Oka Sho

Kaneko Makoto Holding Co Ltd's Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune--Buchiko {Jpn}, by King Kamehameha {Jpn}), whose snow-white colouring combined with considerable racetrack ability made her a fan favourite in every corner of the globe, has been retired, according to multiple reports. The homebred, whose year-younger full-sister Mama Cocha (Jpn) won Sunday's G1 Sprinters S. at Nakayama, was an immediate hit while carrying the Deep Impact (Jpn) colours. Undefeated in four tries at two, including a victory in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies to secure her first championship, Sodashi made the one-mile G1...

Ridden with supreme confidence by Yuga Kawada, reigning champion Japanese 2-year-old filly Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) was given her cue with 400 metres to race and stormed home down the centre of the course to post a breathtaking victory in Sunday's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin Racecourse. Kona Coast (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) was swamped late and completed a Sunday Racing 1-2, while Carrot Farm colourbearer Perifania (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) checked in a sound third. Void of early speed, the odds-on favourite was content to drop...

Though she makes her first start since cementing champion 2-year-old filly honours in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies over course and distance back in December, Sunday Racing's Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) will jump a warm favourite in the first Classic on the Japanese racing calendar, Sunday's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). The daughter of two-time Australian champion and dual Group 1 winner Yankee Rose (Aus) (All American {Aus}) validated a quote of $2.10 (11-10) to open her account at first asking at Niigata July 30, then returned from...

Sunday's final leg of the Japanese Filly Triple Crown, the G1 Shuka Sho, looms a championship event and serves as a rubber match between the winners of the first two races in the series--Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune), the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) victress and Uberleben (Jpn) (Gold Ship {Jpn}), who took out the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks)--over a 2000-metre distance that is a quarter-mile longer than the Guineas and two furlongs shorter than the Oaks. Sodashi, a white filly just like her extremely popular dam Buchiko (Jpn) (King...

Japanese Classics season gets underway Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse with the running of the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) for which the popular Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune) figures to go favoured in her first start of the year. A registered white out of the cult hero Buchiko (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the homebred filly enters the Oka Sho with an unblemished record from four racetrack appearances, including a 1 3/4-length defeat of Kukuna (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the G3 Artemis S. last October before just getting the better of...

Des Ailes (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the first foal out of 2014 G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches victress Avenir Certain (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), puts her unbeaten record on the line and jumps up into group-race company for the first time in Sunday's G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). A debut winner at Hanshin on Mar. 15, she added the Listed Sweetpea S. at Tokyo on May 3 to her resume. Both those starts were over 1800 metres, and she adds another three furlongs on Sunday...

Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) had shown potential for brilliance prior to Sunday's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), breaking her maiden in her lone start at two and winning the Listed Elfin S. in February by four lengths, and the first-crop daughter of G1 Japan Cup and G1 Kikuka Sho winner Epiphaneia followed through on that promise on Sunday with a win in the nation's first Classic of the season. Daring Tact is the first filly in 40 years to win the Oka Sho in just her third start,...

While the European Classics look likely to suffer some reshuffling, Japanese racing is continuing behind closed doors and the country is set to stage its first Classic on Sunday, the G1 Oka Sho (1000 Guineas). Final declarations for the Hanshin contest will be made on Thursday, but the 18 likely runners at this stage include no fewer than six daughters of Deep Impact (Jpn), who died last August. At this early stage of the year, it is no surprise to see the late Shadai resident out in front on the...