2016 NHK Mile Cup (G1) - Preview

Major Emblem

Grade 1 action switches to the Tokyo Racecourse on May 8, kicking off five weeks of consecutive top level races, including the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), making sure there’ll be plenty of fans passing through the turnstiles in the weeks ahead. The NHK Mile will be run for the 21st time this Sunday, and there have been twenty four 3-year-olds nominated for the race, including five fillies. The latter group will be trying to put an end to the colts’ recent domination in the race: the last filly to win was Pink Cameo in 2007. The race rules are for the colts to carry 57 kg, with a two kilogram allowance for fillies, while no geldings may compete. It’s looking like there will be another full gate of 18 runners again this week.

Initially the race was a Derby trial from 1953, run over 2,000 meters, but its current format dates from 1996, and it became an international Grade 1 in 2009. For exceptional horses, King Kamehameha (2004) and Deep Sky (2008), it could still be considered a Derby trial, as these winners of the NHK Mile Cup went on to capture the Derby in those same years. 

Lord Quest

Lead up races to this year’s NHK Mile Cup include the Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy, and the Grade 3 Falcon Stakes. Five first favorites in the last 10 years have won the NHK Mile, the most recent being Mikki Isle in 2014. For the winner over the tough Tokyo mile, a winner’s check of 95 million yen awaits. The race record is held by Danon Chantilly, who won the race in 2010 in a time of 1 minute, 31.4 seconds. The big race Sunday is Race 11 on the card and they’ll jump at 15:40 local time.

Here’s a look at some of the runners expected to line up:

Major Emblem:  This chestnut filly by Daiwa Major is looking to get back on track after her fourth place finish in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) in April. As the overwhelming odds-on-favorite, she didn’t quite get the rub of the green that day, but she will now return to Tokyo, where she blazed home two starts ago over course and distance in the Grade 3 Daily Hai Queen Cup. Jumping out of the gate quickly, she went wire-to-wire, leaving her rivals looking on. Winner of last year’s Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, that win gave her trainer Yasuhito Tamura his first success at the top level. Jockey Christophe Lemaire has ridden her in all her races, and he’s set to be in the saddle again on Sunday. The trainer said, “After her last race she went to Northern Farm Tenei (training farm), and she got in five pieces of fast work while she was there.  She returned and has been training well, and on the April 30, she completed her workload. In her last race, it didn’t go perfectly for her, but we know what she can do over the mile at Tokyo.”

Tosho Drafter

Lord Quest: The Lord Horse Club owned Lord Quest ran eighth last start in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April, where he was fifth at the final bend, leading connections to think the shorter trip of a mile will be more suitable for him. He is two wins from five starts, and one of those wins came on his debut at Tokyo over the mile. He has already earned a handy 78 million yen in prize money, and his trainer, Shigeyuki Kojima said, “From his eighth in the Satsuki Sho, we could see his style of racing and he was able to take on some good horses. This was a big thing, I feel. He’s been training well, and apart from getting a little eager with another horse along side, he’s relaxed.  There’s been a bit of an interval since his last run, so we’ll have him put in some big strides in his next piece of work.”

Tosho Drafter: A colt by Unrivaled, he has won his last three races, and has four wins from seven starts, including three wins at Tokyo. His latest win was in the Grade 3 Chunichi Sports Sho Falcon Stakes over 1,400 meters on a soft track at Chukyo Racecourse in March. He’s trained by Koji Kayano, and his regular jockey, Hironobu Tanabe, thinks a lot of the horse. “He won his last race, and considering the ground, he did well to win. In training, he compares well to earlier efforts, and I wanted him just to try a bit more when up against the level of his training partner recently. We’ve had some flexibility with him, and going into this race with stronger opposition, I feel his training’s been spot on. I was anxious last time on the ground and the sharp Chukyo track, but the mile at Tokyo hopefully will be smoother,” Tanabe said.

Brave Smash

Brave Smash: This colt by Tosen Phantom has been ridden by top jockey Norihiro Yokoyama in his last five races. Brave Smash has had eight career starts for two wins and four seconds, and has won once and finished second once in two starts at Tokyo.  His latest effort saw him finish second to Tosho Drafter in the Grade 3 Falcon Stakes.  On April 28, he put in a piece of work on the Miho Training Center woodchip course and recorded a six furlong time of 81.4 seconds, three furlong time of 39.3 seconds, and 13.2 seconds over the last furlong. His trainer, Michihiro Ogasa said last week, “He ran well in training with stablemate Nasuno Aoba. Next week he’ll work by himself.”

Eclat Millenaire: One of the other fillies expected to run on Sunday, Eclat Millenaire is by Matsurida Gogh and was bred at Okada Stud. From eight starts, she has two wins and two thirds, and finished third most recently in the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama Racecourse in April. Gearing up for the ride is jockey Takuya Ono, who rode her in work recently on the woodchip course at Miho, where she recorded a five furlong time of 67.2 seconds, three furlong time of 38.2 seconds, and 12.4 seconds over the final furlong. The jockey said, “She moves well, is easy to ride, and looks capable of getting into a good race rhythm.”

Dantsu Prius

Tizona: The likely ride of Mirco Demuro, who’s won two Grade1 races already this year,  Tizona has had six career starts and has won three times and finished second twice. The dark bay colt by Daiwa Major has had three runs at Tokyo, winning on two occasions and placing second once. He most recently won the open class Marguerite Stakes over 1,400 meters at Hanshin in April. His trainer, Kazuo Fujisawa, said, “He showed his toughness to win the Marguerite Stakes, and his recent training has been similar to what he did before that race.”

Immortal: This colt by Manhattan Cafe is trained by Naosuke Sugai and runs in the colours of Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd. In his most recent race he finished second to Satsuki Sho winner, Dee Majesty, in the Grade 3 Kyodo News Service Hai over 1,800 meters at Tokyo in February. He has a win and another second in his four starts to date. Keita Tosaki looks set to take the ride on Immortal.

Dantsu Prius: Winner of the Grade 2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama most recently, this Brian’s Time colt has had 10 career starts for three wins and three seconds, and has won himself prize money of 105 million yen. Dantsu Prius will be having his first run at Tokyo.