2015 Shuka Sho (G1) - final leg of fillies' Triple Crown - Preview

Top class action returns to Kyoto this coming Sunday (October 18th) after a one week break following the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama.  The 20th running of the Shuka Sho has drawn twenty nominations, including this year’s Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas)  and Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winners in Let’s Go Donki and Mikki Queen.  The fact that two different horses have claimed these races means there still remains just four fillies to win all three legs of the so called Triple Crown for fillies.  The last one to do so was Gentildonna in 2012.  Let’s Go Donki and Mikki Queen gain automatic entry to the Shuka Sho through their big race wins, and the top two finishers in the Shion Stakes, as well as the top three finishers in the Rose Stakes, also qualify.

The Shuka Sho was established in 1996, when the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup was opened up to older fillies and mares, and is run over 2000 meters on the inner course at the Kyoto track.  The race starts in front of the stands, with the first two corners upon the runners in little time at all.  There’s a rise in the backstretch just over 1000 meters out, before descending again on the run towards the home straight.  The latter is pretty short on the Shuka Sho course, and the jockeys have just about 328 meters to mount their final challenges, so it’s important to be not too far off the pace.

All fillies will carry a set weight of 55 kgs, and the prize to the winner is ¥89 million.  The race was granted international Grade 1 status in 2009, but there are no runners from overseas this year.  The race record stands at 1 minute 57.0 seconds, when just last year, Shonan Pandora blazed home to shave over a second off the previous record held by Fabulous La Fouine.  The race has been kind to market leaders in the last ten years, with first or second favourites winning seven of them.  Jockeys Yasunari Iwata and Yutaka Take have won the race three times apiece.  One notable absentee will be last year’s Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies winner, Shonan Adela, who is out through injury, but otherwise the battle is on amongst this year’s top 3-year-old fillies.  The race has a post time of 3.40pm.

Mikki Queen Mikki Queen - She’s the reigning 3-year-old filly, having won the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), but her star was lowered slightly in her most recent race, when she was beaten by 1 1/2 lengths by Touching Speech in the Grade 2 Kansai Telecasting Corp. Sho Rose Stakes over 1800 meters at Hanshin in September.  Her trainer, Yasutoshi Ikee, feared the distance might have been a little too short that day, and last at the final corner, she failed to peg back Touching Speech.  The extra 200 meters are sure to suit, and the Deep Impact filly has never been out of the first two in six career starts.  Jockey Suguru Hamanaka has ridden her in all her races, and is looking to follow up on his win in the race last year.  The Northern Farm bred Mikki Queen will be having her first run at Kyoto, but has already earned ¥185 million in prize money, and will be looking to give trainer Ikee his thirteenth Grade 1 success.

Touching Speech Touching Speech - Another bay filly by Deep Impact, she has managed to turn the tables on Mikki Queen since they met in the Wasurenagusa Sho over 2000 meters at Hanshin back in April, where she finished eighth to the Oaks winner.  As well as winning the Grade 2 Kansai Telecasting Corp. Sho Rose Stakes, she won the time before that over 2000 meters at Sapporo in August.  The key to her would seem to keep her well back and relaxed, until unleashing a run down the home straight, as she did in fine style under Christophe Lemaire last time.  The jockey is expected to partner her again in the Shuka Sho.  She is three wins from six starts, and is trained by Sei Ishizaka, who did such a great job with Gentildonna, a previous winner of this race.

Let's Go Donki Let’s Go Donki - The second highest prize money winner in the race, she’s probably best remembered this year for her runaway win in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas).  She was fifth favorite that day and no other horse got a look in.  A winner on her debut, and second in last year’s Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, there’s a lot to like about this filly, but after her tenth place finish in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), there are questions about her stamina.  Apart from the latter race, her runs have been over 1600 or 1800 meters, including her latest start where she finished 4th to Touching Speech in the Grade 2 Kansai Telecasting Corp. Sho Rose Stakes, also at 1800 meters.  She’s by King Kamehameha out of the Marvelous Sunday mare Marutoku, and races in the colours of owner Toshihiro Hirosaki (Hirosaki Toshihiro HD Co. Ltd.), who’s enjoying other Grade 1 success this year with Straight Girl.  It will be interesting to monitor Let’s Go Donki’s race here in the Shuka Sho.

