breednet.com.au

Joy for Arrowfield and Oaklands Studs as Indy Champ Claims Mile Championship at Kyoto

Mark Smith - Monday November 18

The great Fastnet Rock appeared in the pedigrees of two runners in Sunday’s Group 1 The Mile Championship (1600m) at Kyoto, as the sire of Fiano Romano and the sire of the dam (Mosheen) of Primo Scene, but they were to prove bit players in a race where Indy Champ became the seventh horse to claim the Mile Championship - Yasuda Kinen double.

That was last achieved by Maurice (JPN) in 2015 on his way to Horse Of The Year honours and the following year Maurice’s Arrowfield Stud barnmate Mikki Isle (JPN) won the Mile Championship to be crowned the Champion Sprinter and Miler.

A son of the Sunday Silence’s Group 1 Hong Kong Vase winner Stay Gold, Indy Champ will now likely head to Hong Kong himself with the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile firmly in his sights.

Given a charmed ride by Kenichi Ikezoe, Indy Champ sat just off the speed set by My Style and was really only let off the bit over the final 250 metres to defeat the favourite Danon Premium (Deep Impact) by one and a half lengths with Persian Knight (Harbinger) a neck back in third.

Ikezoe made the most of his late call-up.

Advertisement

“I was asked to ride at short notice (in place of regular rider Yuichi Fukunaga who is under suspension) but wanted to deliver a good result since the colt was a Yasuda Kinen champion. I was told that he is a bit unstable at the start but he broke well and we were able to race in good position while eyeing Danon Premium. He responded really well when asked at the lane,” Ikezoe said.

Bred by Northern Racing and owned by Silk Racing, Indy Champ is the second foal of the 4-time winning King Kamehameha mare Will Power who is a half-sister to Arrowfield Stud’s ATC George Ryder Stakes and Tokyo Yasuda Kinen winner Real Impact (JPN) (Deep Impact) and to Oakland Stud’s Group 1 HKJC Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Neorealism (JPN) (Neo Universe) as well as the multiple stakes-winner I’ll Love Again (El Condor Pasa).

The third foal of Will Power is the smart 3yo A Will A Way (Just A Way) the last start winner of the Listed Opal Stakes at Kyoto and at two was runner-up in the Group II Keio Hai Nisai Stakes at Tokyo.

Will Power has a 2yo filly by Daiwa Major (JPN) and a filly foal by Kinshasa no Kiseki (AUS).

Advertisment
More Reading...
Better Than Ready’s Metalart Wins Group 3 W J Healy Stakes
Improving off a third in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm recently, 4yo Better Than Ready gelding Metalart stepped up to 1200m to record his first black type success, winning the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes.
Win Bright Captures Hong Kong Cup to Give Japan Three of the Four Features at Sha Tin
The Japanese sent a strong contingent for this year’s International Race Day at Sha Tin and they carried of three of the four Group 1 races with Win Bright (JPN) putting the stamp on a great day when he edged the valiant Magic Wand (IRE) by a short-head in the days feature, the Group 1 The Longines Hong Kong Cup.
Bred To Be Good and Bad
While the Kiwi’s are patting themselves on the back for the sublime, Champions Mile hero, Beauty Generation (Road To Rock) they can also take some credit for the Chairman's Sprint Prize winner Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook) as well as the Japanese-bred Win Bright (JPN) who captured the HKJC Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
Wootton Bassett Winning Whirl
It was a red letter day for Wootton Bassett (GB) at The Curragh overnight with a treble of winners highlighted by top class filly Whirl, who captured the Group I Pretty Polly Stakes (1m2f), a race won by the mighty Via Sistina in 2023.
Tattersall’s Mile For The Inflictor - Under The Louvre’s Second SW
Third at Listed level before winning at Doomben, the Craig Cousins-trained The Inflictor (Under The Louvre) then tackled the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, and while not in the same league as winner War Wachine (Harry Angel), the 4yo gelding showed his class on Saturday to win the Listed BRC Tattersall’s Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm.
Corumbene Stud Homebred Tashi Wins G1 Tatts Tiara
From the last crop of foals sired by Widden Stud’s much missed Golden Slipper winning sire Sebring, five year-old mare Tashi may also be his final Group I winner as she produced a career best performance at Eagle Farm on Saturday to win the $700,000 Group I Tatts Tiara (1400m).
Unbeaten So You Think 3YO WA's New Excitement Machine
One month to the day since he first set foot on a racecourse, So You Think’s three year old son  Opportunistic remains undefeated from three starts, is a dual stakes winner with earnings of $200,250 to his name, and is WA's new rising star of the turf.
Almanzor Stayer wins G3 Tattersalls Cup
It's been a long time since the  2022 Victoria Derby and some may have wondered whether the winner Manzoice was ever going to win again!
Miss Joelene Achieves Millionaire Status
This time last year, Miss Joelene was highlighting herself as one to watch for the future, having placed in the Group 2 The Roses and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks, and after a few runs behind the outstanding Antino (Redwood) this time in, a class drop on Saturday saw her record victory in the $200,000 Listed BRC Tattersall’s Gold Crown (2100m) at Eagle Farm.
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.