FROM: Yoshiyasu Honda General Manager, Media & Publicity Department, THE JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION (JRA) DATE: May 8, 2016 SUBJECT: RESULT OF THE 21ST NHK MILE CUP (G1) While races in Japan for three-year-olds had been programmed mainly to facilitate those aiming towards the middle-long distance three-year-old Classics as typified by the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m), the interest in speed races is growing both within and outside Japan, and earning much respect as the traditional Classics. In 1996, JRA reorganized its races in order to accommodate and promote the three-year-olds suited to short distances, and established the NHK Mile Cup which was named after its sponsor Nippon Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)—Japan’s only public broadcaster. The race was designated as an international race in 2009. Past NHK Mile Cup winners include subsequent derby winners King Kamehameha (JPN, by Kingmambo; ’04) and Deep Sky (JPN, by Agnes Tachyon; ’08) while El Condor Pasa (USA, by Kingmambo; ’98) and Kurofune (USA, by French Deputy; ’01) won the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) and the Japan Cup Dirt (G1, dirt, 2,100m), respectively. The race featured top milers from the three-year-old generation. Dantsu Prius, Stormy Sea and Eclat Millenaire earned their berth in this race, having finished first second and third, respectively, in the New Zealand Trophy (G2, 1,600m), the NHK Mile Cup trial held on April 9—Rainbow Line finished fifth after claiming the Arlington Cup (G3, 1,600m) on March. Tosho Drafter came off his third consecutive win and first grade-race victory in the Falcon Stakes (G3, 1,400m) on March 19 with Brave Smash, a grade-race winner in the 2015 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (1,600m) finishing second while 2015 Kokura Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,200m) victor Shuji was 12th. Coming off their starts in the three-year-old Classics, Major Emblem, who was heavy favorite in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) on April 10, was fourth in that race while Blanc Bonheur finished eighth. Lord Quest came off an eighth-place finish in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) on April 17. Also included in this year’s NHK Mile Cup were Immortal, a runner-up in two grade-race starts, and 2015 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600m) third-place finisher Shadow Approach. The race record is held by Danon Chantilly (JPN, by Fuji Kiseki) who covered the 1,600 meter distance in 1:31.4 in 2010.
THE 21ST NHK MILE CUP (G1) 3-year-old Colts & Fillies, 1,600 meters (about 8 furlongs), turf, left-handed Sunday, May 8, 2016 Tokyo Racecourse 11th Race Post Time: 15:40 Total prize money: ¥ 205,200,000 (about US$ 1,710,000
(JPN) Liebestraume M. Saito Mill Farm (34.7) (10) Shadow Approach Jungle Pocket T. Berry Tomokazu Iizuka Nose 53.8 10 5 9 C3 57.0 (JPN) Maruka Aichan N. Sugai Shadai Farm (34.8) (13) Immortal Manhattan Cafe K. Tosaki Kaneko Makoto Neck 7.6 11 4 8 C3 57.0 Holdings Co., Ltd. (JPN) Shoah N. Sugai Northern Racing (35.3) (3) Shuji Kinshasa no Kiseki Y. Iwata Koji Yasuhara Head 27.8 12 1 1 C3 57.0 (JPN) Kastria N. Sugai Hamamoto Bokujo (35.4) (8) Eclat Millenaire Matsurida Gogh T. Ono Makio Okada Neck 138.2 13 1 2 F3 55.0 (JPN) Chateau Thousand Y. Takahashi Okada Stud (35.2) (16) Kaneno Iro Pyro M. Ebina Nobuo Egawa Neck 234.1 14 8 16 C3 57.0 (JPN) Est le Saphir Y. Sato Kawakami Bokujo (34.6) (17) Personnalite Stay Gold D. Shibata K. Thoroughbred Club 3/4 259.2 15 6 11 F3 55.0 Ruffian (JPN) Meine Ardeur I. Aizawa Big Red Farm (34.0) (18) Urban Kid Heart’s Cry H. Bowman Sunday Racing Co., Ltd. 1/2 11.3 16 2 3 C3 57.0 (JPN) Cockney M. Saito Northern Farm (35.8) (6) Tizona Daiwa Major M. Demuro U. Carrot Farm Neck 9.8 17 3 6 C3 57.0 (JPN) La Dorada K. Fujisawa Northern Racing (35.3) (4) Sigerunokogirizame Super Hornet M. Matsuoka S. Morinaka 10 89.7 18 7 13 C3 57.0 (JPN) Seattle Beauty K. Tani Gerbera Park Stud (37.6) (14) FP=Final Position / BK=Bracket Number / PP=Post Position / Wgt=Weight / L3F=Time of Last 3 Furlongs (600m) / DH=Dead Heat NOTE 1: No Foreign Contenders NOTE 2: Figures quoted under Odds are Win Odds, which show the amount of money you get back per single unit (100yen), and Fav indicates the order of favorites.
