Japan Horse Racing Tips-Umanity.jp|MILE CHAMPIONSHIP(G1) is held this weekend

Bright amid the spectacular fall colors is this Sunday’s racing highlight – the 43rd running of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Kyoto Racecourse hosts the Grade 1 showcase for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, with 18 horses nominated for the turf competition run over the venue’s outer 2,200-meter course. The race pays JPY150 million to the winner and is a perennial favorite, pitting young talent and still budding talent against the experienced.

Two of this year’s hotshots – filly triple crown champion Almond Eye and the globe-trotting Deidre – have passed on the Queen Elizabeth II Cup for the Japan Cup and the Hong Kong Cup, respectively. In doing so, they have boosted the hopes of horsemen and fans. Will double-digit longshots drop jaws as they did in 2009? Or is this a rare year the favorite makes it home in first place?

Last year’s champion Mozu Katchan is back for another shot and Lys Gracieux, who has come frustratingly close so many times, is still gunning for her first Grade 1 win. The 3-year-old Normcore passed on the Shuka Sho and is looking promising, as are Cantabile and the bright new light Red Genova, runnerup in the Kyoto Daishoten.

In addition to the equine talent, four non-Japanese riders are expected to make the gate this year – Frenchman Christophe Lemaire, Brazil native Joao Moreira and brothers Cristian and Mirco Demuro of Italy – making the Queen Elizabeth II Cup a royally international affair.

Weights are set at 54kg for 3-year-olds, 56kg for older fillies and mares. It is the 11th race on the Sunday card of 12 at Kyoto. Post time is 15:40 local time. To The Victory holds the record with her time of 2:11.2 set in 2001. Here’s a look at the expected popular choices.

Mozu Katchan: The 4-year-old Mozu Katchan, one of four nominees by Harbinger, won her first Grade 1 with this race last year. She has failed to place first in her three starts since. Last out in the Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000 meters) on Aug. 19, she returned from 5 months off and made a late run from the rear to finish a very close third and with no time difference between her and winner Sungrazer, a 4-year-old colt who went on to finish second in the Oct. 28 Tenno Sho (Autumn). Mozu Katchan had to withdraw from the Fuchu Himba Stakes due to a fever and will be racing without a prep, but Ritto-based trainer Ippo Sameshima says, “She worked in tandem up the hill last week. The ground was slow but her movement was good.” Mirco Demuro is expected to have the ride, as he did last year.

Lys Gracieux: If there’s any horse that truly deserves to win a Grade 1 race, it’s Lys Gracieux, a 4-year-old by Heart’s Cry. In her 15 starts thus far, she has notched three wins, six seconds and three thirds. She has competed in Grade 1 events seven times and has finished second in four of them, missing out on victory by a total of only half a second. She made the trip from Ritto last out to take on the Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2, 1,800 meters) on Oct. 13 and was slow out of the gate, but, running under 54kg, finished in second place a neck behind Deirdre, who carried 2kg more. A filly that normally drops weight from traveling, this time Lys Gracieux kept it on and ran at 460kg, her heaviest by 10kg. The signs indicate she has blossomed. Her final 3-furlong time of 32.6 seconds also shows she has not sacrificed speed. Last year here, Lys Gracieux finished eighth, hampered by a slow break, her rear position and a slow pace. She is reported to be eating well and calm in morning work. Seven horses in the past 10 runnings have captured their first Grade 1 here and this may well be Lys Gracieux’s time to shine. Joao Moreira is slated for the ride.

Cantabile: A daughter of Deep Impact, the 3-year-old Cantabile has only missed the money once in her seven career starts. She jumped from her maiden to a Grade 3, aced that and took on the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). That was a bust, but she followed it up with a win of the Grade 2 Rose Stakes in mid September. Last out, she finished third with a burst of speed in the Shuka Sho stretch that shot her up the field and threatened to take down Almond Eye had Cantabile not run out of ground. A slight filly at just over 430kg, Cantabile’s weight has not changed from her debut last December, but she is leaner and meaner and not to be ignored. She’ll also be asked to carry 1kg less than she did in the Shuka Sho. In addition to regular work, she has been given lots of exercise in the pool and she should be able to handle the extra furlong this time. Expected to be partnered with Cristian Demuro for the first time, hopes are high that, come Sunday, things will go swimmingly.

Normcore: A Harbinger-sired 3-year-old, the Miho-based Normcore has three wins and two thirds in her short 5-start career. Two for two as a 2–year-old, she returned this March after half a year off and, taking on two graded-stakes races – the Flower Cup (G3, 1,800 meters) and the Floral Stakes (G2, 2,000 meters) – finished third in both. Four-and-a-half months later she came back to win the Shion Stakes (G3, 2,000 meters) at Nakayama clocking 11.5-11.2 over the final 2 furlongs and beating runnerup Mau Lea, a filly with fifth-place finishes in both spring filly classics, to the line by 3 lengths. That win gave Normcore a pass to the Shuka Sho, but trainer Kiyoshi Hagiwara took a raincheck to give her more time to recuperate. This will be Normcore’s first Grade 1 and her first race over longer than 2,000 meters. It will also be her first time at Kyoto, her first time to travel westward. That’s a lot of firsts, but expected to be in the saddle is Christophe Lemaire, who has won seven of the 20 JRA Grade 1 races so far this year. Normcore should be in the best of hands.

