breednet.com.au

Lord Kanaloa Filly Wins Japan Cup

Tara Madgwick - Monday November 26
To sire a Japan Cup winner from your first crop is a fairytale start to a stud career for a Japanese sire and it's a feat achieved by former champion sprinter miler Lord Kanaloa, whose outstanding three year-old filly Almond Eye took out the prestigious 2400 metre contest on Sunday.

Almond Eye - JRATrained by Sakae Kunieda and ridden by Christophe- Patrice Lemaire, Almond Eye scored a dominant length and three quarter win in the brilliantly fast time of 2.20.06, breaking the Tokyo course record.

She is only the second three-year-old filly to win the Cup and, like previous champion filly Gentildonna in 2012, did so after capturing the Triple Crown with wins in the Shuka Sho, Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) earlier in the season.

Almond Eye has the overall record of six wins and a second from seven starts.

She comes with a big female pedigree and is the best of seven winners from stakes-winning Sunday Silence mare Fusaichi Pandora, a grand-daughter of influential North American matriarch Sex Appeal, the dam of triple Group I winner El Gran Senor and Group I winner Try My Best, the sire of champion sire Last Tycoon (IRE).

Almond Eye is the best offspring to date for Lord Kanaloa, who was the Champion Japanese First Season Sire in 2017.

By the Kingmambo stallion King Kamehameha, Lord Kanaloa has four Australian yearlings bred by Arrowfield and partners, one of which is entered for Magic Millions. Lot 266 is a bay colt from Japanese winner Vaslissa, a half-sister to Japanese stakes-winner Tricolore Bleu from English Group III winner Penkenna Princess.


Advertisment
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
Spring racing is just around the corner and a busy set of trials at Randwick on Friday featured eight heats won by juveniles with winners including stakes horses The Playwright and Cobra Club as well as unraced youngsters by Justify (USA), I Am Invincible and Flying Artie.
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Who are we highlighting this week? - Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
Willydoit Data Surprise - Sprinter or Stayer?
Scientific tests have revealed surprising results on the distance aptitude of this season’s star New Zealand staying three-year-old Willydoit.
Justify Strikes at Newmarket with New G3 Winner
The Group III Bahrain Trophy Stakes ((1m5f) at Newmarket overnight produced a runaway winner in Scandinavia and while his sire Justify no longer shuttles to Australia, two of his sons will be on the roster at Coolmore this spring in City of Troy (IRE) and Storm Boy.
Bred to Be Better at Three
Andrew Campbell will unveil another exciting youngster at Hawera on Saturday when two-year-old gelding Valvano makes his debut in the Simon Bendall @ Metcalfe Real Estate (1200m).
Bred to be Good - So You Think x More Joyous
It sounds like a match made in heaven, a colt by two time Cox Plate winning sire So You Think from eight time Group I winner More Joyous, and this 2YO is slated to make his debut in New Zealand this weekend,  
Melbourne Racing Club Unveils Major Spring Racing Enhancements
Racing Victoria has confirmed prize money allocations for the 2025-2026 season and Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) has announced some exciting race program changes and prizemoney increases that, together with other great initiatives at Flemington and Moonee Valley, reinforce the position of Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival at the forefront of international racing.
Wathnan Racing Swoop - Quai de Bethune Eclipses July Sale Record 775,000 Guineas
The Tattersalls July Sale concluded in spectacular fashion with QUAI DE BETHUNE selling for a record 775,000 guineas and the Busuttin Young stable also picked up lightly raced 3YO TIME ALLOWED for Australia.
Almond Eye Makes the Dubai Turf Her Own
The Japanese love to showcase their best on the world stage and they don’t come much better than Almond Eye.
Godolphin Draft Headlines Huge Inglis Digital July (Early)
A 26-strong Godolphin draft, a G1 placed 3YO with credentials for the $10m Golden Eagle and shares in multiple other G1 performers including dual G1 winner Overpass headline a huge catalogue for the Inglis Digital July (Early) Online Sale.