Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (G1) - Preview

Star Anise

Alankar

Dream Core

Laughterlines

Juryoku Pierrot

Smart Priere

Sweet Happiness

Ange de Joie

The top-level action continues at Tokyo Racecourse this coming Sunday (May 24), when the Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) will be run over 2,400 meters on the turf track there. The race is for 3-year-old fillies, and the top ones from the Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) will be trying to see out the extra 800 meters of the second fillies’ Classic, while some of the others take in the race, coming off runs in other races over longer distances.
First run in 1938, the race was originally run at the Hanshin Racecourse, before the switch to Tokyo in 1946. Foreign-bred horses have been allowed to run since 2003, and the race became an international Grade 1 in 2010.

There are 22 nominations for a maximum field size of 18 runners, and all the fillies carry a set weight of 55kg. First favorites have done well in the past ten years, with six of them winning - the latest being Liberty Island in 2023. Almond Eye was another big-name winner of the race in 2018. The last ten years have also seen the spoils shared at five apiece for runners trained at the Ritto Training Center in the west of Japan, and the Miho Training Center in the east of the country. Record time for the Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) is held by Loves Only You, who won in a time of 2 minutes, 22.8 seconds in 2019. This year’s winner’s check is JPY150 million (not far below USD1 million).

A couple of lead-up races have been the Grade 3 Flower Cup, run at Nakayama in March over 1,800 meters, and the Grade 2 Sankei Sports Sho Flora Stakes - an official Oaks trial - run at Tokyo in April over 2,000 meters.

The 87th running of the Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) will be Race 11 on the Sunday card at Tokyo, with a post time locally of 15:40. Final declarations and the barrier draw will be available later in the week.

Here’s a look at some of the runners taking on the second fillies’ Classic:

Star Anise: Big things will be expected from the filly by Drefong, as she now bids for her third Grade 1 win, after winning last year’s Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and this year’s Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). Trainer Tomokazu Takano said: “She managed to win the first fillies’ Classic without any problems. She’ll be coming back after some time off this time, but they’ve taken good care of her at the farm and she’s returned to the stable in good shape. In a recent piece of work on the uphill, she completed it in the 58 seconds range, which I thought was very good.”

Alankar: It will be her first run at Tokyo, but she has won over 1,800 meters, and in her latest run, she made up good ground at the finish to take fifth in the Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). Trainer Takashi Saito feels she was a bit unlucky last time. “She was a bit put off by the late loading of the filly in the outside gate,” the trainer said. “Consequently, she found herself a long way back after the start, and it became a tough race for her. We sent her to the farm after the race, but she looks to be in very good condition on her return to the stable.” Jockey Yutaka Take once again takes the ride on Alankar, and he’s looking for his fourth win in the Oaks.

Dream Core: All three wins for the filly by Kizuna have come at Tokyo, and the extra distance this time could be what she needs, after finishing ninth in the Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) last time. Comments from trainer Kiyoshi Hagiwara were: “She traveled over to Ritto last time before the Oka Sho, and things went well with her training there. There will have been a bit of time between races, and I feel that she’s better racing left-handed. A little more distance looks to be fine for her too, and she’s been working well since returning from the farm.” Christophe Lemaire will ride Dream Core, and he’s won the Oaks four times.

Laughterlines: Coming off a win in the Grade 2 Sankei Sports Sho Flora Stakes over 2,000 meters at Tokyo, the filly by Al Ain looks to be a serious contender, when looking at her profile and results to date. Trainer Michihiro Ogasa commented: “She was quite relaxed before the Flora Stakes, and was alright at the gate. She concentrated well throughout the run, and got to put in a good finish, so I was pleased with her race. She’s had her usual break at Northern Farm Tenei, returning to the stable at Miho on the 14th, and everything seems as usual with her.” Damian Lane is set for the ride on Laughterlines.

Juryoku Pierrot: The filly was last seen winning a listed race over 2,000 meters at Hanshin on the same day as the Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). It made it two wins in a row for the filly by Orfevre, and it will be interesting to see what she can do here. Trainer Ryo Terashima said: “After winning last time, she went off to the farm for a short break, but she’s returned looking bigger and more developed. With the big crowd on Oka Sho day, we fitted a pacifier while she was in the paddock, but she was fine throughout the preliminaries, which I was pleased about. The way she ran last time suggests she can stay the trip this time.”
It will be a big race ride for female rider Seina Imamura, who has just one JRA graded race win to her name.

Smart Priere: Winner of the Grade 3 Flower Cup at Nakayama over 1,800 meters in March, the win boosted things for her after a few near misses before that race, notably when sixth in the Grade 2 Tulip Sho at Hanshin in March. Comments from trainer Ryuji Okubo were: “I was a bit concerned about the Nakayama course last time, and the pace didn’t really suit her, but jockey Yusuke Hara did a great job in getting her to win. Her dam ran in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, so I think the distance of this race should be fine for her.”

Sweet Happiness: The filly by Real Impact will be running beyond a mile for the first time, but that goes for so many in the field this Sunday. She didn’t have much luck in running last time, when finishing 13th in the Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). Assistant trainer Hitoshi Nakai said: “The jockey said he didn’t get a smooth run on her last time, so that’s probably the reason that she ran the way she did. She’s only had experience of racing over a mile, and I think it might not be her best distance, so the extended trip this time might be better. It’ll also be her first time to transport a long way to the track and to race left-handed.”

Trainer Yuichi Fukunaga has a couple of interesting fillies among the nominations, namely Ange de Joie and Long Tall Sally. Both are by Kitasan Black, and while it’s still very early in their careers, the booking of Mirai Iwata and Keita Tosaki respectively, would seem to be significant, and Ange de Joie is unbeaten in her two races so far, the latest over 1,800 meters at Hanshin in March.

Sources: Keiba Book