The regally bred and expensive auction purchase Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) lived up to expectations and kept her perfect record intact with a win as the favourite in Sunday's G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) at Tokyo Racecourse. The winner of a pair of races at Kyoto in November, the bay filly warmed up for this with another victory at listed level going 2000 metres at Hanshin on Apr. 7. Adding an extra two furlongs on Sunday, Loves Only You traveled midpack and in the three path under Mirco Demuro. Putting in a sustained rally down the middle of the track in the straight while running on the wrong lead, Loves Only You at last got her head in front inside the final furlong and hit the line a neck to the best, in the process taking down Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})'s 2012 race record. Jockey Mirco Demuro was ticking off an important milestone victory, and he said, “I was a bit worried at the final corner since we were in a lower position than planned, but she showed an incredible burst of speed and stretched beautifully. She has a heart of steel and can't stand to lose. I'm just thrilled that I've now won all five Classics.”
Loves Only You was the very first public auction purchase made by racing partnership DMM.com at the JRHA Select Sale in 2017. She cost ¥160-million (£1,142,913/€1,301,597) during the yearling session and the following day during the foal session DMM.com would add the full siblings to Gentildonna and Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) for ¥370-million (£2,642,987/€3,009,950) and ¥145-million (£1,036,909/€1,179,575), respectively. Later that year DMM.com headed to Tattersalls, where they bought a Frankel (GB) half-sister to Grade I winner Sarah Lynx (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) for 1.4-million gns.
Pedigree Notes
Loves Only You comes from a family of the highest regard not only in Japan, but globally. From the prolific Deep Impact over Storm Cat cross, she is a full-sister to Real Steel (Jpn), who was second in two Japanese Classics before traveling to Dubai to win the G1 Dubai Turf. The mare, Loves Only Me, has produced two other stakes horses to the cover of Deep Impact: the listed-winning and multiple group-placed Prodigal Son (Jpn), and the listed-placed Langley (Jpn).
The second dam is Monevassia (Mr. Prospector), who failed to live up to the record of her own illustrious dam Miesque (Nureyev) on the track, but made her mom proud as a broodmare, leaving the European champion 2-year-old filly and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Fillies' Mile winner Rumplestiltskin (Ire) (Danehill)–who has in turn provided G1 Yorkshire Oaks victress Tapestry (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and former Derby contender and now young Argentine sire John F Kennedy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})-as well as the G3 Grangecon Stud S. winner I Am Beautiful (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}). Miesque herself needs little introduction, and with this latest luminary in addition to last year's European champion 3-year-old filly Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Study of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), as well as young sire Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein) among her recent descendants, her legacy is sure to burn bright for a long time yet.
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
YUSHUN HIMBA (JAPANESE OAKS)-G1, ¥246,440,000, Tokyo, 5-19, 3yo, f, 2400mT, 2:22.80 (NTR), fm.
1–LOVES ONLY YOU (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Loves Only Me, by Storm Cat
2nd Dam: Monevassia, by Mr.Prospector
3rd Dam: Miesque, by Nureyev
1ST GROUP WIN. (¥160,000,000 yrl '17 JRHAJUL) O-DMM
Dream Club; B-Northern Farm; T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Mirco
Demuro; ¥135,598,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0. *Full to
Langley (Jpn), SP-Jpn, $1,173,360; Real Steel (Jpn), MGSW &
MG1SP-Jpn & G1SW-UAE, $3,608,769; and Prodigal Son (Jpn),
SW & MGSP-Jpn, $1,435,430. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Curren Bouquetd'or (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)-
Solaria (Chi), by Scat Daddy. O-Takashi Suzuki; B-Shadai Farm;
¥51,288,000.
3–Chrono Genesis (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Bago (Fr)–Chronologist (Jpn),
by Kurofune. O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥31,644,000.
Margins: NK, 2HF, NK. Odds: 3.00, 93.10, 3.10.
Also Ran: Victoria (Jpn), Danon Fantasy (Jpn), Shadow Diva (Jpn), Schon Glanz (Jpn), Aqua Mirabilis (Jpn), Contra Check (Jpn), Figlia Pura (Jpn), Aile Voix (Jpn), Shigeru Pink Dia (Jpn), Win Zenobia (Jpn), Jodie (Jpn), Beach Samba (Jpn), Fairy Polka (Jpn), Meisho Shobu (Jpn), No One (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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