Red Genova: A 4-year-old by Symboli Kris S, Red Genova has proven highly consistent, with five wins in 14 starts and only four of them out of the top three spots. Showing great improvement this year, she has moved slowly up in class and this will be her first Grade 1 bid. Last out, she took on her first graded-stakes race in the Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400 meters) on Oct. 8 and finished only 1/2 length behind Satono Diamond. Japan Cup winner Grand Cheval also finished behind her in fourth. Red Genova was unable to make a move turning for home, and had she been able to, things may have turned out differently (although in all fairness, Satono Diamond was racing under 3kg more and coming off a 3-month layoff and Grand Cheval had yet 1kg more to contend with and it was his first race in five months). Still, Red Genova has shown she can hold her own and is expected to have improved. She is based at Miho, but her trainer Shigeyuki Kojima, who has two wins of this race, has kept her stabled at Ritto both before and after the Kyoto Daishoten.
Those seeking a higher return may want to look at Admire Lead, being given more distance and expected to improve after her Fuchu Himba Stakes run. Frontier Queen, third in the same race, has run second in all her five starts before that, three of them Grade 2 races. The Ritto-based Crocosmia was runner-up here last year and though her best in her four starts since then was a fifth last out in the Fuchu Himba Stakes, a return to Kyoto is surely a plus.

Sixth pick Ange Desir won out a fierce duel with odds on favorite Rabbit Run to claim this year’s JBC Ladies’ Classic. Marking a runner-up effort and a win in her two-year-old starts on turf, the Deep Impact filly was switched to dirt from her sixth career start in April of her three-year-old season. Her five wins out of 12 starts over dirt are all between 1,600m and 2,100m distances including the 2017 Sparking Lady Cup, the 2018 Empress Hai and the 2018 Marine Cup. This win was the first JBC Ladies' Classic title for both trainer Mitsugu Kon and jockey Norihiro Yokoyama, while Yokoyama has won the JBC Sprint with Nishiken Mononofu in 2017.

Quick out of gate 16, Ange Desir hugged the rails in fifth inside race favorite Rabbit Run along the backstretch. The two fillies, still racing side by side, advanced forward turning the final corners wide, took the front entering the homestretch and launched a fierce rally down the lane with Ange Desir passing the wire a head in front.

“We were able to race in good position and the filly ran really well right up to the end. I’m glad we were able to win out the duel. She was in good form coming into the race and she felt comfortable from the beginning. She’s a great horse and is improving with every race,” commented Norihiro Yokoyama.
Fifth choice Fashionista traveled third from last after a slow break, made bid from the outside after a wide turn and unleashed a powerful late charge, running the fastest last three furlongs, to pin second pick Queen Mambo in the final strides for third.

Other Horses:
4th: (3) Queen Mambo—eased back to 9th, made headway approaching last corners, chased top two, overtaken in final strides for fourth
5th: (13) Andes Queen—raced wide in mid-division, kicked into gear rounding final turn, finished willingly
6th: (8) Viscaria—was off slow, sat near rear, shifted out at 4th corner, 2nd fastest in last 3 furlongs
7th: (2) Fontana Liri—raced on rails in mid-pack, mustered mild bid, even paced
8th: (1) Iron Tailor—broke sharply, set pace, surrendered lead before final turn, was used up
9th: (6) Jewel Queen—took ground-saving trip in mid-pack, stayed on rails, mild response in stretch
10th: (10) Princia Cometa—prominent behind pace early, met traffic into straight, lost momentum
11th: (12) Blanche Coeur—raced 3-wide 9th from front, dropped back to 2nd from last through last corners, improved position in lane
12th: (9) Salsa Dione—disputed lead from a sharp break, chased pace in third, second rounding final turn, came up empty
13th: (11) Rieno Tesoro—raced lower mid-field, checked approaching final turn failed to rally
14th: (5) Rinehart—hugged rails in mid-pack, never fired at stretch
15th: (14) Dear Maruko—trailed in rear, no factor throughout
16th: (7) Kawakita Enka—chased leader in 2nd, outrun early

Third favorite K T Brave displayed a remarkable stretch run against a stellar field of graded winners to claim this year’s JBC Classic. After registering an eighth in his debut start over turf as a two-year-old, the son of Admire Max was switched to dirt racing and has successfully collected 11 wins which are all over distances of 1,800 meters or more; the Hyogo Championship, the Hakusan Daishoten and the Urawa Kinen in 2016; the Nagoya Daishoten, the Teio Sho in 2017; the Kawasaki Kinen, the Diolite Kinen and his most recent win, the Nippon TV Hai this year. This is the first JBC Classic victory for both trainer Haruki Shigeyama and jockey Yuichi Fukunaga while Fukunaga has won the JBC Sprint with Sterling Rose in 2002.

