PDF(202kb)

Embroidery Reigns as Champion Female Miler with Victoria Mile Victory

Overwhelming favorite Embroidery dominated this year’s Victoria Mile, capturing her third G1 title following her victory in the Hanshin Himba Stakes (G2, 1,600m) on April 11. Marking 2-1-0 out of four starts as a two-year-olds, the daughter of Admire Mars won three of five races in the following season—the Queen Cup (G3, 1,600m), the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) and the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m)—which earned her Best Three-Year-Old Filly title that year. Trainer Kazutomo Mori scored his third JRA-G1 win, all with this filly, while jockey Christophe Lemaire extended his record for the most Victoria Mile victories to five, having claimed the race in 2017 (Admire Lead), 2020 (Almond Eye), 2021 (Gran Alegria) and 2025 (Ascoli Piceno). He also celebrated the milestone of his 60th JRA-G1 title.

Four-year-old Embroidery, breaking sharply from stall 12, eased back to settle around sixth behind frontrunner Erika Express. Racing wide around the corners, the Admire Mars filly advanced steadily up the hill in the early stretch and, after taking the lead at the 200-meter marker, accelerated strongly and easily pulled away for a comfortable 1-1/4-length victory.

“It was a perfect race. We were able to break smoothly, which allowed us to race in a good position. She responded really well on the uphill stretch, and I was confident we could win again. She’s a smart horse with a strong mentality, and she’s developing physically as well—she’s truly a G1-caliber horse. I think she can compete both in Japan and overseas,” commented jockey Christophe Lemaire.

Second pick Kamunyak broke smoothly and settled around seventh, tracking right behind Embroidery. The four-year-old Black Tide filly continued to stalk the race favorite in the stretch and, although unable to threaten the winner, crossed the wire 1-1/2 lengths clear of the rest of the field to finish second.

Third favorite and last year’s runner-up Queen’s Walk sat around eighth, a couple of lengths behind the winner, and angled out rounding the final corner to launch her late charge. The five-year-old mare passed her rivals one by one in pursuit of Kamunyak and, while failing to close in on the top two finishers, eventually nosed out tenacious pacesetter Erika Express for third.

Other Horses:
4th: (4) Erika Express—set pace, sustained bid after overtaken by winner, missed 3rd place by nose
5th: (9) Coconuts Brown—sat around 11th on rails, showed effort between horses
6th: (16) Nishino Ti Amo—advanced to 2nd from wide draw, showed tenacity, weakened in last 100m
7th: (6) Lavanda—saved ground around 8th, quickened in last 200m, blocked behind rival before wire
8th: (14) Jocelyn—sat around 8th, angled out to lane, briefly met traffic, never threatened
9th: (3) Ma Puce—raced near pace around 3rd, failed to sustain bid in last 200m
10th: (13) Kana Tape—settled around 13th, unable to reach contention
11th: (11) Bond Girl—ran in 11th, gradually switched to outside, needed more
12th: (17) Paradis Reine—positioned wide around 13th, lacked needed kick
13th: (15) Ai Sansan—broke poorly, traveled around 16th, edged to inside 350m out, showed little
14th: (5) Kelly Fled Ask—raced around 16th, angled out to launch fastest late speed but belatedly
15th: (2) Wide Latour—hugged rails around 15th, checked by rival 350m out, even paced
16th: (18) Cervinia—ran wide around 3rd, remained in contention until 300m out
17th: (1) Ka Pilina—tracked leaders around 3rd on rails, sustained bid until 200m pole
18th: (10) Drop of Light—bumped at break, trailed in rear, quickened but had too much ground to cover

THE 21ST VICTORIA MILE (G1)
4-year-olds & up, Fillies & Mares, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, May 17, 2026          Tokyo Racecourse           11th Race            Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 326,500,000 (about US$ 2,107,000 <US$1=¥155>)
4-y-o & up: 56kg (about 123-124 lbs), 1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2022
Course Record: 1:30.5          Race Record: 1:30.5 [Normcore (JPN, by Harbinger), 2019]
Safety factor: 18 runners       Going: Good to Firm        Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 18,930,979,100       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 28,992,711,000       Attendance: 40,392

Winner= 11 starts: 7 wins & 1 second / Added & stakes money: ¥ 153,780,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 547,811,000

* Victoria Mile (G1)

In accordance with the restructuring of the JRA racing program for fillies/mares executed in 2006, the Victoria Mile was established to give the older fillies/mares a stage to prove their ability among their own sex, in addition to the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, which had been the only G1 reserved for older fillies/mares. While the Queen Elizabeth is run over 2,200 meters and held in mid-November, the Victoria Mile is held in spring and provides female milers a chance to claim a G1 title without having to face tough competition in a mixed field.
The race, however, attracts not only fillies/mares suited to the mile distance but also outstanding runners from the middle-long distance group. Past victors include 2008 and 2009 Horse of the Year Vodka (JPN, by Tanino Gimlet; ’09), 2010 Horse of the Year Buena Vista (JPN, by Special Week; ’10), 2010 fillies’ Triple Crown winner Apapane (JPN, by King Kamehameha; ’11) and 2018 and 2020 Horse of the Year Almond Eye (JPN, by Lord Kanaloa; ’20). Meanwhile, both Gran Alegria (JPN, by Deep Impact; ’21) and Songline (JPN, by Kizuna; ’23) went on to earn the season’s Best (Sprinter or) Miler title.
The top three finishers will earn automatic starting positions in the French mile G1 races—the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and the Prix Jacques le Marois—while the race also joined the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series in 2020, enabling its winner to secure an automatic starting position in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1, 2,200m).
Although last year’s winner, Ascoli Piceno (JPN, M5, by Daiwa Major), was withdrawn from the race due to a health issue, runner-up Queen’s Walk came off a third in the Kinko Sho (G2, 2,000m; Mar.15). Embroidery, 2025 Best Three-Year-Old Filly, came off a win in the main prep race, the Hanshin Himba Stakes (G2, 1,600m; Apr.11), in which 2025 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) winner Kamunyak finished second, while 2025 Ireland Trophy (G2, 1,800m) winner Lavanda finished eighth. The field also included Erika Express and Paradis Reine, respective second- and third-place finishers in the 2025 Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m); Jocelyn and Coconuts Brown who finished first and third, respectively, in the Kokura Himba Stakes (G3, 2,000m; Jan.24); Nishino Ti Amo and Ai Sansan, respective winners of the 2025 Fukushima Kinen (G3, 2,000m) and this year’s Aichi Hai (G3, 1,400m; Mar.22); and 2024 Best Three-Year-Old Filly Cervinia.