FROM: Media & Publicity Department, THE JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION (JRA) DATE: April 4, 2021 SUBJECT: RESULTS OF THE 65TH OSAKA HAI (G1) The Osaka Hai, renewing its name in 2017 from the familiarly known Sankei Osaka Hai, was established in 1957 as a handicap race open to runners of four years of age and upwards run over 1,800m at Hanshin Racecourse in March. After the distance was extended to 2,000m in 1972, the date was moved to one week earlier to the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) in 1981. The race was given G2 status in conjunction with the new grading system in 1984, opened its doors to foreign competitors in 2003 and was upgraded to G1 in 2017. The winner of the race will automatically earn a starting position in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1, 2,000m) held in September. Attracting strong contenders by serving as a prep race for G1 spring races for older horses such as the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m) and the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m), many Osaka Hai champions have gone on to achieve G1 successes; Meisho Samson (JPN, by Opera House) in 2007, Hiruno d’Amour (JPN, by Manhattan Cafe) in 2011, two-time Horse of the Year Kitasan Black (JPN, by Black Tide) in 2017, all went on to capture the Tenno Sho (Spring) that followed; and Dream Journey (JPN, by Stay Gold) in 2009 landed his Takarazuka Kinen victory two starts later. Last year’s victor Lucky Lilac (JPN, by Orfevre) went on to defend her Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m) title last November. Winners who also showed extraordinary accomplishments include 2008 champion Daiwa Scarlet (JPN, by Agnes Tachyon), legendary 2013 winner Orfevre (JPN, by Stay Gold) and 2014 victor Kizuna (JPN, by Deep Impact). Last year’s Triple Crown winner and Best Three-Year-Old Colt Contrail commenced the current season with this race after finishing second to Almond Eye (JPN, by Lord Kanaloa) in the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m, Nov.29) last year. 2020 Best Sprinter or Miler Gran Alegria and 2019 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) winner Salios, who capped off their 2020 season finishing first and fifth, respectively, in the Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m, Nov.22), also made their seasonal debut in this race. Other key runners included; four-year-old filly Lei Papale, the Challenge Cup (G3, 2,000m, Dec.5) victor and undefeated in all five career starts; Admire Virgo, two-time 2,000m-listed winner who came off a 10th in the Nikkei Shinshun Hai (G2, 2,200m, Jan.17); Wagnerian, 2018 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) winner who finished fifth in the Kyoto Kinen (G2, 2,200m, Feb.14); as well as 2017 Mile Championship winner Persian Knight and Bravas who were eighth and 10th, respectively, in the Kinko Sho (G2, 2,000m, Mar.14). THE 65TH OSAKA HAI (G1) 4-year-olds & up, 2,000 meters (about 10 furlongs), turf, right-handed Sunday, April 4, 2021 Hanshin Racecourse 11th Race Post time: 15:40 Total prize money: ¥ 256,500,000 (about US$ 2,443,000 <US$1=¥105>) 4-y-o & up: 57kg (about 126 lbs), 2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2017 Course Record: 1:57.2 Race Record: 1:58.2 [Suave Richard (JPN, by Heart’s Cry), 2018] Safety factor: 16 runners Going: Yielding Weather: Rainy S&A Sire Owner Horse Odds Margin FP BK PP Color Dam Breeder Jockey (Fav) (L3F) Wgt (Dam’s Sire) Trainer F4 Deep Impact U. Carrot Farm Lei Papale (JPN) 12.2 2:01.6 1 6 8 b. Shells Lei Northern Racing Yuga Kawada (4) (36.8) 55.0 (Kurofune) Tomokazu Takano H5 Deep Brillante Capital System Co., Ltd. Mozu Bello (JPN) 68.8 4 2 1 1 b. Harlan's Ruby Murata Bokujo Kenichi Ikezoe (6) (36.8) 57.0 (Harlan's Holiday) Naoyuki Morita C4 Deep Impact Shinji Maeda Contrail (JPN) 1.8 3/4 3 5 7 br. Rhodochrosite North Hills Co,. Ltd. Yuichi Fukunaga (1) (37.4) 57.0 (Unbridled's Song) Yoshito Yahagi 4 8 12 Gran Alegria (JPN) M5 2.8 Neck Deep Impact Sunday Racing Co., Ltd. Christophe Lemaire b. (2) (37.4) Tapitsfly Northern Farm 55.0 (Tapit) Kazuo Fujisawa C4 Heart's Cry Silk Racing Co., Ltd. Salios (JPN) 5.8 1-1/4 5 2 2 ch. Salomina Northern Racing Kohei Matsuyama (3) (37.7) 57.0 (Lomitas) Noriyuki Hori H7 Deep Impact Koji Maeda Cadenas (JPN) 182.5 1-3/4 6 7 10 b. French Riviera Grand Stud Katsuma Sameshima (11) (37.2) 57.0 (French Deputy) Kazuya Nakatake H5 Eishin Flash Takafumi Tomoyama Ardently (JPN) 202.0 2 7 3 3 b. Parure