The Takamatsunomiya Kinen, one of two Gr1 championship events for sprinters held by the Japanese Racing Association, is a race with a fascinating history and there was further drama today when the result of the ¥ 281 800 000 / $2 610 000 event – the equivalent of R46 million – was decided in the boardroom at Chukyo Racecourse.
The first JRA-Gr1 race to be held without spectators due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, the American-bred daughter of Speightstown Mozu Superflare claimed her first G1 title when crossing the wire in second, as first-placer Kurino Gaudi was demoted to fourth place due to interference.
Mozu Superflare is down the inside (Pic – JRA Twitter)
The field of 18 broke smoothly with fourth pick Diatonic dashing out but easing back to let Mozu Superflare take the front followed by sixth pick Seiun Kosei and 15th pick Kurino Gaudi.
While Mozu Superflare, still leading the field entering the lane, accelerated strongly for a wire-to-wire victory, Kurino Gaudi, followed by Diatonic, closed in from the outside, and caught up with the leader 100 meters out. Second choice Gran Alegria, who took the outer route turning the corners after traveling 5-6th from the rear, produced an impressive burst of speed, running the tied fastest of the field in the last 600m, and caught up with the front three horses 50 meters out to unfold a four-horse rally before the wire.
After a long inquiry, Kurino Gaudi, who crossed the wire first, was demoted to fourth for interfering with Mozu Superflare and Diatonic 100m out.
This is the first case in JRA-Gr1 history, in which a horse who crossed the wire first was demoted further back than runner-up, since Buena Vista was demoted to second in the 2010 Japan Cup.
Mozu Superflare, who had only raced in 1200m and 1400m races since her debut, attained her first graded victory in last year’s Gr3 Ocean Stakes over 1200m and though finishing a disappointing 15th in the following Takamatsunomiya Kinen, marked a runner-up effort in the Gr1 Sprinters Stakes in September.
She kicked off this season with a fourth in the Gr3 Silk Road Stakes on 2 February.
This win marked trainer Hidetaka Otonashi’s 13th JRA-Gr1 victory following the Champions Cup with Chrysoberyl in December last year.
Jockey Fuma Matsuwaka was celebrating his first JRA-Gr1 victory and seventh graded win since debuting in 2014.
Turnover on the day was ¥ 20 032 214 400 – the equivalent of $185 000 000. Not bad for spectator free racing on a Sunday.
This Gr1 was formerly named the Takamatsunomiya Cup in honor of Prince Takamatsunomiya who presented the trophy to the winner in 1971. The race was shortened from 2000 meters to 1200 meters and granted Japanese Gr1 status in 1996.
It was then renamed Takamatsunomiya Kinen in 1998.
The first of flat turf G1 events held annually, the race was temporarily shifted to Hanshin Racecourse in 2011 and was contested over the newly renovated track back at Chukyo in the following year with added challenges of an uphill and a longer homestretch exceeding 400 meters.
