. “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 drive her to the wire. Her potential is limitless and I look forward to her future starts.”

Sodashi, produced from the white King Kamehameha mare Buchiko, is now undefeated in five career starts.

With Japanese racecourse attendance still limited, only 3,137 were on hand to witness Sodashi's victory. Wagering on the Oka Sho totaled roughly $166.7 million and the day's handle was $247.7 million.

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