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Orfevre Returns to Stardom in the All-Star Takarazuka Kinen

Living up to the expectations of the fans that placed him on the top of the list of fan votes, Orfevre exerted an impressive late charge to capture the 2012 Takarazuka Kinen, his fifth G1 victory following the year-end Grand Prix race Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m) last year. With his full brother Dream Journey also claiming the Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen in 2009, the two became the first brothers to claim the Takarazuka Kinen in JRA history. While capturing the Triple Crown races—seventh colt to claim the title—and being named the 2011 Horse of the Year, the Stay Gold colt had been winless this year, finishing second in the Hanshin Daishoten (G2, 3,000m) and a disappointing 11th in his last race, the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m). His comeback to stardom in this race gave his jockey Kenichi Ikezoe and his trainer Yasutoshi Ikee their third and second Takarazuka Kinen victory, respectively, which includes their success with Dream Journey in 2009 (the jockey has also won the race with Sweep Tosho in 2005). The trainer refrained from commenting on Orfevre’s future schedule to challenge in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Coming in second was Rulership partnered with Craig Williams, with whom he won this year’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,000m) in Hong Kong.

The race took off with Neko Punch accelerating smoothly from the outermost post to take the front, followed by Smile Jack some 3 lengths behind and Beat Black another 3-4 lengths apart in third. Mount Shasta settled in fourth while second pick Rulership raced sixth from the front, with race favorite Orfevre and third choice Win Variation racing side by side in mid-division around 11-12th.

While the field closed in entering the homestretch, Rulership and defending champion Earnestly inherited the lead from the tiring frontrunners just briefly, as 3-year-old Mount Shasta quickened from the inner course, utilizing his weight advantage of 53kg, to overtake the front. Orfevre, slipping out from the pack at the top of the homestretch, accelerated powerfully with his usual burst of speed, caught up with Mount Shasta 100 meters out and immediately pulled away to a comfortable 2-length victory. Pursuing the winner were Rulership partnered with Craig Williams, sixth pick Shonan Mighty who threaded through the horses from way behind in the rear and unleashed an impressive turn of speed, and Win Variation who made bid from the outer route after turning the corners wide—the three horses crossed the wire 2 lengths, 1-1/4 lengths and another 2 lengths behind in second, third and fourth, respectively. Mount Shasta, although overtaken by four horses before the wire, raced tenaciously until the end to finish a nose behind Win Variation in fifth.

Other Horses:
6th: (6) Eishin Flash—off the pace in mid-field, showed little in stretch.
7th: (8) Earnestly—ran 5th, entered stretch in 2nd but unable to maintain effort.
8th: (10) Nakayama Knight—traveled behind winner, improved position at stretch.
9th: (9) Beat Black—raced well in good position, led briefly at 4th corner but fell back soon after.
10th: (12) Federalist—sat towards rear, angled out and gained ground in homestretch.
11th: (3) Hit the Target—saved ground in mid-division, no response at stretch.
12th: (15) To the Glory—settled in front of winner, lacked needed kick in stretch.
13th: (13) Monte Kris S—trailed in rear, passed tired rivals in stretch.
14th: (14) Whale Capture—traveled wide in midfield, never a threat.
15th: (5) Smile Jack—chased leader 3-4 lengths behind, faded after 4th corner.
16th: (16) Neko Punch—set pace from widest draw, used up before final turn.

THE 53RD TAKARAZUKA KINEN (G1)
3-year-old & up, 2,200 meters (about 11 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, June 24, 2012   Hanshin Racecourse   11th Race   Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥274,960,000 (about US$ 3,437,000 < US$1 = ¥80>)
3-y-o: 53kg (about 117 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 58kg (about 128 lbs)
2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2008,
3kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2009
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. Orfevre (JPN), chestnut, colt, 4-year-old
   Stay Gold / Oriental Art (Mejiro McQueen)
   

   Breeder: Shadai Corporation Inc.	Owner: Sunday Racing Co.,Ltd.
   Trainer: Yasutoshi Ikee	Jockey: Kenichi Ikezoe
   14 Starts, 8 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 135,444,000	Career earnings: ¥ 978,682,000
   Principal race performances:	’11 Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m)	1st
   	’11 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m)	1st
   	’11 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m)	1st
   	’11 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m)	1st

   
   
2. Rulership (JPN), bay, horse, 5-year-old
   King Kamehameha / Air Groove (Tony Bin)
   

   Breeder: Northern Racing	Owner: Sunday Racing Co.,Ltd.
   Trainer: Katsuhiko Sumii	Jockey: Craig Williams

   
   
3. Shonan Mighty (JPN), dark bay or brown, colt, 4-year-old
   Manhattan Cafe / Luxury (Storm Cat)
   

   Breeder: Yano Bokujo	Owner: Tetsuhide Kunimoto
   Trainer: Tomoyuki Umeda	Jockey: Suguru Hamanaka

* Takarazuka Kinen (G1)
The Takarazuka Kinen, established in 1960, opened its doors to foreign-trained horses in 1997 and became the first international Grade 1 race designated by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee (ICSC) held in western Japan in 2001. It is a Grand Prix (all-star) race, in which fans select the runners from all distances by votes and the last G1 race of the spring season to determine the seasonal champion.

The Takarazuka Kinen joined the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series in 2011, enabling its winners to earn automatic starting position in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) hosted by the U.S. where many G1 runners from around the world come together to compete.

The Takarazuka Kinen has not had any runners from overseas ever since the Australian-trained Seto Stayer (AUS, by Bellotto) took part in the race in 1997 as the first foreign participant. This year, Red Cadeaux (GB, by Cadeaux Genereux) was selected to represent England in the race, but the connections withdrew the entry.

Earnestly, who won the Takarazuka Kinen in record time of 2:10.1 last year, was selected to run again this year, ranking seventh in the number of votes. His last win was in September in the All Comers (G2, 2,200m). Last year’s Triple Crown colt and Horse of the Year Orfevre was selected the number one choice for the coming G1 event, although he had yet to score a win this year, coming off a disappointing 11th in the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m). Rulership, who had already marked two grade-race victories this year including his latest overseas success in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,000m) in Hong Kong, was ranked third in votes. Fourth on the list of votes was 2010 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) winner Eishin Flash, while Win Variation, coming off a third-place finish in the Tenno Sho (Spring), and To the Glory, who won his last start in the Naruo Kinen (G3, 2,000m), followed in fifth and sixth in votes, respectively. Victoria Mile (G1, 1,600m) winner Whale Capture and Tenno Sho (Spring) winner Beat Black also made the line-up of this year while ranking below tenth in votes.