A familiar face in Australia as the trainer of 2019 Cox Plate heroine Lys Gracieux (JPN), Yoshito Yahagi broke new ground for Japan when his world-traveller Loves Only You (JPN) overcame difficulties to triumph in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar.
Ridden by Yuga Kawada, the 5-year-old daughter of the late Deep Impact looked in deep trouble when sandwiched between runners as her main rivals were out and running before the home turn.
Kawada had a handful of horse in deep stretch and when she took a gap between the favourite War Like Goddess and outsider My Sister Nat (FR) the result was never in doubt.
Loves Only You defeated My Sister Nat (FR) (Acclamation) by a half-length with War Like Goddess (English Channel) a head back in third.
“It looked like a really tough race, a competitive race, but we thought our horse was Number One," Yahagi said.
“"It was a really great race but we believed in her and now she won this great race."
The sister to former Arrowfield Stud shuttler Real Steel seven two three from 15 starts with earnings the equivalent of US$6.5 million.
Loves Only You began the year with a win in the Group II Kyoto Kinen at Hanshin in February.
A month later she was in Meydan finishing a close-up third behind Mishriff and fellow Japanese traveller Chrono Genesis in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic.
Back on a plane Loves only You was next seen when leading home a Japanese domination of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) at Sha Tin in April.
After a four-month break, she finished second to the photogenic Sodashi in the Group II Sapporo Kinen.
Bred by the Yoshida family's Northern Farm, Loves Only You was purchased at the JRHA Select Yearling Sale by DMM.com Co for 280m yen.
She is one of seven winners out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Loves Only Me a half-sister to the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac and Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Rumplestiltskin (Danehill Dancer), dam of Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Tapestry.
The dam of Loves Only Me, Monevassia (Mr Prospector) is a sister to Kingmambo out of the incomparable Miesque.
