UNBEATEN as a two-year-old, Saturnalia signed off on his juvenile campaign with an easy victory in the Group 1 Hopeful Stakes. He was then a narrow winner of the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) on his first start as a three-year-old.
The heightening air of invincibility was duly quashed when a lack lustre performance as short-priced favourite for the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) resulted in a well-beaten fourth place. That disappointment forced connections to cancel their intended plan of running the Katsuhiko Sumii-trained colt in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
As Saturnalia lined-up for his autumn return in the Group 2 Kobe Shimbun Hai, with confidence still obvious from the betting public, he was sent off as 2/5 favourite.
In a small but competitive field that included Satsuki Sho runner-up Velox, he set out to prove his effectiveness over 12 furlongs.
Eased to the lead
Despite being less than fluent leaving the stalls, the colt settled in the slipstream of the pace-setter to race in second throughout.
He eased into the lead rounding the final corner, in the hands of champion jockey Christophe Lemaire. As the field straightened for home, the pair effortlessly strode three lengths clear of the field.
Saturnalia breezed past the post a three-length winner, easing down under a hands and heels ride. Velox stayed on to claim second with World Premiere trailing a further length and a quarter behind in third.
Saturnalia, now a winner of five races from six career starts with earnings exceeding €2,500,000, is by Lord Kanaloa and out of the Group 1-winning mare Cesario (Special Week).
He became the mare’s third individual Group 1 winner when winning the Hopeful Stakes in December 2018, an achievement that made her the first mare in Japanese breeding history to produce three individual Group 1 winners by three different sires.
Her other top-tier performers include Futurity Stakes winner Leontes (King Kamehameha) and 2014 Japan Cup victor and dual Group 1 winner Epiphaneia (Symboli Kris S), both of whom are currently among the Japanese stallion ranks.
The latter has made an encouraging start with his first two-year-old runners and currently sits in second place in the leading freshman sires list.
Saturnalia’s emphatic win in the Kobe Shimbun Hai now sets up the possibility of a mouth-watering clash between himself and Japanese super-filly Almond Eye.
The pair will most likely clash in the 10-furlong Group 1 Tenno Sho (autumn) held at Nakayama racecourse on October 27th.
In the event that the pair do meet, a new jockey will be needed for Saturnalia as Christophe Lemaire’s allegiance will likely remain with five-time Group 1 winner Almond Eye.
GROUP 1 racing is set to return in the JRA after a summer hiatus with the Sprinter Stakes due to be held on Sunday at Nakayama racecourse. The Sprinter Stakes is one of just two Group 1 sprint races on the JRA’s racing calendar and the race record of 1m 06.7secs is held by Lord Kanaloa from his performance as a four-year-old in 2012.
Nineteen nominations have been made to the race with a maximum field of 16 runners going to post. Two entrants have already been withdrawn owing to set backs in training meaning just one horse will miss the race through balloting.
Godolphin’s Tower Of London will attempt to retain the Group 1 crown for his owners – they were successful with Fine Needle 12 months ago. A renewed sense of confidence will follow the son of Raven’s Pass after a scintillating performance in the Group 2 Centaur Stakes three weeks ago. Connections will be hoping for a truly run race for their stamina-laden sprinter, a characteristic that saw him excel in that day.
Sprinting specialist Danon Smash will undoubtedly be prominent in the betting. A three-time Group 3 winner over six furlongs, he narrowly defeated Tower Of London in the Keeneland Cup in August.
The son of Lord Kanaloa will need to improve on all known form as, on that day, the four-year-old was in receipt of one kilo and Godolphin’s charge didn’t get a clear run from behind a modest pace.