Second favourite Daring Tact kept her record at a perfect three for three when coming from near the tail of the field to overpower last season’s Champion 2yo Filly Resistencia in Sunday’s Group 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (1600m) at Hanshin.
A first winner in the race for rider Kohei Matsuyama and trainer Haruki Sugiyama, the daughter of first season sire Epiphaneia came with a barnstorming finish to defeat the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies heroine Resistencia (Daiwa Major) by one and a half lengths with Smile Kana (Deep Impact) a further one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
?I concentrated on her rhythm more than where to position her today," Matsuyama said.
"We were far behind the leaders and desperate in catching up but she responded beautifully and stretched incredibly all the way to the line. I’m not worried about the added distance in the coming Japanese Oaks but she does have issues to work on such as being relaxed. I’m praying that the day we can race in front of the crowd again will come soon."
Run in testing conditions before empty stands, the Oka Sho is the first classic of the season in Japan.
The winner of her only start at two, Daring Tact prepped for the Oka Sho with a win in the Listed Elfin Stakes (1600m) at Kyoto on February 8.
She is the first-named foal of the once-raced King Kamehameha mare Daring Bird who is a daughter of the talented Sunday Silence mare Daring Heart whose four wins included the Group III Tokyo Fuchu Himba Stakes and a pair of Listed races.
Daring Bird has a 2yo full-sister to Daring Tact named Maono Zenith and a yearling filly also by Epiphaneia. She was covered by Drefong (USA) last year.
Epiphaneia was runner-up to Logotype in the 2013 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and to Katzuna in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) before breaking through on a heavy track in the Kickuka Sho (Japanese St Leger).
The following year the son of Symboli Kris S defeated Just A Way in the Group 1 Japan Cup.
Epiphaneia is out of the 2005 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner Cesario who created a bit of history when winning the 2005 Grade 1 American Oaks Invitational at Hollywood Park.
Cesario (Special Week) is also the dam of the Group 1 Nakayama Hopeful Stakes and Group 1 Satsuki Sho winner Saturnalia (Lord Kanaloa) and the Champion 2YO Colt in Japan in 2015, the Group 1 Hanshin Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes winner Leontes (King Kamehameha).
Cesario’s dam Kirov Premiere (GB) spent the last decade of her life at Arrowfield Stud.
Her daughter Kirovskaya (French Deputy) is the dam of Group III winner Irithea while another daughter, the stakes-placed Savannah's Choice (Redoute's Choice) is the dam of Spendthrift Farm’s talented I Am Invincible stallion Overshare, winner of the MRC Zedative Stakes, who covered 150 mares last spring.
