World Premiere Stars in Kikuka Sho

[Wandering Eyes]

World Premiere (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) made the jump from stakes performer to Group 1 winner in his first try at the top drawer in Kyoto’s G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) on Sunday. Third choice at 5-1 in the full field of 18, the Ryoichi Otsuka colourbearer tucked in nicely in seventh, just behind 6-5 favourite Velox (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}) as Caudillo (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) led the vanguard into the first corner. Saving all possible yardage glued to the fence, the blinkered sophomore was content to relax off Caudillo’s easy pace, with the latter setting splits of :50.20 for the half-mile and 1:40 flat for the mile while out on his own. The field was breathing down that foe’s neck while midway on the backstretch, and, with a half-mile remaining, several rivals were winding up for their bids. Moved into a gap that opened at the 300-metre mark, World Premiere surged up to collar the longtime leader a furlong from home and held off the late run of Satono Lux (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to win by a neck. Velox also put in a strong rally to take third, a length behind.

“He came into the race in good condition and we had a good draw so I was concentrating on giving our best race,” said 50-year-old pilot Yutaka Take, who became the oldest jockey to win this Classic and his first edition since booting home the colt’s sire in 2005. “He was a bit keen at first but was in hand nicely during the race. He wasn’t able to run in the first two of the Triple Crown races so I am glad that he was able to claim the last one [of the Triple Crown title.] He’s still got a lot to improve so I’m looking forward to his future races.”

Lightly raced, World Premiere made a winning debut one year ago on Monday at Kyoto, and was promptly tried in group company, running third in the G3 Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nisai S. on Nov. 24. Back in the winner’s circle in the Feb. 16 Tsubaki Sho, he ran second to Velox in the Listed Wakaba S. at Hanshin in March. After a freshening of over five months, he reported home fifth going 2400 metres in Hanshin’s G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai on Sept. 22.

Pedigree Notes

Already a full-brother to two-time Japanese group winner World Ace (Jpn) who also was runner-up in the 2012 G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), World Premiere is the 141st black-type winner and 44th Group 1 winner for his late sire Deep Impact (Jpn), who died earlier this year. He becomes the third son of his former Shadai Stallion Station-based sire after Satono Diamond (Jpn) struck in 2016 and Fierement (Jpn) two years later. A son of German listed heroine Mandela, the dark bay’s dam also ran third in the G1 German Oaks, GII Santa Barbara H. and the G2 Prix de Pomone. She is a half-sister to three-time Group 1 winner and highweight Manduro (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), who stands under the Darley banner in France.

Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
KIKUKA SHO (JAPANESE ST. LEGER)-G1, ¥266,610,000 (US$2,459,474/£1,894,997/€2,201,676), Kyoto, 10-20, 3yo, c/f, 3000mT, 3:06.00, fm.
1–WORLD PREMIERE (JPN), 126, c, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Mandela (Ger) (GSP-Fr & US, SW & G1SP-Ger,
                                $141,254), by Acatenango (Ger)
                2nd Dam: Mandellicht (Ire), by Be My Guest
                3rd Dam: Mandelauge (Ger), by Elektrant (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN.
(¥240,000,000 Wlg ’16 JRHAJUL). O-Ryoichi Otsuka;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Yasuo Tomomichi; J-Yutaka Take.
¥147,027,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-2. *Full to World Ace
(Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), MGSW & G1SP-Jpn, $2,610,314.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: A+.
2–Satono Lux (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Listen(Ire), by
Sadler’s Wells. (¥270,000,000 Ylg ’17 JRHAJUL). O-Satomi
Horse Company; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥55,722,000.
3–Velox (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Just a Way (Jpn)–Selkis (Ger), by
Monsun (Ger). (¥48,000,000 Ylg ’17 JRHAJUL). O-Makoto
Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥33,861,000.
Margins: NK, 1, 3/4. Odds: 5.50, 2.90, 1.20.
Also Ran: Divine Force (Jpn), Melody Lane (Jpn), Red Genial (Jpn), Tagano Diamante (Jpn), Caudillo (Jpn), Nishino Daisy (Jpn), Hishi Gekko (Jpn), Ho O Sabel (Jpn), Meisho Tengen (Jpn), Zadar (Jpn), Naimama (Jpn), Unicorn Lion (Ire), Sifflement (Jpn), Vin Quet Domingo (Jpn), Calibore (Jpn).
Click for the JRA Chart or Video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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