Written by Trent Masenhelder
Japan
It was a huge day on Sunday for brilliant Japanese stallion Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), with the multiple Group 1-winning son of King Kamehameha (Jpn) registering three stakes victories.
The G1 Queen Elizabeth Cup at Kyoto was taken out by race favourite Brede Weg (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). It was the first black-type triumph for the Northern Farm-Brede Weg and she becomes the first 3-year-old filly to win the race since Mozu Katchan (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) in 2017.
“I was a bit worried about the soft ground but it was no problem for her,” said winning jockey Christophe Lemaire. “We couldn’t break well but were able to travel in a good position behind Harper. She was calm, responded well throughout the race and pulled away strongly with her explosive kick.”
Brede Weg is the 46th stakes winner and 32nd Group winner for her sire, who stands at Shadai Stallion Station.
“She (Brede Weg) was calm, responded well throughout the race and pulled away strongly with her explosive kick.” - Christophe Lemaire
The filly is from the four-time winner Inner Urge (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who is a sister to the dual Group 1 heroine Mikki Queen (Jpn). Both Inner Urge and Mikki Queen are out of the two-time Group 3 winner Musical Way (Fr) (Gold Away {Ire}) and she herself is a half-sister to the stakes performer Murray River (Fr) (Esprit du Nord {USA}).
Meanwhile, the G3 Fukushima Kinen was won by the Masakazu Ikegami-trained Ho O Emmy’s (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). The 6-year-old mare prevailed by a nose under Hironobu Tanabe.
It was the first black-type win for Ho O Emmy’s - a half-sister to the stakes performer Emmy’s Paradise (Jpn) (Fusaichi Concorde {Jpn}) - and her sixth overall.
Ho O Emmy’s (Jpn) (red and black silks) wins the G3 Fukushima Kinen | Image courtesy of the Japan Racing Association
The mare is out of the three-time winner and Listed victress Emmy’s Smile (Jpn) (Agnes Tachyon {Jpn}) and she herself is a half-sister to the Listed scorer Diraqouee (Jpn) (Fusaichi Concorde {Jpn}).
Rounding out Lord Kanaloa’s super Sunday was Grande Mare (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who scored a comfortable victory, her first in stakes company, in the Listed Oro Cup at Tokyo.
Grande Mare was handled by Akihide Tsumura for trainer Kenichi Fujioka.
Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) | Standing at Shadai Stallion Station
The 6-year-old is from the winning Neo Universe (Jpn) mare Grande Amore (Jpn) and she herself is a half-sister to the stakes performer Super Lumiere (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}).
Lord Kanaloa currently leads the Japan sires’ premiership with 225 winners, 250 wins and prizemoney totalling ¥3,661,331,000 (AU$37,807,000).
Singapore
Class to the fore in Singapore Gold Cup
Singapore’s reigning Horse of the Year, Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec {NZ}), needed to dig deep to win Saturday’s consecutive SG1 Gold Cup, and that’s exactly what the local champion did, defying the challenge of Dream Alliance (Into Mischief {USA}).
Lim’s Kosciuszko’s victory was his first at 2000 metres, and he has now won between 1200-2000 metres. The Daniel Meagher-trained gelding boasts 17 wins from 22 starts, for earnings of S$2.47 million (AU$2.8 million).
“That was amazing,” Meagher said. “What can I say? I can train him to be fit, to be sound, to be happy, but I can’t train him to be tough.
“When it’s all said and done, that’s what won him the race today (Saturday). He jumped from gate 16, carried the top weight and had every right to get beat in that final furlong. But he just toughed out the finish and that’s what makes champion horses.”
“That was amazing. What can I say? I can train him (Lim’s Kosciuszko) to be fit, to be sound, to be happy, but I can’t train him to be tough.” - Daniel Meagher
He is from the Keeper mare Jacquetta (NZ), who won the Listed Welcome S. (1000 metres) at Riccarton as a 2-year-old and placed in the G2 Wakefield Challenge S. (1100 metres).
Lim’s Kosciuszko was offered by Trelawney Stud at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 1) and then the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, where he was passed in.