Takafumi Tomoyama Ryuji Wada (12) (37.7) 57.0 (Lincoln) Yoshihiko Kawamura H5 King Kamehameha Kazuhiro Sasaki Bravas (JPN) 112.9 4 8 4 4 b. Verxina Northern Racing Kosei Miura (10) (38.2) 57.0 (Deep Impact) Yasuo Tomomichi C4 Deep Impact Junko Kondo Admire Virgo (JPN) 77.6 1/2 9 8 13 b. Elusive Wave Northern Farm Mirai Iwata (7) (38.6) 57.0 (Elusive City) Yasuo Tomomichi H7 Harbinger G1 Racing Co., Ltd. Persian Knight (JPN) 111.3 1/2 10 4 5 d.b. Orient Charm Oiwake Farm Hideaki Miyuki (9) (38.4) 57.0 (Sunday Silence) Yasutoshi Ikee H7 Stay Gold Hiroo Race Crescendo Love (JPN) 95.1 3 11 6 9 b. Higher Love PANGLOSS Y.K. Hiroyuki Uchida (8) (39.3) 57.0 (Sadler's Wells) Toru Hayashi H6 Deep Impact Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co., Ltd. Wagnerian (JPN) 49.8 3 12 5 6 b. Miss Encore Kaneko Makoto Holdings Inc. Hayato Yoshida (5) (39.9) 57.0 (King Kamehameha) Yasuo Tomomichi H6 Lohengrin Yuichi Aida Happy Grin (JPN) 283.0 DS 13 7 11 ch. Lady C'est la Vie Shadai Farm Taisei Danno (13) (45.6) 57.0 (Agnes Tachyon) Hideyuki Mori FP: Final Position / BK: Bracket Number / PP: Post Position / S&A: Sex & Age / Wgt: Weight (kg) / L3F: Time of Last 3 Furlongs (600m) / DS=Distance Color: b.=bay / bl.=black / br.=brown / ch.=chestnut / d.b.=dark bay / d.ch.=dark chestnut / g.=gray / w.=white NOTE 1: No Foreign Contenders NOTE 2: Figures quoted under Odds are shown in form of decimal odds (single unit is ¥100), and Fav indicates the order of favorites. Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 16,278,586,800 Turnover for the Day: ¥ 27,324,112,500 Attendance: 3,083 Pay-off (for ¥100) Win No.8 ¥ 1,220 Bracket Quinella 1-6 ¥ 16,360 Quinella 1-8 ¥ 19,080 No.8 ¥ 230 1-8 ¥ 2,750 Exacta 8-1 ¥ 37,610 Place No.1 ¥ 420Quinella Place 7-8 ¥ 390 Trio 1-7-8 ¥ 7,240 No.7 ¥ 110 1-7 ¥ 850 Trifecta 8-1-7 ¥ 106,210 Winner= 6 starts, 6 wins / Added money: ¥ 137,814,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 226,517,000 Lei Papale Claims Wire-to-Wire Win in Osaka Hai Fourth favorite Lei Papale demonstrated her strength and extended her winning streak to six since her three-year-old debut in January while capturing her first G1 title in her first attempt at the highest level against a strong field that included multiple G1 winners. She is only the third in JRA history to claim a G1 title for older horses (four-year-old and up) unbeaten, after Fine Motion (2002 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup) and Chrysoberyl (2019 Champions Cup). Trainer Tomokazu Takano picked up his third career JRA-G1 title, his latest being the 2015 Japan Cup with Shonan Pandora, while jockey Yuga Kawada whose latest G1 win was just last week in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen with Danon Smash scored his 17th JRA-G1 title with the win. Lei Papale was a fraction slow out of the gate outside race favorite Contrail but used her speed to quickly move forward and assume command. Cruising effortlessly on the rain-soddened track and timed 59.8 seconds over the first half of the 2,000-meter distance, the lightly built filly shifted out from the rail for better footing and continued to flee away from her foes, finding another gear in the last 100 meters to pull away to a dominating four-length victory. “I had always believed in her outstanding talent since her debut but of course it was a tough ask this time against a top class after registering out first grade-race victory (in December). She felt good during the post parade and she was able to jump into her rhythm throughout the race without being pressed. I was able to shift her out without interfering the horses coming from behind for her stretch run as there was still plenty room between her and the rest of the field at the top of the stretch. And to still have the strength to find another gear over the turf condition today—she is an exceptional filly to keep her speed right to the end. Now that she’s a G1 winner, expectations will suddenly be quite high from now on, but I hope to be able bring out her best in each race,” commented Yuga Kawada. Mozu Bello sat off the pace, fourth from last just off the rails and with the race favorite in view. The sixth favorite gradually made headway and followed Contrail who advanced along the outside, joining Gran Alegria in chasing the leader approaching the final corner. Turning wide for a clear stretch run, the son of Deep Brillante demonstrated an impressive turn of speed to outrun both Contrail and Gran Alegria while unable to threaten the winner.