Hanshin Racecourse

Strong Finish Carries Stellenbosch To Oka Sho Glory

Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) reversed the form with her G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies conqueror, Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) Daiwa Major (Jpn), as she ran out an authoritative winner of Sunday's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) at Hanshin Racecourse, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara. The hitherto unbeaten Ascoli Piceno was crowned champion Japanese two-year-old filly in 2023, though Stellenbosch didn't have much to find with the favourite on their Hanshin Juvenile Fillies running when she'd finished best of all from the rear of the field to be beaten...

[ Read More ]
Championship On The Line In Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

An impeccably credentialed bunch of 18 juvenile fillies line up in the 1600-metre ¥125,200,000 G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies on Sunday, and one of the prospective favourites is Sunday Racing's Umbrail (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Undefeated in a pair of 1400-metre starts at Tokyo and Hanshin in June and October, the daughter of listed-placed L'Archetto (Jpn) (Falbrav {Ire}) is a full-sister to G1 Mile Championship hero Stelvio (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), one of three black-type horses for their dam. "She has had two very strong races and we are having to...

[ Read More ]
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...

[ Read More ]
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...

[ Read More ]
Chrono Genesis Streets Ahead In Takarazuka Kinen
Chrono Genesis Streets Ahead In Takarazuka Kinen

The 4-year-old filly Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) was the second choice in the betting for Sunday's G1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin, but at the finish line there was no doubting who was number one, with the Sunday Racing colourbearer establishing her dominance with a race record six-length victory and earning a spot in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Turf. After finishing third in the opening two races of last year's fillies' Triple Crown, the G1 Oka Sho and the G1 Yushun Himba, Chrono Genesis collected her first Group...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.