Yasuda Kinen (Group 1)

THE four-year-old filly Songline bounced back from a fifth-place finish behind Sodashi in the Group 1 Victoria Mile to land her first Group 1 victory in this year’s Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo last Sunday.

In a bunch finish, off a slow pace, the Kizuna filly turned the tables on Schnell Meister who had beaten her by a nose in last year’s Group 1 NHK Mile Cup.

Trained by Toru Hayashi, and ridden by Kenichi Ikezoe, she broke sharply from stall 13, and was settled behind Salios and in front of Schnell Meister in mid-pack as the field went a leisurely pace.

Making headway to the outside before the final bend, the Kizuna filly, who went off fourth favourite, unleashed a good turn of foot, catching Salios in the last half furlong and held off Schnell Meister.

Second favourite and Group 1 winner Schnell Meister broke well but was settled in mid-division under jockey Christophe Lemaire after a bit keen in the backstretch.

The German-bred son of Kingman struggled to find room climbing the hill and came between horses to overtake Salios while Songline did on the other side and was a neck short in second.

Salios, under Damian Lane, had a wide trip around seventh just in front of the eventual winner, responded well to rally for the lead but weakened in the last 100 metres and gave way in the last strides for third.

Favourite Elusive Panther trailed near the rear and had too much ground to make up off the slow pace and finished eighth.

Germany

THERE were two classic trials in Germany last weekend. On Sunday, nine fillies lined up in the Group 3 Diana Trial over 10 furlongs at Hoppegarten and victory went to the favourite Wagnis.

The daughter of Adlerflug had five lengths to spare over outsider Nastaria. She races in the colours of her breeder Gestut Rottgen, with Andrasch Starke in the saddle for trainer Markus Klug.

Irish-bred victory

At Cologne on Monday, seven colts faced the starter in the Group 2 Sparkasse KolnBonn Union-Rennen. Victory this time went to an Irish-bred in Sammarco, a son of Camelot racing for breeders Gestut Park Wiedingen.

He was ridden to chase leader just under two furlongs out and led in the final strides to beat the Starke/Klug favourite So Moonstruck by a head over the mile and three furlongs, with six lengths back to third Alessio.

Jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev partnered the winner for trainer Peter Schiergen. The Deutsches Derby takes place in Hamburg on July 3rd.

America

Duggan’s Drafted on verge of a million

DRAFTED, the older sprinter trained in New York by Irish couple David and Lara Duggan, took his lifetime earnings within $1,000 of $1 million by winning the $106,000 Mr Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park in New Jersey last weekend.

The eight-year-old, who began life with Eoin Harty and was trained in Dubai for several seasons, produced his customary whirlwind finish to come from the back of the field and win the six-furlong contest by three-quarters of a length. This was Drafted’s third win in four starts this year.