Mile Championship (Group 1)

KYOTO stages the autumn’s big mile event, the Mile Championship, with 16 runners going to post tomorrow.

Six of the runners were among the top seven finishers last year, including the winner Serifos, now seeking his second win in the race.

Ryan Moore and Joao Moreira join Japan regular Christophe Lemaire in taking some of the fancied runners.

Lemaire has enjoyed an amazing sweep of the Kikuka Sho, the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Queen Elizabeth Cup in recent weeks and eyes his sixth Group 1 victory this year.

He partners Schnell Meister, one of the top contenders, from a mid-field draw in nine.

The five-year-old Kingman horse heads into his third Mile Championship, having finishing second in 2021 and fifth in 2022. Highly consistent, he has five Group 1 placings from six top level efforts.

In the spring he captured the Group 2 Yomiuri Milers Cup (over this same course and distance), and was a close third in the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen in June.

Trainer Takahisa Tezuka told Japan Racing: “It’ll depend on the trip, but if he’s able to access his powerful turn of foot in the final stage, he definitely has a chance.”

Serifos (Yuga Kawada), a four-year-old by Daiwa Major, surprised here last year. He had finished fourth in the two spring 2022 Group 1 mile events - the NHK Mile Cup for three-year-olds and the Yasuda Kinen.

This season he followed a fifth in the Group 1 Dubai Turf to Lord North, by taking second in the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen in June. In the latter, he was no match for Songline, but beat Schnell Meister by a head to claim second.

One of two three-year-olds in the Mile Championship line-up, the Deep Brillante-sired Elton Barows takes on his first big test. He comes into the Mile Championship on a four-race winning streak that includes a Group 3 win over nine furlongs at Fukushima, and the Group 2 Mainichi Okan, beating Songline and Schnell Meister. Drawn well in seven, this could be his finest hour.

Joao Moreira partners Soul Rush from stall one and he may well improve on last year’s fourth place. After a big handicap win last time, he has been reported to be working well.

Ryan Moore rides Namur but they have been drawn widest in 16. The only filly in the line-up, the daughter of Harbinger suffered interference in both her spring Group 1 bids, with a seventh in the Victoria Mile followed by a down the field finish in the Yasuda Kinen. She returned on October 21st to land the Group 2 Fuji Stakes under Joao Moreira but faces a stiff task here.