Japanese 2015 champion juvenile filly Major Emblem (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) became just the fourth female and the first since Pink Cameo (Jpn) (French Deputy) in 2007, to win the G1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo over males Sunday. The favorite entered off a fourth-place effort as the crowd's pick in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin Apr. 10. She held the advantage from the bell and in the end, was three-quarters of a length clear at the line over Lord Quest (Jpn) (Matsurida Go {Jpn}), who was a neck in front of Rainbow Line (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}). It was the second top-level victory for trainer Yasuhito Tamura and the seventh for pilot Christophe Lemaire.
Lemaire was fulsome in his praise of the Yasuhito Tamura-trained winner and commented, “She broke sharply today and I was able to place her in front. She has good speed and having already won a Group 1 title last year and another graded race earlier this year, I would say that she has confirmed her position as the top of her class with this win.”
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
NHK MILE CUP-G1, ¥186,020,000 (US$1,736,840/£1,203,506/ €1,522,740), Tokyo, 5-8, 3yo, c/f, 1600mT, 1:32.80, fm.
1–MAJOR EMBLEM (JPN), 121, f, 3, Daiwa Major (Jpn)
1st Dam: Catchy Title (Jpn), by Opera House (GB)
2nd Dam: Titled (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Her Ladyship (GB), by Polish Precedent
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Yasuhito Tamura;
J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥98,364,000. Lifetime record: Ch.
2yo Filly-Jpn, 7-5-1-0.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: C.
2–Lord Quest (Jpn), 126, c, 3, by Matsurida Gogh
(Jpn)–Matsurida Waltz (Jpn), by Chief Bearhart. O-Lord Horse
Club; B-Samani Hori Farm; ¥39,104,000.
3–Rainbow Line (Jpn), 126, c, 3, by Stay Gold (Jpn)–
Regenbogen (Jpn), by French Deputy. (¥50,000,000 Yrl '14
JRHAJUL). O-Masahiro Mita; B-Northern Farm; ¥24,552,000.
Margins: 3/4, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.30, 5.40, 39.70.
Also Ran: Dantsu Prius (Jpn), Tosho Drafter (Jpn), Blanc Bonheur (Jpn), Hakusan Rudolf (Jpn), Brave Smash (Jpn), Stormy Sea (Jpn), Shadow Approach (Jpn), Immortal (Jpn), Shuji (Jpn), Eclat Millenaire (Jpn), Kaneno Iro (Jpn), Personnalite (Jpn), Urban Kid (Jpn), Tizona (Jpn), Sigerunokogirizame (Jpn). Click for the JRA Video, the Racing Post Result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Sent straight to the head of affairs as soon as the gates were sprung, Major Emblem got away with an uncontested lead one off the rail, with Sigerunokogirizame (Jpn) (Super Hornet {Jpn}) keeping the closest tabs from just behind. The blinkered miss sped the first 600 metres in :34.3 and reached the halfway mark in :46 even, as that rival came alongside. Sigerunokogirizame (Jpn) threw in the towel with a quarter mile remaining and Major Emblem raced in isolation once more, as Lord Quest fanned widest of all up the center of the course, gaining with every stride. His best was not good enough, however, to catch Major Emblem, who was comfortably ahead at the wire. Rainbow Line completed the trifecta.
Major Emblem scored over this course going 1800 metres when unveiled last June and took her record to two-for-two when landing the Aster Sho cut back to a mile at Nakayama Sept. 12. Second to Denko Ange (Jpn) (Meisho Samson) in the G3 Artemis S. returned to Tokyo on Halloween, the chestnut signed off with a first top-level victory in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies to clinch champion juvenile filly honors Dec. 13. Major Emblem made her sophomore bow a winning one, landing the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup over course and distance Feb. 13, before her Hanshin fourth. Major Emblem's third dam, European highweight Her Ladyship (GB) (Polish Precedent), is a half-sister to G1SW Lord of Men (GB) (Groom Dancer).
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