Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (Group 1)

THE Group 1 Yushun Himba is the second fillies’ classic of the year. The €2 million contest was run over a mile and a half at Tokyo with the coveted title bringing together Japan’s finest fillies, all vying for the prestige of Oaks glory.

Christophe Lemaire proved once again to have the Midas touch when it comes to Oaks success, claiming his fourth success on the Tetsuya Kimura-trained filly.

Jumping from stall 12, Lemaire settled Cervinia towards the rear of the field. Making stealthy progress along the back straight, Lemaire angled his mount wide off the final bend.

Cervinia powered clear as several runners began to falter on Tokyo racecourse’s renowned incline.

The 1000 Guineas winner, Stellenbosch`, was sent off as the 5/4 favourite and made a bold bid from off the pace.

Ultimately, she could not match the finishing kick of the winner and failed by just half a length in second place. Light Back finished a further length and three quarters behind in third.

Cervinia made her seasonal reappearance in the Oka Sho, after a five-month absence. Racing prominently, she encountered traffic problems in the last furlong and finished in 13th.

Cervinia is the fifth JRA-Group 1-winning filly and seventh top-flight winner in total for her sire Harbinger. She is the second foal out of Yushun Himba runner-up Cecchio (King Kamehameha).

“I’m back” declared Lemaire in the post-race interview.

Lemaire had recently returned to action after a prolonged period on the sidelines recovering from a fall at Meydan on Dubai World Cup night.