By Emma Berry
The weight of expectation may have sat heavily on the shoulders of those connected to Fillies' Triple Crown winner Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) on her first foray outside Japan, but the filly herself was unencumbered by both hype and foreign travel in landing the G1 Dubai Turf on her seasonal debut.
Sitting in mid-pack as Century Dream (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) cut out a strong early pace, Almond Eye was switched to the outside by Christophe Lemaire turning into the straight and came home to loud cheering which started when she was still two furlongs from the post. Chasing her all the way to the wire was her admirable compatriot Vivlos (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), whose record in the race now stands at a win, in 2017, and two seconds.
“I'm relieved,” stated trainer Sakae Kunieda with a smile as he faced a packed Meydan press conference. “After the race so many journalists asked me questions that my brain is confused, but I am happy. She is the special one. She made a good start and was then in the middle of the group and I was a little bit worried but at the corner Christophe took her to the outside to a good position and I knew then that she could easily win.”
And bringing music to the ears of racecourse managers in Britain, France and Ireland, he added, “Here in Dubai was the first step then Europe is next. I'm very excited. Thank you, Almond Eye.”
Like his talented mount, who won the Japan Cup in a record-breaking time last November, Lemaire was also unfazed by the anticipation surrounding Almond Eye's appearance in Dubai, which pushed her career earnings beyond $10-million.
He said, “She's so good that I had no fear. She was very impressive, the way she accelerates is unbelievable. Today was her first race this year and she was in front of the field quite early on so I think she just relaxed a little bit, and the distance is a little bit short for her today.
“Down the stretch when I pulled her out she used her powerful stride as usual and I was happy with my position. When you have the right horse you must be confident and it was beautiful; she did the job today. Some big victories are coming.”
Running home eye-catchingly for third was the David O'Meara-trained Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper), who has some big targets pencilled in at home in Britain this season, starting with the G1 Lockinge S. His jockey Danny Tudhope said, “We thought coming into the race, he'd run very well. We think he's improving and he's going to be a nicer horse this year. We're delighted with that. We were beaten by a very good filly, she's world-class.”
Almond Eye has been a model of consistency in her native land, after running second on debut in August of 2017, she has yet to lose another race. She is currently riding a Group 1 winning streak of five after victory in the Dubai Turf, having captured the Japanese Triple Tiara of the Oka Sho, Yushun Himba and Shuka Sho–and the Nov. 25 G1 Japan Cup last year.
Pedigree Notes
Out of Japanese Oaks runner-up and proven Group 1 performer Fusaichi Pandora (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), Almond Eye hails from a world-class family, her third dam Sex Appeal (Nureyev) being a three-parts sister to the Northern Dancer brothers El Gran Senor and Try My Best. Among Almond Eye's winning half-siblings is the listed-placed Unakite (Jpn) (Johannesburg), and she is followed by a juvenile colt by Rulership (Jpn), who brought ¥46,000,000 from Hajime Satomi at the JRHA Select foal sale in 2017 and a yearling full-sister to that colt.
Saturday, Meydan, Middle East
DUBAI TURF (SPONSORED BY DP WORLD)-G1, $6,000,000, Meydan, 3-30, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1800mT, 1:46.78, gd.
1–ALMOND EYE (JPN), 121, f, 4, by 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 Co Ltd; B-Northern Racing (JPN); T-Sakae
Kunieda; J-Christophe-Patrice Lemaire. $3,600,000. Lifetime
Record: Horse of the Year & Ch. 3yo Filly-Jpn, MG1SW-Jpn,
8-7-1-0, $10,065,261. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Vivlos (Jpn), 121, m, 6, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Halwa Sweet
(Jpn), by Machiavellian. O-Kazuhiro Sasaki; B-Northern Racing
(JPN); T-Yasuo Tomomichi. $1,200,000.
3–Lord Glitters (Fr), 126, g, 6, Whipper–Lady Glitters (Fr), by
Homme de Loi (Ire). (€25,000 Ylg '14 AROOCT; €270,000 HRA
'17 ARQJUL). O-Geoff & Sandra Turnbull; B-SCA Elevage de
Tourgeville & Mme Hilary Erculiani (FR); T-David O'Meara.
$600,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 4 1/4.
Also Ran: Deirdre (Jpn), Without Parole (GB), Southern Legend (Aus), Century Dream (Ire), Majestic Mambo (SAf), Wootton (Fr), Yulong Prince (SAf), I Can Fly (GB), Mountain Hunter, Dream Castle (GB).
Click for the Emirates Racing chart, the AM Wager PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Emirates Racing Video.
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