Reine Minoru Steals 'The Sho'

The G1 Oko Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) was billed as the race in which Frankel (GB) would achieve his first Classic winner with his daughter Soul Stirring (Jpn) a heavy 2/5 favourite to oblige. However horse racing doesn't always follow a script and it was 40/1 chance Reine Minoru (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) who was the best filly on the day bravely holding off the strong finishing Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) by half a length with Soul Stirring just a neck back in third. The winner broke smartly under Kenichi Ikezoe and was always well positioned in this 1600m contest sharing fourth place throughout the first half of the race as Kawakita Enka (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) established a clear advantage. As the leader came back to the field 300m from home Reine Minoru was beginning her challenge and was being tracked in doing so by Soul Stirring. The winner quickened the better and got a length up at the 200m marker and from there on was always holding the late kick of the runner up Lys Gracieux. “I felt that she was a talented filly and had a good chance to win the Oka Sho when I rode her for the first time in training,” said the winning rider. “I was more confident today as she felt really good in the post parade, and once she broke smoothly out of the gate, I just concentrated on keeping her stride in good rhythm. I was careful not to let her go too early in the straight and once we hit the front, it felt like forever up to the finish line as the horses came chasing behind us, but she really held on well,” added Ikezoe. Christophe Lemaire felt we did not see the previously unbeaten Soul Stirring at her best and said, “The track condition was against her and she kept changing leads. She wasn't able to show her true form in this race.”

Reine Minoru had fair credentials going into this race and probably did not deserve to be such a longshot in the market. Unbeaten in her first two starts as a juvenile including second time up in the G3 Kokura Nisei S. last September over six furlongs. She then posted two smart placings when second in the G2 Keio Hai Nisei S. and third to Soul Stirring in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. She reappeared in 2017 with a fourth placed finish in the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup over a mile Feb. 11 before building on that with a solid second to Sunday's fourth place finisher Karakurenai (Jpn) (Lohengrin {Jpn}) in the G2 Hochi Hai Fillies' Revue, a 1000 Guineas trial at Hanshin Mar. 12.

Pedigree notes…

Daiwa Major (Jpn) (Sunday Silence), who stands at Shadai Stallion Station, won the Japanese 2000 Guineas himself and his daughter has now won her version of the Classic. Reine Minoru is out of Daiwa Angel (Jpn) (Taiki Shuttle {Jpn}) who failed to win on the track but has produced seven winners from ten foals and among that ten a pair of other stakes performers. In fact apart from Reine Minoru one has to go back to the third generation to find a stakes winner, that being Cosmo Realize (Jpn) (Paradise Creek) winner of the G3 Hyogo Junior Grand Prix at Sonoda in 2000.

OKA SHO -JAPANESE 1000 GUINEAS-G1, ¥213,140,000 (US$1,918,710 /€1,811,713 /£1,550,655), Hanshin, 4-10, 3yo, f, 1600mT, 1:34.50, gd.

1–REINE MINORU (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Daiwa Major (Jpn)

2–Lys Gracieux (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Heart's Cry (Jpn)-Liliside (Fr), by American Post (GB). O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm; ¥44,558,000

3–Soul Stirring (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Frankel (GB)-Stacelita (Fr), by Monsun (Ger). O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm; ¥26,794,000

Margins: 1/2, Neck, Neck; Odds: 39.80, 13.50, 0.40.
Also Ran: Karakureni (Jpn), Aerolithe (Jpn), Deirdre (Jpn), Kawakita Enka (Jpn), Rising Reason (Jpn), Jeune Ecole (Jpn), Vous Etes Jolie (Jpn), Mi Suerte (Jpn), Admire Miyabi (Jpn), Gold Cape (Jpn), Alonza Mona (Jpn), Show Away (Jpn), Miss Panthere (Jpn), Belle Capri (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart and video, for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.