03 June, 2016
Japanese-bred A SHIN HIKARI (by Deep Impact, 5-y-o horse), who is currently campaigning in Europe, had the chance to shine again in the Prix d'Ispahan (G1 Turf, 1,800m ) on May 24 at Chantilly Racecourse in France.
A SHIN HIKARI, who got off to a good start, kept to the front of the pack in second place until the final turn. He then showed impressive acceleration on the stretch once rider Yutaka Take gave the signal, defeating a high class field including locally trained Prix Ganay (G1) winner Dariyan by a spectacular 10 lengths. Rarely is a high-class G1 race won by such a large margin, which emphasized A SHIN HIKARI's brilliance in the race. This is the horse's second international G1 win after his victory in last December's Longines Hong Kong Cup (Turf, 2,000m), and he will now be headed to Royal Ascot.
Japanese-bred horses have been known for their strength in middle to long distance races for some time now, but recently they have been demonstrating their ability in races at shorter distances of 1,800m and less as well. Champion sprinter LORD KANALOA (by King Kamehameha, retired to stud) who won back to back Hong Kong Sprints in 2012 and 2013 and MAURICE (by Screen Hero, 5-y-o horse), who has so far won 4 consecutive G1 races at a mile in Japan and Hong Kong, followed by A SHIN HIKARI, all prove that Japanese horses have champion potential at shorter distances. It certainly looks like Japanese-bred horses will continue to be a force on the international racing stage!
Please contact our representative below for further details:
Satomi Oka (Ms)
Satomi Oka Bloodstock Pty Ltd
E-mail : satomi@bloodstock.jp
Tel : +61 414 414 450