OVER 55,000 people turned out for the 44th running of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup, originally named The Victoria Cup and which was run as the final leg of the Fillies’ Triple Crown. However, since the inception of the Shuka Sho in 1976 it was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and run over the reduced distance of 2200m at Kyoto Racecourse.
The race was opened to international participants in 1999 and has since seen 11 travellers take their chances, although the only foreign success has been that of the Ed Dunlop-trained back-to-back winner Snow Fairy, in 2010 and 2011.
With racing fans still reeling from superstar Almond Eye’s performance a week earlier, it was the fillies once again in the limelight. Group 1 racing moved to Kyoto for the annual running of the Queen Elizabeth II, boasting a prize pool of €1,700,000.
A full field of 18 runners, including two current classic winners in Loves Only You (Oka Sho) and Chrono Genesis (Shuka Sho), went to post. However, a return to her brilliant best form saw Lucky Lilac cause a mild upset with Christophe Soumillon in partnership.
Breaking evenly from stall two, the daughter of Orfevre was eased to race towards the midfield firmly against the running rail. Turning for home, Lucky Lilac still on the rail, quickened sharply to close down the game front-running Crocosmia. Entering the final furlong, the tenacious chesnut surged clear of the field to pass the line the winner by a length and a quarter.
Crocosmia’s gallant effort from the front saw her claim the runner-up spot for the third consecutive year.
Raced keenly
The previously unbeaten race favourite Loves Only You raced keenly in second throughout. Returning from an almost six-month lay-off, she failed to deliver any decisive challenge to the leader in the closing stages but stayed on to finish in third.
Crowned champion juvenile filly in 2017, Lucky Lilac looked a horse of the highest quality in three unbeaten starts as a two-year-old, culminating in Group 1 honours in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies.
A winning three-year-old reappearance in the Group 2 Tulip Sho meant she was subsequently sent off as a short-priced favourite for the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). However, she was comprehensively beaten in the classic by Almond Eye, an adversary that would go on to beat her on two more occasions at Group 1 level.
Christophe Soumillon is currently riding in Japan on a JRA short term licence that came into effect on October 19th. He has already made quite an impact on his first professional visit to Japan since 2014. To date, he has ridden 10 individual winners from 35 rides including a Group 2 win to supplement his Group 1 honours.
The Mikio Matsunaga-trained filly marked a third JRA Group 1 for Soumillon. He was successful aboard Epiphineia in the 2014 Japan Cup. His first Group 1 win in Japan came when he partnered Buena Vista to win the Tenno Sho in 2010.
Rare feat
Trainer Matsunaga has now accomplished a rare feat by winning the Queen Elizabeth Cup as both a trainer and a rider. He accompanied Phalaenopsis to victory in 2000.
Lucky Lilac is the third produce out of the dual American Group 1 dirt winner Lilacs And Lace (by Flower Alley)and she is from the first crop of the Triple Crown winner Orfevre.
Christophe Soumillon is also familiar with the young sire as he twice partnered the enigmatic colt to second place in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Orfevre’s most infamous performance was when the partnership snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when idling when clear in front and eventually being narrowly beaten by Solemia in the 2007 Arc de Triomphe.
THE Japanese arm of the global Godolphin operation has announced two new stallions who will stand at their stallion complex based on Hokkaido for the upcoming 2020 breeding season.
Coral-Eclipse and Dubai Sheema Classic winner Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy) will travel to the land of the rising sun having already stood at Dalham Hall in the UK for one season.
Albeit from a small sample, progeny of Kitten’s Joy have a more than reasonable record in the JRA. He has sired 14 individual winners from 19 runners, including Group 2 winner and Group-1 placed Gendarme.
Thunder Snow
It has also been announced that Thunder Snow will take up stallion duties in Japan. A two-year-old Group 1 winner who went on to win at the highest level as a three, four and five-year-old, he was equally effective on turf and dirt, so the prolific son of Helmet will be no doubt popular with Japanese breeders.
Darley Japan stands established sires such as Pyro, Admire Moon and Furioso while also offering a powerful line-up of young stallions including Talismanic, Fine Needle and American Patriot. Fees for Darley’s newest arrivals have yet to be announced.