Japan
Embroidery adds another Group 1 in Victoria Mile
Embroidery (Admire Mars) confirmed her standing as the outstanding older female in Japan with a dominant victory in Sunday's Victoria Mile at Tokyo. The Group 1 is a 'Win and You're In' for the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Produced to lead by Christophe Lemaire with a furlong to run, Embroidery quickly asserted from there to register her third Group 1 success, having previously won both the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and Shuka Sho in 2025. At the line she had 1.25 lengths to spare over another Classic heroine from last year, the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner Kamunyak (Black Tide), with another 1.5 lengths back to 2025 runner-up Queen's Walk (Kizuna) as the three class acts in the 18-strong field came to the fore.
“It was a perfect race.” - Christophe Lemaire
“It was a perfect race,” Lemaire said of his 60th top-level winner on Japanese soil. “We were able to break smoothly, which allowed us to race in a good position. She responded really well on the uphill stretch and I was confident we could win again. She's a smart horse with a strong mentality, and she's developing physically as well – she's truly a Group 1-calibre horse. I think she can compete both in Japan and overseas.”
Trained by Kazutomo Mori, Embroidery proved a disappointment on her only previous start outside of Japan, finishing down the field in December's G1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin. She returned this year with a neck defeat of Kamunyak in April's G2 Hanshin Himba Stakes, having previously demonstrated her top-level credentials in a sparkling 3-year-old campaign which also yielded her first Group-race triumph in the G3 Queen Cup. In total, she is now a seven-time winner from 11 career starts.
Pedigree Notes: One of two stakes winners for shuttle sire Admire Mars, Embroidery is one of three winners from as many runners out of the Kurofune mare Rottenmeier, who contested the Queen Cup herself when finishing third in 2016, before winning a Listed race at Hanshin on her next start.
Embroidery's third dam is the Japanese champion 2-year-old filly Biwa Heidi (Caerleon), whose notable progeny include the Japanese Horse of the Year Buena Vista (Special Week); Japanese champion 2-year-old filly Joie de Vivre (Deep Impact); G2 Kyoto Kinen winner and sire Admire Aura; G3 Epsom Cup hero and sire Tosen Reve; Listed-winning sire Admire Japan; and G2 Flora Stakes heroine Sang Real (Zenno Rob Roy).
Europe
Havana Anna books ticket to Royal Ascot
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
Marking her return to action on Sunday with a hard-fought win in Naas's G3 Goffs Lacken Stakes, Havana Anna (Havana Grey) booked her ticket to Royal Ascot.
While the even-money favourite Charles Darwin (No Nay Never) proved a major disappointment fading out of contention to be last of the eight runners, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up took full advantage to edge a four-way go.
“I think she'll (Havana Anna) improve a lot for that, so we'll head for the Commonwealth Cup all being well.” - Donnacha O'Brien
“I thought there was plenty to work on today, it was kind of a starting point,” Donnacha said. “I think she'll improve a lot for that, so we'll head for the Commonwealth Cup all being well. For a filly that wasn't over-big last year, she has grown and strengthened.”
Pedigree Notes: Havana Anna is the sole black-type performer out of John Pearce's homebred Miss Villefranche (Danehill Dancer), a daughter of the Listed scorer Miss Corniche (Hernando) whose son Moyenne Corniche (Selkirk) was Group 2-placed in Australia.
Victorious launches herself to Ascot
By Tom Frary, TDN Europe
Carrying TDN Rising Star status into Sunday's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas, Ballydoyle's Victorious (Wootton Bassett) lived up to her name by edging Amo Racing's debutante Controlla (Night Of Thunder) to deny another upset on a card full of them up to this point.
“She's (Victorious) still green, but she's lovely.” - Aidan O'Brien
Aidan O'Brien used this race for the Albany winners Fairy Godmother and Meditate and that Royal Ascot contest is the next port of call for the winner. “She's still green, but she's lovely,” he said. “Ryan just said he followed two and they died in front of him at halfway and he got left there. She was a bit green when she was in front, but it was good for her. The Albany is the plan for her.”
Pedigree Notes: Victorious is the fourth foal out of Heaven On Earth (Galileo), a full sister to Minding, Tuesday and Empress Josephine all of whom captured Classics for the operation. Minding, whose six wins at the highest level included the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks, produced the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes hero Henry Longfellow (Dubawi) and is the best of the talented trio out of the Coronation Stakes and Matron Stakes heroine Lillie Langtry (Danehill Dancer).
Heaven On Earth had already produced last year's G3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes winner Sugar Island also by Dubawi and Justify's G3 Give Thanks Stakes runner-up Mother Nature (Justify).
