Milers To Do Battle In Yasuda Kinen

[Wandering Eyes]

Sunday’s G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo offers the opportunity for colts, geldings and fillies from 3-years-old and up to do battle for Grade 1 honours over a mile and while there are no 3-year-olds in the line up in this year’s edition three of the 14 strong field represent the fairer sex, including the 4-year-old filly Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}). There would be few more deserving winners than the Yoshito Yahagi trained filly after four runner up efforts at the top level already, including last time out when beaten a nose into second by Jour Polaire (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Vcitoria Mile at Tokyo three weeks ago. She had Aerolithe (Jpn) (Kurofune {Jpn}) behind her in fourth on that occasion and while that race was confined to fillies and mares her trainer is more concerned over turning her out relatively quickly again as opposed to taking on the males. “I don’t think it makes much difference to her if she’s racing against males or females,” Yahagi said. “The Victoria Mile was our big goal for the spring and so she was really ready for it. It was a tough race and, to be honest I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to maintain her condition but she came out of the race better than I’d thought she would,” he added.

Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) is an established international top level competitor but he has yet to win a Grade 1 in his native Japan and Sunday again gives him an opportunity to add to his CV that is highlighted by a victory in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in 2016. He returned to Dubai this year to finish third in the same race in March and connections will be hoping for a better display than his 11^th place finish in the Yasuda Kinen two years ago. “He’s ready. He’s gotten the same rotation as he had the year before last but things have gone more smoothly this time. He’s also more in tune with the jockey now,” said the trainer’s assistant Takahide Ando.

Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) will probably go off favourite on Sunday and his last time out beating of Persian Knight (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) in the G1 Osaka Hai in April is undoubtedly top class form but that event was over ten furlongs and his ability to successfully drop back two furlongs in this company is open to debate. His trainer Yasushi Shono is conscious of the task at hand and said, “He’s grown and filled out. I think the Tokyo course will suit him. But it is his first mile and there are a number of specialists in the lineup, so I don’t think it will be an easy race for him.”

Persian Knight has a Group 1 victory over the trip already to his name when successful in the G1 Mile Championship at Kyoto last year and his rider Yuga Kawada is hoping the drop back to that distance will be more in his favour than the favourite’s. “He is the Mile Championship winner, he put in a great performance over the mile and I think Tokyo is perfect for him. He’s a clever horse and he listens well to the rider’s signals, so I think he’ll be able to adjust to the sudden change in distance this start,” he said.

 

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