Shuka Sho (Group 1)

STARS On Earth’s bid to become a Triple Crown winner by claiming the third jewel of the three-year-old fillies’ Triple Crown came unstuck at Hanshin when she had too much to do in the straight and though she finished well, she had to settle for third.

Third favourite Stunning Rose, second to the favourite in her last Group 1 attempt in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), kept on strongly to win by half a length.

The King Kamehameha filly was a Grade 3 winner on her three-year-old debut, followed with a runner-up effort in the Yushun Himba and another Grade 3 victory in the Shion Stakes before registering her first Group 1 win here. Jockey Ryusei Sakai also landed his first career Group 1 victory in the race.

Broke sharply

Stunning Rose broke sharply and positioned nicely behind the leaders and two-wide in fourth along the backstretch, made headway three furlongs out, and was in control while holding off a fast-closing Namur and Stars On Earth.

Stars On Earth missed a beat coming out of the gate, was pinched back and had to race near the rear up to the final corner where the Duramente filly split horses with the fastest finishing split but fell short of reaching the top two finishers.

British raiders score in Milan

THERE was a strong British presence in Milan on Sunday and the raiders went home with two group race wins.

Saffie Osborne won her first group race when Ed Walker’s Random Harvest Irish-bred War Front filly Random Harvest took the mile Group 3 Premio Elena e Sergio Cumani in the colours of Lady Bamford.

The Group 2 Premio Vittorio di Capua, also over a mile, went to Andrew Balding with the favourite Bounce The Blues under the guidance of David Probert.

The Irish-bred daughter of Excelebration was ridden to lead a furlong out, and ran on gamely in the final furlong to win by a neck.

The feature race, the Group 2 Gran Premio Jockey Club over a mile and a half, went to last year’s German Derby winner Sisfahan who held Best Of Lips by a short-head for trainer Henk Grewe with Jack Mitchell in the saddle. Favourite Assistant was third of the five runners.