By Heather Anderson
A berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in the autumn was on the line in Sunday's 2200-metre G1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin, and 10-1 chance Meisho Tabaru (Gold Ship) landed a mild upset in pillar-to-post fashion. He is the second Japanese horse to punch his ticket to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar this month, after Jantar Mantar (Palace Malice) won last Sunday's G1 Yasuda Kinen, a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.
The seventh pick in the 17-horse field, Meisho Tabaru was steered immediately to the vanguard and opened up on the field passing the winning post for the first time. Clicking off easy fractions of :23.40 for the first 400m, :46.90 for the 800m, and 1:11.30 for 1200m, he cut the corner into the final bend. Meisho Tabaru came under heavy pressure from the persistent stalkers June Take (Kizuna) and Libyan Glass (Kizuna) thereafter, but that duo ran out of steam turning into the lane. Cued by veteran Yutaka Take while still glued to the fence, the eventual winner found more in the straight to win cozily. Race favourite Bellagio Opera (Lord Kanaloa) unleashed a withering rally inside the final furlong, but Meisho Tabaru had built up too much cushion. The margin at the wire was three lengths, with Justin Palace (Deep Impact) a neck back in third.
“My plan was to take the lead, and although I was unsure about the pace, I think we were able to race at just the right pace,” said Take, who was winning his 84th Japanese Group 1 title. He has now won five Takarazuka Kinens, the other being in 1986 with Inari One, in 1993 with Mejiro McQueen, in 1997 with Marvelous Sunday and in 2006 with Deep Impact. “I knew the other horses were going to make bid early but my mount had good momentum going around the fourth corner and I was hoping that he would manage to push through.”
A juvenile winner over 2000 metres and successful in both the G3 Mainichi Hai and G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai at three, Meisho Tabaru had yet to win in two 2025 apperances. He was back in 11th behind Lord Del Rey (Lord Kanaloa) in the G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai over this trip at Chukyo in January, and was fifth to Soul Rush (Rulership) in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan in April.
Pedigree Notes
Meisho Tabaru is the second Group 1 winner for Stay Gold after G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) heroine Uberleben. He is also one of 10 stakes winners for the Big Red Farm-based sire. This is the same cross as Gold Ship's G2 Nippon Sho Stayers Stakes runner-up Plume d'Or. The sire of 113 stakes winners (64 group/graded), the late French Deputy also has 17 top-level winners to his credit. Spread across six countries, these include The Man o'War Stakes winner Hi Happy (Pure Prize), February Stakes/Champions Cup hero Gold Dream (Gold Allure), and Japanese Derby hero Makahiki (Deep Impact).
The fifth foal and third winner out of the dual winner Meisho Tsubakuro (French Deputy), the winner is followed by the 3-year-old gelding Meisho Hinkaku (Roger Barows), a 2-year-old filly by Dee Majesty, a yearling colt by Al Ain, and a full-sister born this year. Meisho Tsubakuro is a half-sister to G2 Kyoto Daishoten winner Meisho Kampaku (Grass Wonder).
Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
TAKARAZUKA KINEN-G1, ¥575,160,000, Kyoto, 6-15, 3yo/up, 2200mT, 2:11.10, gd.
1–MEISHO TABARU (JPN), 128, c, 4, Gold Ship (Jpn)
1st Dam: Meisho Tsubakuro (Jpn), by French Deputy
2nd Dam: Dancing Happiness (Jpn),
by Dance in the Dark (Jpn)
3rd Dam: Meisho Sachikaze (Jpn), by Crystal Glitters
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Yoshio Matsumoto; B-Mishima Bokujo
(Jpn); T-Mamoru Ishibashi; J-Yutaka Take; ¥303,612,000.
Lifetime Record: 11-5-0-0, ¥439,708,392. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Bellagio Opera (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Air
Routine (Jpn), by Harbinger (GB). O-Shorai Hayashida; B-Shadai
Farm (Jpn); ¥121,032,000.
3–Justin Palace (Jpn), 128, h, 6, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Palace
Rumor, by Royal Anthem. (¥190,000,000 Ylg '20 JRHAJUL).
O-Masahiro Miki; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥75,516,000.
Margins: 3, NK, 3/4. Odds: 10.40, 3.00, 30.50.
Also Ran: Shonan la Punta (Jpn), Chuck Nate (Jpn), Sol Oriens (Jpn), Libyan Glass (Jpn), Lord del Rey (Jpn), Durezza (Jpn), Boldog Hos (Jpn), Regaleira (Jpn), Chevalier Rose (Jpn), Pradaria (Jpn), Urban Chic (Jpn), Rousham Park (Jpn), June Take (Jpn), Yoho Lake (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.
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