(15th May 19)

Normcore captured her first G1 triumph in record time

The fifth pick Normcore claimed running the 14th G1 Victoria Mile (1600m, turf) and renewed Japan's 1600m record time 1:30.5 at Tokyo on Sunday. The race was set fast by the second pick Aerolithe, while the winner traveled from midfield position under the Australian jockey Damian Lane who is on a two-month stint in Japan, and the grey colt produced his burst of speed when he was guided to the outside of the favorite Lucky Lilac, passing one by one and gained the command with 100meters remaining before held off the strong challenger from Primo Scene to score by a neck.
Winning jockey Lane said: "The horse was great. The fast pace worked well for us. There would be no worries if we would find the space in the stretch. I had lots of confidence going into the race. My only concern was to recover everything smoothly even when something was happened. It was my first to win the G1 race overseas, so it was very great to win the race."
Purchased at 2016 JRHA Select Yearling Sale by TV producer Seiichi Iketani for 22,000,000yen (US$220,000 at the rate), the Harbinger-sired 4-year-old made her debut win at 2 in July 2017, and she ran 3rd at G2 and G3 levels in 3-year-old spring campaign and took the G3 Shion Stakes (2000m) in September. She ran 5th to Lys Gracieux in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup last November and started off the season with 2nd in the 2000m G3 Aichi Hai in January. She came off a 7th place in the G3 Nakayama Himba Stakes (1800m) at Nakayama in March latest.

Normcore

Sire: Harbinger
Dam: Chronologist
Sire of Dam: Kurofune
M4
Consigned: Northern Farm

(6th May 19)

ADMIRE MARS succeeded in taking his second G1 title

The first G1 race in the new Imperial era "Reiwa" was held at Tokyo on May 5th, and the second choice Admire Mars drove powerfully to claim the NHK Mile Cup and scored his second G1 title. While the pace clocked the first 800m in 45.8 seconds, Admire Mars who drew from 17th position out of 18 runners took a midfield spot under his regular jockey Mirco Demuro.
Demuro said: "The 17 gate was not a decent gate for us, but he never missed the break before. Even if he starts slowly, he can have an instant reaction to take a good position. My only concern was to keep him in a rhythm and make him comfortable all the way around."
The race favorite and this year's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) winner Gran Alegria drifted out and bumped Danon Chaser with 400m remaining to clear the path and stretched out her strides to finish fourth. But the interference against Danon Chaser has been made the decision by stewards to demote her to finish fifth. Danon Chaser was promoted from fifth to fourth. Admire Mars showed the outstanding acceleration in the final 200m and shook off the runner-up Lord Kanaloa-sired Cadence Call by a half-length.
"As the other horse was coming up next to him, that seemed to fire him back up and he found his second wind then. I am so impressed how he was running gamely." Demuro said.
The 2017 JRHA Select Yearling Sale graduate made his debut last June at Chukyo from Yasuo Tomomichi stable and succeeded to be undefeated in the four starts and claimed the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1600m) for the 2-year-old champion race last December. Started off the 2019 season with 2nd-place in the G3 Kyodo News Service Hai (1800m) in February, he finished fourth in the G1 Satsuki Sho, the first leg of the Japanese classic last out.

Admire Mars

Sire: Daiwa Major
Dam: Via Medici
Sire of Dam: Medicean
H3
Consigned: Northern Farm

(8th Jan 19)

Japan Racing Association Awards 2018 have been announced

On January 8th, Japan Racing Association(JRA) Awards have been announced, and the triple crown winning filly Almond Eye was named the JRA Horse of the Year 2018.
It was so grateful news for Japan Racing Horse Association as well, as two of the graduates from JRHA Select Sale were awarded. Admire Mars was named the Best Two-Year-Old Colt with 153 from 276 votes. He was unbeaten in four outings and captured the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes in December. The Riichi Kondo's Admire Mars was purchased at 2017 JRHA Select Yearling Sale for 52,000,000yen.
The Best Two-Year-Old Filly award went to Mitsumasa Nakauchida-trained Danon Fantasy, who had third straight win with a remarkable closing speed in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last month. The Deep Impact-sired filly drew 275 out of 276 votes. Danon Fantasy was bought by Danox Co., Ltd at 2017 JRHA Select Yearling Sale for 90,000,000yen.