WINNING TIME: 1:32.8 GOING: Firm WEATHER: Fine TURNOVER FOR THE RACE ALONE: ¥ 14,023,903,800 TURNOVER FOR THE DAY: ¥ 22,127,707,200 ATTENDANCE: 49,303
PAY-OFF (for ¥100) WIN No.4 ¥230 BRACKET QUINELLA 2-3 ¥460 QUINELLA 4-5 ¥940 No.4 ¥140 4-5 ¥430 EXACTA 4-5 ¥1,470 PLACE No.5 ¥210 QUINELLA PLACE 4-18 ¥1,990 TRIO 4-5-18 ¥11,190 No.18 ¥660 5-18 ¥3,520 TRIFECTA 4-5-18 ¥33,030
1. Major Emblem (JPN), chestnut, filly, 3-year-old Daiwa Major / Catchy Title (Opera House) Owner: Sunday Racing Co., Ltd. Breeder: Northern Farm Trainer: Yasuhito Tamura Jockey: Christophe Lemaire 7 Starts, 5 Wins Added money: ¥ 98,864,000 Career earnings: ¥ 243,107,000 Principal Race Performances: ’15 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1, 1,600m) 1st ’16 Queen Cup (G3, 1,600m) 1st
2. Lord Quest (JPN), bay, colt, 3-year-old Matsurida Gogh / Matsurida Waltz (Chief Bearhart) Owner: Lord Horse Club Breeder: Samani Hori Bokujo Trainer: Shigeyuki Kojima Jockey: Kenichi Ikezoe
3. Rainbow Line (JPN), bay, colt, 3-year-old Stay Gold / Regenbogen (French Deputy) Owner: Masahiro Mita Breeder: Northern Racing Trainer: Hidekazu Asami Jockey: Yuichi Fukunaga
Major Emblem Posts Wire-to-Wire Victory Against Colts in NHK Mile Cup Sent to post race favorite in her first G1 test against male foes, Major Emblem won wire-to-wire to become only
the fourth female runner to win the NHK Mile Cup—the last female winner was Pink Cameo in 2007. Named Best Two-Year-Old Filly of 2015, the Daiwa Major filly kicked off her three-year-old campaign with an overwhelming victory in the Queen Cup but was unable to meet expectations when heavy favorite in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) finishing fourth. Trainer Yasuhito Tamura collected his second G1 title—the first also with the chestnut filly in the 2015 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies—while jockey, Christophe Lemaire marked his first G1 of this season and seventh overall with the win.
Major Emblem popped out of the gate smoothly this time and was allowed to set a brisk pace along the rails, maintaining a clear lead along the backstretch. While briefly contested by Sigerunokogirizame rounding the final turn, the powerful filly, unfazed by her male foes, showed no signs of slowing down, continued to pull away along the homestretch and managed to rebuff the late charging Lord Quest and Rainbow Line for a 3/4-length win.
“She broke sharply today and I was able to place her in front. She has good speed and having already won a G1 title last year and another graded race earlier this year, I would say that she has confirmed her position as the top of her class with this G1 win,” commented Christophe Lemaire.
Second favorite Lord Quest was a fraction slow out of the gate and positioned well off the pace third from last to start. The Matsurida Gogh colt made headway along the outside, swung wide into the lane then showed a tremendous late charge that marked the fastest finish over the last three furlongs to cross the wire in second.
Lightly regarded Rainbow Line was also impressive in his third-place finish. Positioned three-wide in mid-division from a wide draw, the Stay Gold colt was forced to pitch out even more after entering the lane but sustained his bid while most of his foes tired from the uphill stretch, and only gave way to Lord Quest in the final strides.
Other Horses: 4th: (10) Dantsu Prius—traveled in mid-pack, checked twice at stretch but showed effort 5th: (7) Tosho Drafter—hugged rails well off the pace, responded well between horses in last 300m 6th: (12) Hakusan Rudolf—traveled 2nd or 3rd from rear, angled wide, showed belated charge 6th: (17) Blanc Bonheur—raced 4-wide around 5th, sustained bid but weakened in last 100m 8th: (14) Brave Smash—sat in mid-division, quickened between horses in last 200m 9th: (15) Stormy Sea—ran 3-wide in mid-group, passed tired rivals at stretch 10th: (9) Shadow Approach—keen and held back in mid-pack, accelerated in last 100m 11th: (8) Immortal—raced in mid-division, met traffic at early stretch, lacked needed kick 12th: (1) Shuji—chased leaders in 3rd or 4th, advanced to 2nd until 100m out, outrun thereafter 13th: (2) Eclat Millenaire—saved ground around 6th, showed brief response, outrun in last 100m 14th: (16) Kaneno Iro—positioned toward rear, even paced at stretch 15th: (11) Personnalite—broke poorly, trailed in far rear, circled wide, never threatened 16th: (3) Urban Kid—stalked leaders in 3rd or 4th, ran gamely until 200m pole, weakened thereafter 17th: (6) Tizona—was off slow, made headway to around 10th, unable to reach contention 18th: (13) Sigerunokogirizame—chased winner in 2nd, ran out of steam 400m out
Fractional Time (sec./furlong): 12.3 - 10.7 - 11.3 - 11.7 - 11.7 - 11.3 - 11.5 - 12.3 Last 4 furlongs: 46.8 Last 3 furlongs: 35.1
Positions at each corner: 3rd corner (*4,13)(1,3,17)(2,8,10)(9,18)(6,15)14(7,16)(12,5)-11 4th corner (*4,13)(1,3,17)(2,8,10)(6,9,18)15(7,14,16)(12,5)-11 NOTE 1: Underlined bold number indicates the winning horse. NOTE 2: Horse numbers are indicated in the order of their positions at each corner, with the first position listed first. Two or more horses inside the same parentheses indicate that they were positioned side by side. Hyphens between the horse numbers indicate that there is distance between the former and the latter. The asterisk indicates a slight lead.