This year’s Japanese fillies triple crown winner Almond Eye became the second three-year-old filly after Gentildonna in 2012 to score in the Gr1 Japan cup.
The talented filly prevailed in front of the nearly 100 000 crowd under jockey Christophe Lemaire in a record-breaking 2:20.6 – 1.5 seconds faster than the previous record set by Alkaased in 2005.
Watch the race here:
The Lord Kanaloa filly has now landed six consecutive victories, including the fillies’ Triple Crown
It was a first Japan Cup triumph and 15th JRA-Gr1 victory for trainer Sakae Kunieda, while jockey Christophe Lemaire celebrated his second Japan Cup win—his first was with Vodka in 2009.
Lemaire now boasts 22 JRA Gr1 trophies and equalled his own record of winning eight Gr1 in the same year.
The highly backed odds-on favourite, Almond Eye broke from the inner-most stall, hugged the rails a few lengths from the frontrunner in second, steadily climbed the hill and swooped past Kiseki at the furlong pole, pulling away easily to a 1,75 length victory.
The race was run over 2400m for prize money of ¥ 648,000,000 – which equates to about US$ 5,890,909.
Almond Eye wins the Gr1 Japan Cup (Pic – Japan Racing Association)
Almond Eye could finally break Japan’s hoodoo in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, for which she was cut to as short as 8-1.
Her victory sets up a fascinating showdown with Enable at Longchamp next October. She will be bidding to become the first Japanese-trained horse to win the race after a number of near misses, including with the likes of El Condor Pasa, Deep Impact and Orfevre.
A trip to Dubai is also potentially on the cards for Almond Eye and she has been installed 7-4 favourite with Paddy Power for the Sheema Classic.
