February Stakes (Group 1)

THE first Group 1 of the new year took place in Japan last weekend, with the mile February Stakes on the dirt at Toyko attracting some international attention through the Canadian horse Shirl’s Speight, trained for Charles Fipke by Roger Attfield taking up the challenge.

However, it was racing’s biggest international operation that reigned on the day as race favourite Lemon Pop captured this year’s February Stakes title for Godolphin, extending his wins to eight out of 11 career starts (he finished second in the rest).

The five-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid is now selected to run in the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 25th. For winning trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka, it was a first Group 1 triumph. Jockey Ryussei Sakai settled Lemon Pop a couple of lengths behind in fifth and three-wide. Gradually improving position, the race favorite came out of the last turn in fourth, unleashed an incredible stretch drive overhauling Helios 300 meters out to grab the lead and romped to a length-and-and-a-half success ahead of the fast-closing runner-up.

Easy to ride

“I’m grateful to have been given the chance to ride such a strong and favoured horse and am happy we won. I rode him in workouts and found out he was laid-back and very easy to ride.

“Today we sat near the pace, just as planned. He responded well and pulled away strongly,” commented Ryusei Sakai to JRA reporters.

The winner is out of the Juddmonte-bred mare Unreachable, by Giant’s Causeway, who failed to win in two outings for Dermot Weld.

Red Le Zele, the third favourite, raced second from the rear and stormed down the stretch with the fastest late run but failed to catch the winner and was second.

Meisho Hario picked off his rivals to dig in for third, two and a half lengths from Red Le Zele.

Shirl’s Speight ran in mid-field on the rails, shifted a path out for his stretch run but struggled to find room and didn’t pick up and finished ninth.

“From what the jockey was telling me, he wasn’t enjoying the kick-back that much but I think he ran an okay race. I just think he’s a superior turf horse, but we gave it a try,” commented trainer Roger Attfield.

“It’s a strong race and Shirl’s Speight wasn’t capable of handling the track over here which is extremely deeper than what he gets in North America,” jockey Joao Moreira told reporters after the race.