Logotype Outclasses Maurice In Yasuda Kinen

Logotype | Horsephotos

Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice (JPN) (Screen Hero {JPN}) was sent off at odds-on to defend his title in Tokyo's GI Yasuda Kinen but, beaten for the first time in 14 months and six starts, had to give best to outsider Logotype (JPN) (Lohengrin {JPN}), who landed the spoils with a dominant front-running performance.

Taking an easy lead almost from the outset, the 6-year-old Logotype bossed the race, travelling well within himself as Maurice moved up to shadow him around the bend. A confident ride from Hironobu Tanabe saw him kick for home off the turn, keeping Logotype tight to the rail up the straight as his rivals drifted towards the centre of the track. The eventual winner continued to put lengths between himself and the chasing pack, with Maurice keeping hold of his position in second but unable to run down Logotype, who maintained his impressive advantage throughout, finishing a length and a quarter clear of the favourite in a bunched scramble for the minor honours.

The 7-year-old Fiero (JPN) (Deep Impact {JPN}), who had finished ninth behind Maurice in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile back in December, was just a nose behind him this time, with another son of Deep Impact, the recent G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup winner Satono Aladdin (JPN), a further neck back in fourth.

The disappointment of the race was second-favourite Real Steal (JPN) (Deep Impact {JPN}), winner of the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in March, who finished 11th of the 12 runners under Yuichi Fukunaga, ahead of John Size's Hong Kong raider Contentment (Aus) (Hussonet), who had been runner-up to Maurice in their most recent outing in the G1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin on May 1.

Logotype, bred at Shadai Farm and racing in the famous back-and-yellow-striped silks of Teruya Yoshida, had been winless since beating Epiphaneia (JPN) in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) back in 2013 but has posted some decent performances in defeat over recent seasons. Lightly campaigned so far in 2016 by trainer Tsuyoshi Tanaka, he was beaten just over four lengths when seventh to Duramente (JPN) (King Kamehameha {JPN}) in February's GII Nakayama Kinen––a race won in 2007 by his sire Lohengrin, a Japanese-bred son of the late UK-based Darley sire Singspiel (Ire). Returning to action on Apr. 3, Logotype failed narrowly to secure the G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy when going down by just a quarter of a length to Magic Time (JPN) (Brian's Time {JPN}).

It is the second time in a fortnight that Singspiel has featured in the pedigree of a major Japanese winner. On May 22, Sinhalite (JPN), a daughter of Deep Impact out of Singspiel's Grade 1-winner Singhalese, won the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). Logotype effectively represents a reverse of that cross, being out of dual seven-furlong winner Stereotype (JPN), by Deep Impact's sire Sunday Silence (Halo).

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
YASUDA KINEN-G1, ¥199,140,000, Tokyo, 6-5, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:33.00, fm.
1–LOGOTYPE (JPN), 128, h, 6, by Lohengrin (Jpn)
1st Dam: Stereotype (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
2nd Dam: Star Ballerina (Jpn), by Risen Star
3rd Dam: Berliani, by Nureyev
O-Teruya Yoshida; B-Shadai Farm; T-Tsuyoshi Tanaka;
J-Hironobu Tanabe. ¥105,688,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo
Colt-Jpn, 25-6-3-3. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Maurice (Jpn), 128, h, 5, by Screen Hero (Jpn)–Mejiro
Frances (Jpn), by Carnegie (Ire). O-Kazumi Yoshida; B-Togawa
Farm; ¥41,768,000.
3–Fiero (Jpn), 128, h, 7, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Ruby (Ire), by
Danehill. (¥40,000,000 wnlg '09 JRHAJUL) O-Makoto Kaneko
Holdings; B-Shadai Farm; ¥26,384,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, NK. Odds: 35.90, 0.70, 28.50.
Also Ran: Satono Aladdin (Jpn), Isla Bonita (Jpn), Decipher (Jpn), Danon Shark (Jpn), Clarente (Jpn), Rosa Gigantea (Jpn), Red Arion (Jpn), Real Steel (Jpn), Contentment (Aus).
Click for the JRA chart and video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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