Horse To Follow:
Gorgeous
1st of 11, 2YO Newcomer
1600m (Turf), Chukyo
Monday September 16
Gorgeous, who graced the cover of the renowned horse racing magazine Weekly Gallop at just one month old, achieved her debut victory in a 1600m Newcomer race at Chukyo on September 16. Her rare coat colour had made headlines even before her first race day appearance, and her on-track talent proved to be just as noteworthy.
This Hirofumi Shii-trained Gold Ship filly is of course immediately distinguishable by her white coat. In Japanese racing, famous white-coated horses like Sodashi and Amante Bianco are well-known, but Gorgeous shares no blood relation to them. Unlike the white-coated horses descending from Sodashi’s grand-dam Shirayukihime, she comes from a different lineage.
Gorgeous’ dam, Satono Jasmine, is a white-coated mare born in the United States. She descends from White Beauty, her sixth dam, who was born a white horse in 1963. This makes her part of a lineage of white-coated horses in America. Although her dam went winless in two starts, her uncle, the white-coated White Dragon, managed to secure one win in Japan.
The race began with a slightly slow start for Gorgeous, trailing towards the back of the pack. She gradually advanced through the field and by the time they entered the home straight, she had already taken the lead, holding off the challenge from the favourite Eyesight to score by three-quarters of a length.
— Team Iwata (@JayRAye02) September 16, 2024
Gold Ship’s progeny are known for excelling at longer distances and typically coming into their own after turning three, so her debut victory in a two-year-old mile Newcomer race was a bit of a surprise. Out of six generations of Gold Ship’s offspring, this was the first ever victory under these conditions.
After the race, the term “Gorgeous-chan” started trending on X (formerly Twitter), with horse racing fans gushing over her cuteness. Already a fan favourite due to her high-profile birth, this victory has undoubtedly garnered her even more admirers.
Jockey Suguru Hamanaka remarked, “She took the lead early, but stayed focused and ran all the way to the finish,” praising her temperament by adding, “Her best quality is how hard she tries.”
Her next race has yet to be announced, but with the speed she showed at a mile, it seems likely that her future goal will be the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas). Gold Ship’s filly Uberleben won the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) in 2021, raising hopes that Gorgeous could become the second Classic-winning horse from her sire.
The issue of Weekly Gallop released the following week featured Gorgeous on the cover for the first time in two years. It may not be long before she graces the cover once again.
Future Outlook: A promising filly with the potential to develop into a graded race competitor.
