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Race Favorite Major Emblem Cruises to Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Victory

Jockey Christophe Lemaire produced a perfect ride on race favorite Major Emblem to land her first graded-race victory and become the champion two-year-old filly of the season. Breaking her maiden in her debut start in June (1,800m) and notching another win in the following allowance race start, the Aster Sho (1,600m), she finished a neck-second in her latest outing in the Artemis Stakes where she was tagged just before the wire. For trainer Yasuhito Tamura, this is his first JRA-G1 triumph among the eight grade-race titles he has secured during his 18 years in the trade. This victory marks the sixth JRA-G1 victory for jockey Christophe Lemaire, the latest was his 2013 Japan Cup Dirt with Belshazzar, and the first after being granted a full-term license from the JRA this March.

Sprinting clear from stall two of the 18-horse field, Major Emblem was hustled up to stalk the leader in second to third hugging the rails down the backstretch. After easily seizing the lead entering the stretch, the Daiwa Major filly romped strongly to the finish line never allowing her rivals to come closer than two lengths.

“She surprisingly broke very well and I’m glad we drew an inner stall. She is easy to ride and was relaxed today. She ran strongly to the finish line and I’m very happy we were able to claim the G1 race. She’s an amazing filly and I’m sure she’ll do well in the classics,” commented Christophe Lemaire in Japanese.

A bit keen to go in the early stages and traveling wide in upper mid-pack, Win Fabulous showed a strong late charge after the last turn, rallying past her front runners one by one down the straight and secured the runner-up seat 100 meters out.

Other Horses:
4th: (10) Peptide Supple—ran in mid-division, showed effort, neck short for 3rd place
5th: (9) At the Seaside—raced in mid-group, showed belated charge at stretch
6th: (5) Personnalite—sat near rear, turned wide, timed fastest over last 3 furlongs
7th: (17) Denko Ange—raced 3-wide in 5th, ran willingly but weakened in last 100m
8th: (7) Crocosmia—traveled along rail in mid-pack, lacked needed kick at stretch
9th: (1) Admire Lead—saved ground in mid-division, passed tired rivals at stretch
9th: (15) Candy Barows—stalked leaders in 4th, ran gamely until 100m out, weakened thereafter
11th: (8) Major Typhoon—sat toward rear, stayed on same pace after final turn
12th: (6) Meisho Suizuki—raced near rear, circled wide, even paced at stretch
13th: (4) Queue du Lapin—hugged rail in 6th, failed to respond at straight
14th: (18) Medjerda—positioned near pace, sustained bid until 200m out, ran out of steam thereafter
15th: (12) Win Mireille—ran 4th from rear, angled wide, unable to reach contention
16th: (14) Gentle Heart—traveled around 8th, faded after entering to lane
17th: (3) Ma Cherie Girl—far rear throughout trip, no factor
18th: (16) Kirishima Ojo—set pace after first 300m passing, faded after 3rd corner

THE 67TH HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES (G1)
2-year-old Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 13, 2015   Hanshin Racecourse   11th Race   Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 135,000,000 (about US$ 1,125,000 <US$1=¥120>)
2yo: 54kg (about 119 lbs), 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2013
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. Major Emblem (JPN), chestnut, filly, 2-year-old
   Daiwa Major / Catchy Title (Opera House)
   

   Owner: Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Northern Farm
   Trainer: Yasuhito Tamura	Jockey: Christophe Lemaire
   4 Starts, 3 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 66,316,000	Career earnings: ¥ 94,662,000
   Principal Race Performances:	’15 Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m)	2nd

   
   
2. Win Fabulous (JPN), gray, filly, 2-year-old
   Stay Gold / Summer Eternity (Admire Cozzene)
   

   Owner: Win Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Cosmo View Farm
   Trainer: Yoshihiro Hatakeyama	Jockey: Masami Matsuoka

   
   
3. Blanc Bonheur (JPN), gray, filly, 2-year-old
   Deep Impact / Le Sucre (Sakura Bakushin O)
   

   Owner: Yoko Maeda	Breeder: North Hills Co,. Ltd.
   Trainer: Kazuya Nakatake	Jockey: Yasunari Iwata

* Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1)
Races for two-year-olds were held for the first time in 1946 at Tokyo. As the number of contenders increased, championship races—the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes) and the Hanshin Sansai Stakes (predecessor to the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies)—which determined the top two-year-olds of the season in eastern and western Japan, respectively, were established in 1949. In conjunction with the new grading system implemented, the two races were designated G1 status in 1984. In 1991, the two races were divided by gender into two separate G1 events; the Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes for two-year-old fillies and the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings, then renamed “Hanshin Juvenile Fillies” and “Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes”, respectively, in 2001. The race, which started off initially as a 1,200-meter sprint, was extended to 1,400 meters in 1960 and to 1,600 meters in 1962. In 2010, the race was opened to foreign runners.
Recent winners of the race include many successful G1 champions such as two-time Horse of the Year Vodka (JPN, by Tanino Gimlet) who won seven G1 titles; Buena Vista (JPN, by Special Week), also Horse of the Year of 2010 and subsequent winner of six G1 races; and 2009 champion Apapane (JPN, by King Kamehameha) who subsequently won the Triple Crown titles for three-year-old fillies—the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m), the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) and the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m)—in 2010.
Among the line-up this year was Denko Ange who finished fifth in her debut start and went on to claim two consecutive wins, the latter being her first grade-race victory in the Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m) on October 31. Runner-up by a neck in the same Artemis Stakes was Major Emblem, who came off back-to-back wins in her first two career starts, and in third place was Crocosmia who was entered off an allowance race win, the Akamatsu Sho (Nov. 21, 1,600m). The top three finishers in the Fantasy Stakes (G3, 1,400m) on November 7 were also at the starting gate; winner Candy Barows was coming off two wins after a runner-up effort in her debut race; Medjerda, who finished a head behind in second; third-place finisher Blanc Bonheur, victor of the Hakodate Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,200m) in July.
Other winners of principal allowance races and in this year’s competition were; the Shiragiku Sho (Nov. 29, 1,600m) winner Admire Lead, the Shumeigiku Sho (Nov. 23, 1,400m) victor At the Seaside, the Rindo Sho (Oct. 11, 1,400m) winner Win Mireille and Queue du Lapin who claimed the Saffron Sho (Oct. 4, 1,600m).
Vodka is the current race record holder at 1:33.1 over the mile distance.