Grand Prix Boss Signs Off in the Mile

In 2005, Hat Trick (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) used a victory in the G1 Mile Championship as a springboard to success at Sha Tin. The Japanese are represented by a quartet of runners in this year’s G1 Hong Kong Mile, three of which emerge from the Kyoto test, including Grand Prix Boss (Jpn) (Sakura Bakushin O {Jpn}), who makes his final career appearance this weekend. 

The neck runner-up in the 2012 Mile Championship, Grand Prix Boss came to Hong Kong and was a 10-1 chance in that year’s Mile, but dropped back through the lane after racing prominently for 1200 meters and finished 12th to Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (Pins {Aus}). His 5-year-old season commenced successfully with a narrow victory in the G2 Yomiuri Milers Cup at Kyoto, but he was well-beaten in four subsequent tries and was put away for the year after a ninth in the Mile Championship. 

When he resumed this term, he was an apparently hopeless 147-1 outsider against the likes of G1 Dubai Duty Free S. romper Just a Way (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) in the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo, but he stormed to the front inside the final furlong and looked a winner, only to idle late, allowing Just a Way to post a narrow victory. He cut back to six furlongs for the G1 Sprinters’ S. Oct. 5 and ran with credit, finishing a close fourth to G1 Hong Kong Sprint aspirant Snow Dragon (Jpn) (Admire Cozzene {Jpn}), and most recently came with a mild late run to finish sixth, beaten three lengths in his third crack at the Mile Championship Nov. 23. 

Having just arrived from Japan, trainer Yoshito Yahagi was pleased with what he saw Thursday at Sha Tin and spoke after watching the 6-year-old cruise through a 1200-meter turf gallop in 1:21.2, with a final quarter-mile in :22.8. 

“He is very fresh and very relaxed,” Yahagi said. “This is his third time travelling abroad, he is fit after the travel and has taken to the surroundings very quickly. Today, I did not instruct the rider how he would work on turf because he has been breezing on the uphill course at home before we came here. The horse has won a graded stakes every year since he debuted, and this year he has not given me one yet. We were here two years ago, and I am sure that his condition is better than that time. The firm track used to be his best surface, but with age, we know he has been able to handle the slightly softer track too, as we could see in his performance in the Yasuda Kinen. So I expect he can handle the turf at Sha Tin. This is his final career start, but he is in very good form and I think he would be able to continue in training next year. We will do our best to maintain his best condition so he can show his best form on Sunday.” 

Fiero (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and World Ace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), second and eighth in the Mile Championship, respectively; and Hana’s Gold (Jpn) (Orewa Matteruze {Jpn}) are the other Japanese raiders in the Mile.