Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (G1) - Preview

Soul Stirring

Lys Gracieux

Mi Suerte

Admire Miyabi

Miss Panthere

Karakurenai

After last week’s inaugural running of the Osaka Hai as a Grade 1, comes a more time-honored race in the form of the Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas).  A race first run in 1939 and won by a filly named Soul Lady, the first Classic of the year for 3-year-old fillies has become synonymous with the blooming of the cherry trees in Japan, and hence the race’s name. Next Sunday will see the 77th running of the race at Hanshin Racecourse, located between the cities of Osaka and Kobe.

Twenty two fillies have been nominated for the maximum number of 18 starters that could line up on Sunday. The race is run on turf over a mile on the outer course of the track. Some big name winners of the race have included Buena Vista (2009), Apapane (2010), who holds the race record time of 1 minute, 33.3 seconds, and the great Gentildonna in 2012. The fillies carry a set weight of 55kgs, and a winner’s check of \92 million awaits the first to cross the line.

Major lead up races to this year’s Oka Sho have been the Grade 2 Hochi Hai Fillies’ Revue, the Grade 3 Tulip Sho, and the Grade 3 Daily Hai Queen Cup. In the last 10 years, market leaders have done well, with 1st, 2nd or 3rd favorites taking out seven of those 10 races. Horses trained at the JRA Ritto Training Center also have quite a stranglehold on the race, winning eight out of the last 10 runnings of the Oka Sho.

Final declarations and the barrier draw will be announced towards the end of the week, and a great race is in prospect this time around. The Oka Sho will be Race 11 on the card at Hanshin on Sunday, with a post time of 15:40 local time.

Here’s a look at some of the top fillies expected to be in the final lineup:

Soul Stirring: One of two fillies in the race sired by the great Frankel, there are enough big names associated with this filly to seemingly carry her over the line first. Trained by Kazuo Fujisawa, who sent out Dance in the Mood to win the race in 2004, the trainer is looking for his 25th Grade 1 title here in Japan. Aboard the unbeaten filly will be Christophe Lemaire, who also rode the dam of Soul Stirring, Stacelita, to win the French Oaks in 2009. Assistant trainer, Daisuke Tsumagari, commented recently: “For the Tulip Sho, it was the second time she had to endure the long transportation to the track, but she was quite relaxed and was in fact 4kgs heavier than when she ran before. She was able to handle breaking from an outside gate in a small field and maintained prominent position throughout the race. On her return to the stable, everything’s gone well with her, and she’s a clever horse who is easy to control.”

Lys Gracieux: This filly by Heart’s Cry has been sent off 1st or 2nd favorite in all five of her races to date, and is trained by Yoshito Yahagi, and will most likely be ridden by Yutaka Take, just off another great win with Kitasan Black in the Osaka Hai. Lys Gracieux is coming off a third-place finish to Soul Stirring in the Grade 3 Tulip Sho over 1,600 meters at Hanshin in March. An assistant to trainer Yahagi said, “She eats well, but doesn’t gain weight, which is a bit of a weak point, but she has gained 6kgs of late. She’s relaxed and is running better, and rather than overdo things with her, we’ll just keep her ticking over.”

Mi Suerte: The other filly by Frankel nominated for the race, she last ran at the end of last year when she finished fourth in the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes over a mile at Hanshin, having won both her previous races, one at Hanshin and the other at Kyoto. Lined up for the ride is jockey Yuga Kawada, who rode her in recent work and said she was in “good form.”  Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee commented: “She’s a bit highly strung, but has matured and grown, and is more muscular in her hind quarters and neck. Because of her layoff, she didn’t fully get into top gear in work on March 23, but from now I think she’ll get better.”

Admire Miyabi: Another filly by Heart’s Cry, Admire Miyabi has won three times from four starts, and most recently won the Grade 3 Daily Hai Queen Cup over a mile at Tokyo in February. With Lemaire booked to ride Soul Stirring, Mirco Demuro has picked up what looks like a good ride here. Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said, “She takes a little time to hit full throttle, but she was certainly suited to the Tokyo track last time. We gave her a short break at the farm and she came back to us on March 8. Everything’s been fine since her return, and while you could think of her racing better over a longer distance, she’s got results over a mile.”

Miss Panthere: This Daiwa Major filly has just had the two starts, winning on her debut, and then finishing a bold second to Soul Stirring in her latest outing in the Grade 3 Tulip Sho.  It mustn’t be forgotten that Soul Stirring won that race in a time of 1 minute, 33.2 seconds, 0.1 seconds faster than Apapane’s race record time for the Oka Sho. Of Miss Panthere, trainer Mitsugu Kon commented: “In her two races so far, she’s been able to demonstrate her closing speed, even when the speed is really on, like it was in her last race. As she’s only had the two runs, we’re still learning what’s best for her, but things look good.”

Karakurenai: This Shadai Farm bred filly was an impressive winner of her latest race, the Grade 2 Fillies’ Revue over 1,400 meters at Hanshin in March. All of her four races have been over 1,400 meters, but the extra 200 meters hardly looks to be a problem. Jockey Hironobu Tanabe has been given the big race ride on her, and he’s enjoying a good start to the year, with surely more Grade 1 wins for him just a matter of time. Trainer Takeshi Matsushita said, “She was out the back in her last race, but still managed a three furlong time of 33.5 seconds, and closed well from the fourth corner to go on and win well. She doesn’t seem to have any tiredness after that, and we’re just taking it easy with her for the moment.”

Aerolithe: The grey filly by Kurofune will be looking to notch a win for the Kanto-based connections. Aerolithe won on her debut, and she has never finished out of the first two in four starts. Norihiro Yokoyama will ride her, as he has done in all her races, including the latest, when she was beaten 1/2 a length by Admire Miyabi in the Grade 3 Daily Hai Queen Cup. Her trainer, Takanori Kikuzawa, said, “Previously, her footwork wasn’t great, but we’ve been training her uphill on the woodchip course, and her footwork’s gotten better, as well as her not pulling the jockey so much. Training in this way for the race seems better.”