Soul Rush Faces Stiff Challenge In Yasuda Kinen

[Wandering Eyes]

The stomping ground of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in 2024, this year's G1 Yasuda Kinen sees a contentious field line up at Tokyo, with the role of ante-post favourite handed to dual Group 1 winner and last year's third-place finisher Soul Rush.

By Rulership, the 2024 Mile Championship hero ran second in the G1 Hong Kong Mile in December and was third to the reopposing Sixpence in the G2 Nakayama Kinen in March. Sent overseas, he defeated Romantic Warrior in the G1 Dubai Turf over 1800 metres in Dubai in April, breaking 1:46 for the distance. He will break from stall 13.

“He just seems to continue getting better, as we saw when he beat Romantic Warrior,” said trainer Yasutoshi Ikee. “This past year has been great for him. He's in his usual condition just before a race. The Tokyo mile suits him with his stamina. He hasn't won the Yasuda Kinen yet, and a win at Tokyo would be good when it comes to his career at stud.”

The Yasuda Kinen, a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” for the GI Mile, might prove a steppingstone to an international campaign for the Carrot Farm-owned Sixpence. Out of the GI Madison Stakes heroine Finley'sluckycharm (Twirling Candy), the 4-year-old son of Kizuna has been entered in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Aug. 17. Sixpence ran seventh in the 2000-metre G1 Osaka Hai in April and has drawn the rail.

“This week's work was very good, especially at the finish,” said trainer Sakae Kunieda. “He has experience running at Tokyo, and the jockey [Christophe Lemaire] knows the horse well, so I think he can be patient with him during the race, and produce him for a good run at the end.”

Added Lemaire, “Working with [the filly] Brede Weg has been a good thing for him. He seemed a little heavy at first, but he's moving better now that he's had some more work.”

The only filly in the 18-horse field, the daughter of Lord Kanaloa won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in November of 2023 and landed the G2 Ireland Trophy Fuchu Himba Stakes last October. Off the board in three more runs, Brede Weg was most recently seventh behind Soul Rush in Dubai and had the widest draw in 18.

Said, trainer Keisuke Miyata, “She's worked well with the jockey [Keita Tosaki], and racing on the outside in training, her workload's been good, with strong finishes. She's run patiently throughout her work, and she should be just right going into the race. Her results over a mile might not have been good up to now, but she's had good experience at Tokyo, and if she can run patiently and save everything for her turn of foot at the end, I think she can run a good race and get a different result.”

A two-time winner over this trip, Palace Malice's Jantar Mantar is on something of a fact-finding mission. A winner of the G1 NHK Mile Cup in 2024 after running third in that year's G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), the 4-year-old entire has not been seen since his 13th-place finish in the Hong Kong Mile almost six months ago. Yuga “King” Kawada has the call from post 10.

Coming off victories into the Yasuda Kinen are G3 Tokyo Shimbun Hai hero Water Licht (Drefong), G2 Yomiuri Milers Cup winner Long Run (Victoire Pisa), and G3 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy victor Trovatore (Rey De Oro).

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