Horse To Follow: Brown Ratchet
1st of 11, 2YO Newcomer
1800m (Turf), Nakayama
Monday September 16
Pedigree: Kizuna x Forever Darling (Congrats)
Trainer: Takahisa Tezuka
The winning margin of Brown Ratchet’s Newcomer win at Nakayama Racecourse doesn’t tell the full story: the manner of the victory indicates she was a class above her rivals and is a two-year-old to watch for later in the year.
Brown Ratchet won by a length and a half over 1800m on September 16 but had attracted attention long before her debut, thanks to her pedigree. She is a half-sister to Forever Young, who made history as the first Japanese horse to place in the G1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, finishing a commendable third earlier this year. This autumn Forever Young is set to race in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, with the Japan Dirt Classic on October 2 serving as a preparatory race.
While Forever Young is sired by Real Steel, Brown Ratchet is a progeny of Kizuna. Although both siblings share Deep Impact as their grandsire, the difference in sires seems to have resulted in two distinct racing styles.
Brown Ratchet settled tracking the pacesetters in third position. As they rounded the home turn she quickly moved to the front, showing a sharp turn of foot under the guidance of Christophe Lemaire to justify her odds-on favoritism of 1.2.
The winning time was 1:50.01, relatively fast for a Newcomer race at this course. However, given that the Nakayama autumn meeting was only in its second week and the turf was still in good condition, it’s worth noting that the entire day’s races were run on a quick surface. In fact, in the 1600m Newcomer held on September 8, Fandom set a course record for two-year-olds.
That being said, the lap times reveal a “quickening pace” over the final stretch, with the last 600m (measured in 200m intervals) recorded as 11.8-11.6-11.2 seconds. For a debut race, it was a highly polished performance.
— Team Iwata (@JayRAye02) September 16, 2024
In his post-race interview, Lemaire said, “She ran calmly and showed great acceleration. She can handle longer distances. She is very good.”
Lemaire did also point out that Brown Ratchet’s physique could benefit from further development.
Brown Ratchet weighed in at 438kg on race day, which is somewhat light for a two-year-old filly. Her half-brother Forever Young is a sizable horse – he weighed 526 kilograms on debut – and many of Kizuna’s progeny are known for their strong physiques, so there is hope that Brown Ratchet will grow and develop further in the future.
Trainer Takahisa Tezuka described the filly as “very talented”, a fitting description for this exceptional prospect.
One year ago on September 16, 2023, a Newcomer race was held under the same conditions, where Mi Anhelo won with a time of 1:49.6. Mi Anhelo went on to win the G3 Flower Cup and finish a close second in the G2 Shion Stakes on September 7. Connections will be hoping Brown Ratchet can plot a similar path.
Future Outlook: With further growth, she could become a contender for the Filly Classics.