K T Brave traveled two-wide in mid-field, made an early move after the third corner, moved up in position and entered the straight in third. With a clear path ahead of him, the chestnut unleashed an impressive run to the line swooping past the stubborn Sunrise Soar 100 meters out while holding off the fast closing Omega Perfume by 3/4 length for the title.

“The horse was in top condition which made me very confident today. He struggled a bit to keep up with the fast pace, but he has won at the highest level under the same kind of circumstances so I wasn’t worried about that. There’s no doubt he has many wins ahead of him and I’m happy we did well today”, jockey Yuichi Fukunaga commented after the race.

Three-year-old and second favorite Omega Perfume raced wide after breaking from stall 14 and was unhurried in lower mid-field, a length behind K T Brave. Kicking into gear after the third corner, Omega Perfume chased the eventual winner into the straight and with a tremendous burst of speed stormed down the stretch, tagging Sunrise Soar close to the wire, but was 3/4 length short from the winner for second.

Race favorite Sunrise Soar broke well and was driven to the front, briefly surrendered the lead between the third and last turn but quickened to hit the straight first, stretched well but succumbed to the fast closing speed of K T Brave 100 meters out and then Omega Perfume in the final strides for third.

Other Horses:
4th: (9) Nonkono Yume—trailed 3-length behind field, circled wide and made ground with fastest finish
5th: (7) Sound True—settled near the rear early, advanced along the rails after final turn
6th: (5) Asukano Roman—rated just off the rails in mid-pack, tracked Omega Perfume to join rally, left behind 200m out
7th: (15) T O Energy—rushed out of gate to dispute lead, pressed pace up to 200-meter pole, even paced
8th: (6) Meiner Basara—chased pace in front group, rallied up to final furlong, unable to quicken thereafter
9th: (2) Tagano Gold—saved ground further back than mid field, failed to threaten
10th: (13) All Blush—chased pace up front early, outrun early stretch
11th: (1) Centurion—raced mid division behind front runners advanced briefly into stretch but failed to fire
12th: (11) Katsugeki Kitokito—eased and rated between foes in mid-pack, outrun early stretch
13th: (12) Apollo Kentucky— raced 3rd from last, unable to reach contention
14th: (10) T M Jinsoku—stalked pace, briefly took over lead after 3rd corner, retreated in early stretch
15th: (16) Chrysolite—broke from farthest stall, fourth from rear, last to hit stretch, never fired
16th: (3) Stern Glanz—saved ground in 3rd to 4th, gradually retreated by last turn, no factor

Fourth favorite Graceful Leap claimed this year’s JBC Sprint, registering his 12th win, all on dirt over distances between 1,200 and 1,400 meters—notable victories include the 2016 Summer Champion, 2017 Korea Sprint, 2018 Hyogo Gold Trophy and Tokyo Sprint. It was the first JBC Sprint title for both trainer Shinsuke Hashiguchi and jockey Christophe Lemaire.

Graceful Leap stayed close to the pace in fourth, increased his speed as two of the foes in front were quick to tire before the final turn. The eight-year-old chestnut closed in on the leader, dueled and crossed the wire a neck in front for the title.

“We were able to secure a perfect spot behind Take (on Matera Sky) and from there the horse gave a great effort,” commented Christophe Lemaire.

Race favorite Matera Sky immediately rushed for the lead from a smooth break and made the pace. The son of Speightstown led along the rails and sustained his bid up to the final strides where he was pinned down by the eventual winner and missed by a neck in second.

Fifth choice Kitasan Mikazuki, who had beaten both the winner and the race favorite in his previous start, was rated near the rails in mid-field and exerted an impressive turn of speed to reach contention but unable to reach the top two who had already gained a comfortable lead from the rest of the field.

Other Horses:
4th: (14) Moanin—raced 3-wide toward rear, showed impressive late charge in last 100m
5th: (13) Let’s Go Donki—settled 4th from rear, accelerated in stretch, rallied well for 4th, outrun in final strides
6th: (3) King’s Guard—raced on rails near rear, angled out at last turn, struggled for room, accelerated belatedly
7th: (15) T O Helios—broke sharply, raced in mid-division, remained factor up to mid-stretch, showed little in last half furlong
8th: (2) Nishiken Mononofu—hugged rails 5th from rear, accelerated but lacked closing speed in last half furlong
9th: (7) Win Mut—broke well, driven in backstretch, stalked pace, entered straight in 3rd, tired
10th: (12) Love Bullet—broke sharply, took 4-wide trip throughout, 4th to hit stretch, weakened
11th: (1) Nero—hugged rails in mid-division, never reached contention
12th: (16) Nobo Baccara—trailed in rear, made bid after turning widest, third fastest last 3 furlongs
13th: (11) Ensemble Life—raced 2nd from rear, unable to reach contention
14th: (9) Seiun Kosei—mid-division, edged forward traveling 3-wide, even paced.
15th: (8) Nac Venus—rated 6th from front, hugged rails turning the corners, faded in last 200m
16th: (10) Nobu Wild—broke well, traveled wide in 3rd, failed to respond in stretch