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Lucky Lilac Is Top Two-Year-Old Filly Claiming Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Title

Second favorite Lucky Lilac conquered the field of 18 starlets in their first competition at the highest level and stretched her winning streak to three. After promptly breaking her maiden in her debut start, the chestnut filly claimed her first graded win in the Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m) on October 28 that followed. This marks trainer Mikio Matsunaga’s second flat JRA-G1 title since his Shuka Sho victory with Red Desire in 2009 while jockey Syu Ishibashi also celebrates his second JRA-G1 win since claiming the 2012 Tenno Sho (Spring) with Beat Black. As the first crop of Orfevre, who concluded his racing career at the end of the 2013 season, Lucky Lilac has given the new stallion his first G1 victory as a sire.

The gates sprung open with Las Emociones taking the lead while Cordierite chased the pace from the outside in second. After briefly struggling to find room in the early going, Lucky Lilac was reserved about a half-length in front and on the outside of Mau Lea in mid-field, and was edged to a wider position making the final turns chasing Lily Noble on her heels into the stretch. With a clear path in front of her, the chestnut filly ran powerfully down the lane, finally catching the eventual runner-up 100 meters out and cleared the wire a 3/4-length winner as a result of a time-tied fastest last-three-furlong drive.

“She was a bit keen in her last start but was very relaxed today. We were in a good striking position at the top of the stretch which gave me all the confidence I needed. Her physical ability is extremely high and she is very intelligent too. Although she has room to improve, I just hope she can start the next season in good form,” commented Syu Ishibashi.

Third pick Lily Noble settled off the pace in a mid-field position around sixth to seventh and made a wide bid at the last corner for her attack. Easily taking over the front from the tiring leaders before the furlong pole, the Rulership filly showed a tenacious late drive but succumbed to the tremendous speed of Lucky Lilac in the last half furlong while holding off a fast-closing Mau Lea for second.

Mau Lea, one of the four Deep Impact fillies in the field, was unhurried in mid-division racing on the rails beside Lucky Lilac through the backstretch. Making headway rounding the turns, the fourth pick stalked the eventual winner in early stretch and powered home but failed to emerge as a serious threat, finishing a half-length from runner-up Lily Noble in third.

Other Horses:
4th: (8) Tosen Bless―positioned towards rear, tied fastest over last 3 furlongs, failed to threaten top 3 finishers
5th: (16) Molto Allegro―ran 3-wide behind winner, showed belated charge in last 200m
6th: (2) Lathyros―chased leaders in 3rd, sustained bid until 100m out, weakened thereafter
7th: (3) Gulielma―sat along rails in mid-pack, accelerated in last 200m, was too late
8th: (12) Social Club―raced 3-wide in mid-group, improved position at stretch but never a threat
10th: (6) Mademoiselle―traveled around 5th, ran gamely until 200m marker, lacked needed kick
11th: (14) Noble Earth―ran near rear, turned wide, passed tired rivals at stretch
12th: (13) Tosen Amber―was off slow, took economic trip near rear, failed to find clear path 200m out
13th: (17) Cordierite―pressed pace in 2nd from wide draw, ran willingly until 200m pole, then weakened
14th: (1) Sayakachan―hugged rails around 6th, checked after 200m marker, lost momentum
15th: (9) Regle d’Or―trailed in rear, showed brief effort at early stretch, failed to sustain bid
16th: (10) High Heel―raced in mid-division, gradually fell back, faded
17th: (5) Las Emociones―set pace, sustained lead until mid-stretch, outrun thereafter
18th: (15) Nadia―sat towards rear early, advanced after 3rd corner, showed little at stretch

THE 69TH HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES (G1)
2-year-old Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, right-handed
Sunday, December 10, 2017   Hanshin Racecourse      11th Race    Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 140,200,000 (about US$ 1,219,000 <US$1=¥115>)
2yo: 54kg (about 119 lbs), 3 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2015
Safety factor: 18 runners

FP=Final Position / BK=Bracket Number / PP=Post Position / Wgt=Weight / L3F=Time of Last 3 Furlongs (600m)

1. 1. Lucky Lilac (JPN), chestnut, filly, 2-year-old
   Orfevre / Lilacs and Lace (Flower Alley)

   Owner: Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Northern Racing
   Trainer: Mikio Matsunaga	Jockey: Syu Ishibashi
   3 Starts, 3 Wins
   Added money: ¥66,288,000	Career earnings: ¥102,820,000
   Principal Race Performances:	'17 Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m)	1st

   
   
2. 2. Lily Noble (JPN), bay, filly, 2-year-old
   Rulership / Pure Chaplet (Kurofune)

   Owner: Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Northern Farm
   Trainer: Kenichi Fujioka	Jockey: Yuga Kawada

   
   
3. 3. Mau Lea (JPN), bay, filly, 2-year-old
   Deep Impact / Buy the Cat (Storm Cat)

   Owner: Yukihiro Ochiai	Breeder: Shimokobe Farm
   Trainer: Takahisa Tezuka	Jockey: Keita Tosaki

* 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 200 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. Soul Stirring (JPN), offspring of undefeated star horse Frankel (GB, by Galileo), claimed last year’s version and went on to capture the Yushun Himba title this year.
Two Orfevre (JPN, by Stay Gold) fillies were featured in this year’s line-up, Rock This Town and Lucky Lilac who came off their wins in the Sapporo Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,800m; Sep.2) and the Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m; Oct.28), respectively, both scoring two wins out of two career starts. Other prominent runners were the Artemis Stakes runner-up Sayakachan, the Fantasy Stakes (G3, 1,400m; Nov.3) second-place finisher Cordierite, Social Club out of Buena Vista, the allowance-race victors such as Mademoiselle [Rindo Sho (1,400m; Oct.8)], Molto Allegro [Kurumi Sho (1,400m; Oct.22)], Mau Lea [Akamatsu Sho (1,600m; Nov.19)], Lily Noble [Shiragiku Sho (1,600m; Nov.26)] and Regle d’Or [Himawari Sho (1,200m; Aug.26)].
Vodka is the current race record holder at 1:33.1 over the mile distance.