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Schnell Meister Becomes First German-bred Winner of NHK Mile Cup

Second favorite Schnell Meister landed his first career G1 title, just 0.2 seconds short of the race record, in this year’s NHK Mile Cup, becoming the first foreign-bred colt to win the title since Kurofune (USA) in 2001 and seventh overall and while Lando was officially the first German-bred to claim a JRA-G1 title in the 1995 Japan Cup, the Kingman colt is the first German-bred trained in Japan to accomplish the feat. Schnell Meister won his first two career starts last year; his debut over 1,500 meters at Sapporo in September and the Hiiragi Sho (Nakayama, 1,600m) in December. He finished second to subsequent Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) runner-up, Titleholder in the Yayoi Sho (Deep Impact Kinen, G2, 2,000m) earning his berth in the first leg of the Triple Crown, but passed up the Satsuki Sho to focus on the NHK Mile Cup. For trainer Takahisa Tezuka, it was his seventh JRA-G1 title—the last being the Tenno Sho (Spring) last year with Fierement. It was the second NHK Mile Cup title for jockey Christophe Lemaire after his victory in 2016 with Major Emblem. The victory marked his 37th career JRA-G1 title and his second this year after the February Stakes with Cafe Pharoah.

Schnell Meister was unhurried after a smooth break and settled in mid-division behind a rapid pace set by Pixie Knight who spurted out from the outer-most gate. Keeping eye on the race favorite, Christophe Lemaire followed Songline into the stretch and while needing much encouragement, the Kingman colt found another gear in the critical stages to pin Songline who weakened slightly nearing the finish for a nose victory.

“He jumped out of the gate well but I didn’t want to pressure him too much in the early stages but while sitting in mid-field, we still had to put in some effort to keep with the rapid pace. He took some time to get into gear but eventually got into a good rhythm and responded strongly in the critical stages. We were able to follow Songline into the homestretch for the attack and had just that little more when Songline started to lean near the finish. There is still a lot of greenness in Schnell Meister and has a lot of room for improvement but once he’s established himself physically, he should be able to handle the best at G1 level,” commented Christophe Lemaire.

Songline raced just behind Grenadier Guards in eighth position, stalked that foe into the straight, took command at the furlong pole and was immediately challenged by the fast-closing Schnell Meister who just managed to reach the Kizuna filly at the wire and win by a nose.

Other Horses:
4th: (5) Rickenbacker—ran in 15th, quickened between horses, timed fastest over last 600m but belatedly
5th: (16) Lord Max—traveled in 12th, circled wide, sustained bid but lacked needed speed
6th: (7) Time to Heaven—sat around 6th, showed response passing 200m pole, weakened in final strides
7th: (2) Another Lyric—settled inside winner, switched to outside at early stretch, passed tired rivals
8th: (12) Land of Liberty—saved ground in 5th, showed tenacious effort, weakened in last 100m
9th: (13) Ho O Amazon—chased leader in 2nd, sustained to reach contention until 200m pole
10th: (3) Rooks Nest—sat around 6th, showed effort until 200m pole, weakened thereafter
11th: (11) Veil Nebula—raced in 14th, angled out for stretch run, never threatened
12th: (18) Pixie Knight—set pace from widest draw, showed tenacity but outrun in last 200m
13th: (14) Shock Action—ran 3-wide in 11th behind winner, failed to respond and even paced
14th: (6) City Rainbow—traveled 2nd from rear, never fired and unable to reach contention
15th: (1) Raymond Barows—was off slow, trailed in far rear, no factor
16th: (9) Gold Chalice—took economic trip in 13th, showed little at stretch
17th: (17) Gray in Green—tracked leaders around 3rd from wide draw, outrun in last 400m
Fail to Finish: (4) Bathrat Leon—stumbled soon after break and unseated rider

THE 26TH NHK MILE CUP (G1)
3-year-olds, Colts & Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, May 9, 2021           Tokyo Racecourse          11th Race           Post Time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 226,800,000 (about US$ 2,160,000 <US$1=¥105>)
3-y-o: 57 kg (about 126 lbs), 2 kg allowance for Fillies, 2 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2018
Course Record: 1:30.5         Race Record: 1:31.4 [Danon Chantilly (JPN, by Fuji Kiseki), 2010]
Safety factor: 18 runners     Going: Good to Firm           Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 15,245,820,300       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 24,629,927,500

Winner= 4 starts, 3 wins, 1 second / Added money: ¥ 108,822,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 148,382,000

* NHK Mile Cup (G1)

While races in Japan for three-year-olds had been programmed mainly to facilitate those aiming towards the middle-long distance three-year-old Classics as typified by the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m), the interest in speed races is growing both within and outside Japan, and earning much respect as the traditional Classics. In 1996, JRA reorganized its races in order to accommodate and promote the three-year-olds suited to short distances, and established the NHK Mile Cup which was named after its sponsor Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)—Japan’s only public broadcaster. The race was designated as an international race in 2009.
Past NHK Mile Cup winners include subsequent derby winners King Kamehameha (JPN, by Kingmambo; ’04) and Deep Sky (JPN, by Agnes Tachyon; ’08) while El Condor Pasa (USA, by Kingmambo; ’98) and Kurofune (USA, by French Deputy; ’01) won the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) and the Japan Cup Dirt (G1, dirt, 2,100m), respectively. 2019 champion Admire Mars (JPN, by Daiwa Major) went on to claim his third G1 title in the Hong Kong Mile (G1, 1,600m) against strong older foes that year.
Last year’s Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) winner Grenadier Guards came off a head second behind Rooks Nest in the Falcon Stakes (G3, 1,400m, Mar.20). Key contenders coming off the two official NHK Mile Cup trials included Bathrat Leon, Time to Heaven and City Rainbow, the top three finishers in the New Zealand Trophy (G2, 1,600m, Apr.10) as well as Ho O Amazon, Rickenbacker, Raymond Barows and the G3 victor Pixie Knight who finished first to fourth in that order in the Arlington Cup (G3, 1,600m, Apr.17). Other key runners in the field included Schnell Meister, runner-up of the Yayoi Sho (Deep Impact Kinen, G2, 2,000m, Mar.7) and Another Lyric, winner of the Anemone Stakes (L, 1,600m, Mar.14).