Unfazed by the pouring rain, five-year-old Jour Polaire dominated a heavy contest in this year’s Victoria Mile and captured her first graded win after being sent off eighth favorite in a field of 18. Debuting in April as a three-year-old, she claimed three wins out of seven starts that year and after landing her first four-year-old start last year, went on to face open class competition where she marked a third in both the Hanshin Himba Stakes (G2, 1,600m) and the Victoria Mile. After claiming another win in her autumn campaign, she capped off the season turning in a 16th in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m). Her first and only start this year was in the Hanshin Himba Stakes on April 7 where she finished fifth. With this victory, trainer Masato Nishizono has now four JRA-G1 titles under his belt, his latest with Sadamu Patek in the 2012 Mile Championship, while jockey Hideaki Miyuki celebrates his first since last year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen with Seiun Kosei, and seventh overall.
After breaking well, Jour Polaire slightly dropped back to settle two-wide and in mid-division through the backstretch while Kawakita Enka set the early pace. Still seventh to eighth at the top of the straight, the five-year-old bay came down strongly in the middle of the lane, picking off her tired rivals to finally tag Aerolithe and Red Avancer in the final strides while holding off the fast-closing Lys Gracieux right before the wire for the win by a nose.
‟I wasn’t worried about the rain and going getting softer because it was perfect for my mare. I was hoping to race a little more near the pace. She showed a great turn of foot but it was so close, I couldn’t make out if we were beaten by Lys Gracieux from the outside at the end or not,” commented Hideaki Miyuki.
Breaking from a wide stall, race favorite Lys Gracieux was reserved in lower mid-pack, a few lengths behind Jour Polaire in early stretch and, while displaying the fastest late drive, tenaciously chased the eventual winner but had too much ground to make up and finished a nose second, her fourth G1 runner-up effort.
Seventh favorite Red Avancer traveled in fourth to fifth, made most of the clear path that opened at top of the stretch to dig in with full force and inherited the lead from Aerolithe just before the furlong marker, but was caught by the winner and then the favorite just before the line for a close third.
Other Horses:
4th: (10) Aerolithe―advanced to 3rd, rallied for lead at 300m out, outrun in last 100m
5th: (2) Miss Panthere―traveled in 9th, met traffic at early stretch, quickened in last 200m
6th: (1) Let’s Go Donki―took economic trip in 7th, switched outside for clear path 300m out, rallied
7th: (9) Soul Stirring―raced in 10th, turned wide, lacked needed kick
8th: (11) Admire Lead―saved ground in 11th, quickened after 200m marker, was too late
9th: (13) One to One―traveled 3rd from rear, showed belated charge in last 200m
10th: (5) Reine Minoru―hugged rails in 4th, ran gamely until 100m out
11th: (18) Maids of Honour―ran wide around 15th, passed tired rivals in last 200m
12th: (17) Denko Ange―raced wide around 12th, lacked needed kick at stretch
13th: (3) Rabbit Run―settled around 6th, failed to respond at stretch
14th: (7) Kawakita Enka―set pace, sustained bid until 200m out, dropped back
15th: (14) Rieno Tesoro―pressed pace in 2nd or 3rd, weakened after 200m pole
16th: (15) Dea Regalo―sat 2nd from rear, showed brief effort, even paced in last 300m
17th: (12) Eterna Minoru―traveled around 14th, showed little along rails at stretch
18th: (8) Queen’s Milagro―broke poorly, trailed in rear, no factor
What's Umanity?
FAQ
Log in
comment 0 
like 0
(0)
