Shuka Sho (Group 1)

THE favourite Monroe Walk is an unbeaten winner of this year’s Shuka Sho, the final leg of the fillies’ Triple Crown in Japan, as she won in a race record time last Sunday.

The daughter of Kizuna won her debut start in August as a two-year-old, but sustained a leg fracture thereafter. Missing the early classics, she won her comeback start in June this year, and won her first graded-race victory in September prior to this race.

Extending her winning streak to five, she now becomes the fourth unbeaten filly to win the Shuka Sho.

Trainer Hiroyuki Uemura was winning his fourth JRA-Group 1 title, while jockey Keita Tosaki claimed his 15th JRA-Group 1 race after last year’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup with Regaleira.

Monroe Walk broke smoothly, chasing a brisk pace in fifth position along the backstretch. The Kizuna filly entered the final straight in third position closing in on the early leaders and engaged in a duel with Garavogue in the last furlong. The favourite refused to let go of her lead to the wire, despite Garavogue’s continued pressure, the winner prevailed by a neck.

The Northern Farm-bred winner is out of the Australian-bred Amphitrite, a daughter of Sebring.

“Although we knew there were strong horses from behind, we made a bold move to make our bid a little early and she responded well. Having gained a Group 1 victory unbeaten shows how good a filly she is and I am looking forward to a bright future for this talented filly,” commented Keita Tosaki to local media.

Sligo to Kyoto

One of the surprises was a name like Garavogue cropping up in a top Japanese race and, on a loser look, the second-placed filly is by Lord Kanaloa out of the Canadian-raced Lexie Lou, who was a daughter of Sligo Bay, a son of Sadler’s Wells who initially raced for Aidan O’Brien, winning a Curragh maiden in 2000 before going to the US.

The Lord Kanaloa filly grabbed the lead just before the furlong pole, but was soon joined by the eventual winner on her outside and, while surrendering the lead, finished a respectable neck second.

THERE have been some good winners of the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris in recent times, including Addeybb in 2022 and Goliath in 2024 and this year’s contest, the highlight of the ParisLongchamp Sunday card, was won by Rembrand To Go. In a finish of heads and necks, he held Nitoiby a short-head with a head back to Zaraki.

The four-year-old Shamalgan colt was having his first run outside handicap company for winning jockey Marvin Grandin and trainer Miroslav Rulec. He has been added to next week’s Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale.

Best Secret, running for James Doyle and Wathnan Racing, was the beaten favourite.