Great bloodlines create great expectations and though they are rarely met – let alone exceeded – regally-bred filly Alankar could yet be bound for big things.
A daughter of Yushun Himba heroine Sinhalite, Alankar unleashed a dazzling turn of foot at Hanshin on Saturday to capture her second victory and announce herself as a Classic prospect.
Staged over the Hanshin mile for the first time since 2005, the Listed Nojigiku Stakes (1600m) took on a different feel for long-time JRA watchers, a race that has produced recent winners the likes of Eri King and Wagnerian.
Twenty years on from the edition won by future dual Classic hero Meisho Samson, Alankar was sent out the 1.8 favourite. By Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia – sire of 2024 JRA G1 winners Danon Decile, Blow The Horn, Stellenbosch and Ten Happy Rose – out of the 2016 Japanese Oaks winner, Alankar arrived off a commanding Newcomer win two months earlier, carrying both attention and expectation into start two.
Alankar settled last after missing the start by two lengths, and was six lengths off the pace mid-race. But as the small field of six swung for home she had already begun to improve before jockey Yuichi Kitamura ‘pressed the button’ at the top of the straight. Sweeping widest, Alankar lengthened with purpose, reeling in Switch In Love – a Contrail filly who had seized the lead by the 200m – before powering clear to win by three and a half lengths in a dominant display.
“Her turn of foot and her reaction were both better than in her Newcomer,” Kitamura said. “The response was excellent, and it was a strong win. She ran calmly today, so if she can do the same next time, all the better.”
Alankar stopped the clock for her final three furlongs in 33.3 seconds, more than a second faster than the runner-up’s 34.5 seconds. The winning time of 1:33.5 was sharp, and even bettered the 1:33.8 posted by multiple-Group 1 Jantar Mantar in the 2023 G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.
Rewind to July: Alankar had taken her Fukushima Newcomer by four lengths, closing in 36.4 for the last three furlongs, 0.7 quicker than the next best. She was not a straightforward ride on debut, but in the Nojigiku Stakes she was notably more amenable and professional.
“She was able to put together a smart race,” said trainer Takashi Saito with evident relief.
Alankar’s ownership syndicate Carrot Farm has long been propelled by elite female families, and Alankar’s granddam Singhalese is at the core of one of them. Under Carrot colours, she has produced stakes performers such as Adam’s Peak and Lilavati, while Sinhalite herself – Alankar’s dam – also sported the same silks.
Should Alankar go on to emulate Sinhalite and win the Oaks next year, it would mark the first mother-daughter Oaks double since 1996, when Air Groove followed her dam Dyna Carle. And due to granddam Singhalese’s As well as his outstanding 2024 season, Alankar’s G1 Del Mar Oaks victory in her racing days, Alankar could even deliver the rare feat of a cross-border three-generation Oaks line.
As well as his outstanding 2024 season, Alankar’s sire Epiphaneia is also responsible for 2020 Fillies’ Triple Crown winner Daring Tact. From a pedigree standpoint there are few stamina concerns for Alankar, and she projects as a type that will come into her own during the Classic season.
Will Alankar follow her dam’s path to the Oaks? That destiny now rests with the team of Takashi Saito and Yuichi Kitamura, a duo who have already guided the likes of Chrono Genesis and Croix du Nord to Group 1 glory.
Future Outlook: The current frontrunner for Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. ∎
