Darley-bred Tower of London (Jpn) (Raven's Pass) stepped up in a big way to take the G2 Keio Hai Nisai S. at Tokyo Saturday. Glued to the pine in sixth early on, Tower of London was waiting to pounce as the field neared the straight. Cup loose by Christophe Lemaire, the blaze-faced bay let down strongly 400 metres from the line as the leaders began to weaken, and dashed past Cassius (Jpn) (Kinshasa no Kiseki {Aus}) and Asakusa Genki (Stormy Atlantic) inside the final 200 metres before storming away to a two length victory. G3 Hakodate Nisai S. victor Cassius was a half-length in from of G3 Kokura Nisai S. scorer Asakusa Genki, with Peace Universe (Jpn) (Logi Universe {Jpn}) another 1 1/4 lengths back.
A winner at first asking in a Sapporo newcomer event on July 29, the bay returned with a runner-up performance in the Cover Sho there Aug. 20, but was back on track with a win in the 1400-metre Kikyo S. transferred to Hanshin last time on Sept. 23.
Pedigree Notes…
Tower of London is the 23rd stakes winner and ninth group winner for 2008 GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero and champion Raven's Pass, who also captured the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. Out of the winning Dalakhani (Ire) mare Snow Pine (GB), herself a half-sister to SWs Lake Toya (Darshaan {GB}) and Sixth Sense (Ire), Tower of London is from the extended family of European champion Generous (Ire) (Caerleon), as well as English highweight Imagine (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). That dual Classic heroine in turn produced Group 1 winner Horation Nelson (Ire) (Danehill), as well as GSWs Viscount Nelson (Giant's Causeway), Point Piper (Giant's Causeway), and Kitty Matcham (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}). Snow Pine has a yearling filly by King's Best and a weanling colt by Golden Horn (GB).
Saturday, Tokyo, Japan
KEIO HAI NISAI S.-G2, ¥72,560,000 (US$636,232/ £486,534/€547,882), Tokyo, 11-4, 2yo, 1400mT, 1:21.90, fm.
1–TOWER OF LONDON (JPN), 121, c, 2, by Raven's Pass
1st Dam: Snow Pine (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire)
2nd Dam: Shinko Hermes (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Doff the Derby, by Master Derby
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. O-H.H. Sheikh
Mohammed; B-Darley Japan Farm (Jpn); T- Kazuo Fujisawa;
J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥38,392,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+.
2–Cassius (Jpn), 121, c, 2, Kinshasa no Kiseki (Aus)–Love Dylan
(Jpn), by Dylan Thomas (Ire). O-Kanayama Holdings; B-Tanioka
Farm; ¥15,112,000.
3–Asakusa Genki, 121, c, 2, Stormy Atlantic–Amelia, by
Dixieland Band. ($210,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Keiko Tahara;
B-Alexander-Groves-Matz LLC; ¥9,556,000.
Margins: 2, HF, 1 1/4; Odds: 0.80, 12.90, 8.70.
Click for the Racing Post chart. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. JRA VIDEO.
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