Victoria Mile Has Wide-Open Feel

[Wandering Eyes]

Group 1 action continues this Sunday at Toyko Racecourse, which plays host to some of Japan’s top distaff milers in what appears a competitive renewal of the G1 Victoria Mile.

Admire Lead (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) is the defending race champion, having inflicted a 1 1/4-length defeat upon Denko Ange (Jpn) (Meisho Samson {Jpn}) and Jour Polaire (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) 12 months ago, but is winless in four starts since. She has two runs in this term, a comebacking 12th to Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) in the G2 Tokyo Shimbun Hai over course and trip Feb. 4 and an improved fourth when not beaten far behind the in-form Miss Panthere (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in the G2 Hanshin Himba S. Apr. 7.

“Last year, I always had to watch that she wouldn’t lose condition, but this year she maintains it well,” said trainer Naosuke Sugai. “I’d say she’s in better shape than she was last year. In her last start, she didn’t go all out but finished only 0.1 seconds off the winner. She has ample chance of winning.”

WATCH: Admire Lead winning the 2017 Victoria Mile

Lys Gracieux was first-up for three months in the Tokyo Shimbun Hai and gave a typically strong account of herself last time at Hanshin when running on from midpack to take third in a blanket finish.

“I thought the pace would be slow in the Hanshin Himba S., but she is not the most nimble of horses and the pace was even slower than I’d imagined,” said jockey Yutaka Take. “That hurt. Nonetheless, she ran well.”

Miss Panthere carries a four-race winning streak into Sunday’s test, having bested Dea Regalo (Jpn) (Manhattan Cafe {Jpn}) in the G3 Kyoto Himba S. (1400m) prior to just outfinishing 54-1 Red Avancer (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Hanshin Himba.

One of two American-breds in the field, Rabbit Run (Tapit) belied odds of 25-1 to beat Kawakita Enka (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year’s G2 Rose S. (1800m), but the $750,000 Keeneland September yearling was no better than ninth, beaten about 2 1/2 lengths, in the Hanshin Himba.

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