Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Group 1)

REGALEIRA justified favouritism and claimed her third Group 1 victory in this year’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Kyoto last Sunday, shaving 0.1 second off the race record time.

The Suave Richard filly avenged her fifth-place finish in this race last year and added to her first Group 1 title in the Hopeful Stakes as a two-year-old and the Group 1 Arima Kinen as a three-year-old last year.

A chip fracture in her right foreleg kept her sidelined and the four-year-old returned in this year’s Takarazuka Kinen in June where she was well-beaten in 11th, though she was then back to form to win a Group 2 in September.

Breaking smoothly from stall seven, Regaleira travelled wide in mid-division of the 18 runners. The Suave Richard filly took the final turns out wide before unleashing a powerful charge in the final stretch, hitting the front 50 metres out and easily pulling away for a length and three-quarters victory with a record time for the 11 furlongs. She will have the Group 1 Arima Kinen as her next target again.

“I’m truly delighted to have won with Regaleira again. I’m both happy and relieved that we were able to live up to everyone’s expectations as the race favourite. The condition of the inner track wasn’t very good, so I made sure that we didn’t get stuck there. She responded well at the stretch. I’m confident that she’ll do even better from here,” commented Keita Tosaki to Japanese media.

Fourth choice Paradis Reine hugged the rails in sixth place, steered to the outside for a clear path entering the straight and overtook the front-runner to lead briefly, but was unable to hold off the fast-closing Regaleira and finished second.

Unhurried second from last, outsider Lilac, runner-up of the 2022 running of this race, angled out for a run to launch a late drive and, while failing to threaten the top two finishers, nabbed Lynx Tip just before the line to secure third place by a head.