Mambo’ Looks to Add Another Crown

The G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Kyoto tomorrow will see last year’s heroine Meisho Mambo (Jpn) (Suzuka Mambo {Jpn}) back to defend her crown after taking this affair as a 3-year-old. The triple Group 1 winner has not been first past the post in four starts this year and has only hit the board once in the G1 Victoria Mile in her second start this term at Tokyo May 18 with a runner-up finish behind the re-opposing Verxina (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). “Even though her last race [in the G2 Kyoto Daishoten at Kyoto Oct. 14] was the first in a while, she was feeling good,” commented trainer Yuji Iida. “There may have been any number of reasons for the loss but as far as her condition was concerned, that wasn’t the problem. She always wakes up with a race behind her, but I’ve been doing my best to have her wanting to run when we put the jockey up and point her at the finish line. I think if she’s in an all-female crowd she’ll be top-level if she can give it what she’s got.” Iida’s charge will also have to contend with top 3-year-old filly Nuovo Record (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), who was third in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) Apr. 13, captured the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) May 25 and also won the GII Kansai Telecasting Corp. Sho Rose S. at Hanshin Sept. 21. She missed by a neck last out to Shonan Pandora (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the third jewel of the Triple Crown in the G1 Shuka Sho Oct. 19. “She’s calm and eating well,” said trainer Makoto Saito. “We just breezed her this week and, as we did for the [Kansai Telecasting Corp. Sho] Rose S., we’ll take her to the track Saturday. I think the Kyoto outer course is good for her. I’d like to even things out from the Shuka Sho.” Shonan Pandora has been consistently among the top two in her last four starts this season and hit a career high with her Shuka Sho victory. The 2200-meter distance should suit the Naosuke Sugai trainee. The 2013 runner-up Lachesis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) also looks an intriguing chance after a pair of seconds from four starts this year including the course and distance G2 Sankei Sho All Comers when last seen Sept. 28. “She was just off a layoff for her last race and we had left a bit of room for improvement,” said Kengo Takada, assistant trainer to Katsuhiko Sumii. “I think her second-place finish was an indication of how talented she is and that race will surely work to her advantage this time around.”