New Course Record as Bellagio Opera Goes Back-To-Back in the Osaka Hai

[Wandering Eyes]

Bellagio Opera (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) earned a slice of history at Hanshin on Sunday as the five-year-old became the first back-to-back winner of the G1 Osaka Hai, blitzing his 14 rivals in a time of 1:56.20–a new course record for the 2,000-metre distance to boot.

Trained by Hiroyuki Uemura, Bellagio Opera was a narrow winner of last year's Osaka Hai but failed to add to his tally in three subsequent starts at the top level in 2024, finishing third in the Takarazuka Kinen, sixth in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and fourth in the Arima Kinen. He faced another strong field in the defence of his Hanshin crown on Sunday, including the first two from last month's G2 Nakayama Kinen, where Sixpence (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) set a new course record for the 1,800-metre trip when beating Ecoro Walz (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) by a nose, with Saturday's G1 Dubai Turf hero Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) back in third.

Sixpence was the first choice of punters in his quest for a first Group 1 victory, ahead of Bellagio Opera and last year's G1 Oka Sho winner Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), a stable-mate of the favourite and having her first start since finishing third in the G1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December.

Sixpence and Bellagio Opera raced together through the first part of the contest, handily placed in third and fourth, respectively, with Desierto (Jpn) (Drefong) taking the field along at a strong gallop, around five lengths clear of Ho O Biscuits (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in second. Those positions remained largely unchanged until Desierto began to paddle early in the straight, with Kazuo Yokoyama opting to switch Bellagio Opera off the heels of Ho O Biscuits to guarantee a clear run. From there he produced a telling burst to take control entering the final furlong, always doing enough as Lord del Rey (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) stayed on well from mid-division to reduce the deficit to a length at the line. Lord del Rey was a Group 2 winner on his previous start at Chukyo, as was Kyoto scorer Yoho Lake (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who finished as well as any to snatch third from Ecoro Walz in the final strides, with Ho O Biscuits, Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Sixpence all close-up behind them in a bunched finish for the minor honours. Stellenbosch beat only two home in 13th.

“As always, he broke remarkably,” Yokoyama said of Bellagio Opera, who became only the second dual winner of the Osaka Hai after Sunrise Pegasus (Jpn), who was successful in 2002 and 2005. “I expected a fast pace, but being able to sit in an ideal position and the horse finding his rhythm were definitely the key factors in today's win. Just as last year, I'm full of gratitude. Although the horse hasn't been able to show his true form since last year's victory, I'm hoping that this will mark a new start for him and that he'll be able to demonstrate that he still has a lot of potential.”

 

【 Osaka Hai (G1), Hanshin, 2000m, 4yo&up, approx US$ 4.61m】

Winner: Bellagio Opera(JPN)
J: Kazuo Yokoyama
T: Hiroyuki Uemura
Sire: Lord Kanaloa
Dam: Air Routine#大阪杯 は、#ベラジオオペラ が優勝！！ pic.twitter.com/x2dgAmlDDN

— JRA World Racing (@JRA_WorldRacing) April 6, 2025

 

Pedigree Notes

Bellagio Opera, who fetched ¥48,510,000 at the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale of 2-Year-Olds, is one of three winners from four runners out of the winning Harbinger (GB) mare Air Routine (Jpn), a half-sister to the G3 Hakodate Kinen hero Air Anthem (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S) and the G2 Spring Stakes third Satono Helios (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). Air Routine is also responsible for an as-yet unnamed three-year-old colt by Just A Way (Jpn).

Bellagio Opera's third dam is the Listed winner Air Deja Vu (Jpn) (Northern Taste), a half-sister to the Japanese champion three-year-old colt Air Shakur (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). His second dam was one of 10 winners produced by Air Deja Vu, with the others including the multiple Listed scorers Air Shady (Jpn) and Air Messiah (Jpn), both full siblings by Sunday Silence.

 

Sunday, Hanshin, Japan
OSAKA HAI-G1, ¥574,620,000, Hanshin, 4-6, 4yo/up, 2000mT, 1:56.20 (NTR), fm.
1–BELLAGIO OPERA (JPN), 128, h, 5, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
      1st Dam: Air Routine (Jpn), by Harbinger (GB)
      2nd Dam : Air Magdalene (Jpn), by Sunday Silence
      3rd Dam: Air Deja Vu (Jpn), by Northern Taste
(¥48,510,000 2yo '22 CHIBAT). O-Shorai Hayashida; B-Shadai
Farm (Jpn); T-Hiroyuki Uemura; J-Kazuo Yokoyama;
¥303,234,000. Lifetime Record: 12-6-1-1, ¥823,702,000.
Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lord del Rey (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Delfino
(Jpn), by Heart's Cry (Jpn). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Lord
Horse Club; B-K. I. Farm (Jpn); ¥120,94,000.
3–Yoho Lake (Jpn), 128, h, 7, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Crow Canyon
(Jpn), by French Deputy. O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥75,464,000.
Margins: 1, 1, NS. Odds: 5.10, 6.50, 13.60.
Also Ran: Ecoro Walz (Jpn), Ho O Biscuits (Jpn), Justin Palace (Jpn), Sixpence (Jpn), Boldog Hos (Jpn), Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn), Sol Oriens (Jpn), Ravel (Jpn), Karate (Jpn), Stellenbosch (Jpn), Desierto (Jpn), Al Naseem (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

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