Tosen Victory Tosen Victory - There’s plenty to like about this filly, who’s been going up through the grades like there’s no tomorrow.  She’s by King Kamehameha out of To The Victory, so there’s a lot to like about her pedigree, and having notched up two straight wins over 2000 meters and 1800 meters at Chukyo and Kokura respectively, she managed a third to Touching Speech on her latest start at Hanshin.  She’s only been unplaced once in eight starts, and is trained by the respected Katsuhiko Sumii, who sent out Aventura to win the Shuka Sho in 2011.  Another giant of the Japanese turf, Yutaka Take, could be in for the ride.  So many of the rider’s successes have come at Kyoto, and he recently notched up his 300th JRA Graded Stakes win.

Kokorono Ai Kokorono Ai - This filly is coming back from injury, having finished seventh in her last start in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), where she was beaten by around 4 lengths.  She won twice as a 2-year-old, and her only win as a 3-year-old came in the Grade 3 Tulip Sho over 1600 meters at Hanshin in March.  Jockey Norihiro Yokoyama has partnered her in five of her seven career starts to date.  The Stay Gold filly finished tenth in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and is trained by Tomohito Ozeki.  The trainer had the following to say recently:  “She ran well in the Oaks, considering she sustained an injury, and I’m pleased with the way she’s come back.  I think the 2000 meters on the inner turf course will suit her very well.”

Queen's Milagro Queen’s Milagro - Coming into the Shuka Sho after winning the Open Class Shion Stakes by half a length over 2000 meters on a firm track at Nakayama in September, this filly is bidding to outperform some of the bigger names.  She won prior to the Shion Stakes at Niigata in August, taking out the Murakami Tokubetsu over 1600 meters.  She was ridden on both occasions by jockey Yutaka Yoshida, and he will most likely partner her again in her first ever run at Kyoto.

Queens Ring Queens Ring - A filly by Manhattan Cafe who’s been ridden by Mirco Demuro in her last four races.  She won the Grade 2 Hochi Hai Fillies’ Revue in March, before finishing fourth in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), and then ninth in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks).  On her latest start, she finished fifth to Touching Speech in the Grade 2 Kansai Telecasting Corp. Sho Rose Stakes over 1800 meters at Hanshin, a race in which she was always travelling around fifth place.  She was bred at Shadai Farm and runs in the colours of Chizu Yoshida.

Dear My Darling Dear My Darling - A filly with seven starts to her name and only twice unplaced in her career.  She had two straight wins as a 2-year-old at the end of 2014, and notable runs as a 3-year-old include a third in the Grade 3 Flower Cup at Nakayama in March, and a second in the Grade 2 Sankei Sports Sho Flora Stakes over 2000 meters at Tokyo in April, her only run over 2000 meters.  She since finished eleventh in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks).

Cat Coin Cat Coin - A filly by Stay Gold who runs in the Sunday Racing colours, and has three wins from five starts, ridden by jockey Yoshitomi Shibata in every one of her races so far.  She won her first three races all over a mile, then managed seventh in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), followed by a twelfth place finish in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), which was her last start.

White Elegance White Elegance - A grey filly by Kurofune out of the Sunday Silence mare Lady Bellona, she was second to Queen’s Milagro in the Open Class Shion Stakes over 2000 meters at Nakayama last month.  She chalked up two wins this summer at Sapporo and Hakodate, and was partnered on those occasions by jockey Kyosuke Maruta.

Tenderly Voice Tenderly Voice - The Kaneko Makoto Holdings bred Tenderly Voice carries the flag for owner Kaneko Makoto Holdings, but the filly’s trying to put behind her a couple of slightly disappointing runs, the most recent of which was when she started favourite for the Open Class Shion Stakes last month, where she faded to finish eleventh.  Prior to that she was twelfth in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas).  She is having her first run at Kyoto, and except for the Shion Stakes, all her other races have been over a mile.

Sing With Joy Sing With Joy - Representing the Shadai Race Horse Co. Ltd., she’s another filly looking to bounce back to form after finishing fourteenth to Touching Speech in the Grade 2 Kansai Telecasting Corp. Sho Rose Stakes over 1800 meters last month, and seventeenth to Mikki Queen in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) before that.  She had two consecutive wins previously, including her only win over 2000 meters in the Grade 2 Sankei Sports Sho Flora Stakes at Tokyo in April.

Maximum de Paris Maximum de Paris - Another grey filly bred at Shadai Farm, who’s only been unplaced once in eight starts, and that was in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), where she finished eighth.  She has since won the Kobu Tokubetsu over 2200 meters at Hanshin in September, and on her two runs at Kyoto she has placed third on both occasions, those races being over a distance of 1800 meters.