2024 Asahi Hai Futurity: Group 1 Review
Venue: Kyoto Racecourse
Distance: 1600m
Value: ¥152,200,000 (US$989,179)
Admire Zoom has big hoofprints to fill but he gave a further indicator of his prodigious talent with a runaway success in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1600m) for jockey Yuga Kawada, trainer Yasuo Tomomichi and owner Junko Kondo.
It was Kawada’s fourth win in the Asahi Hai since 2017, meaning he joined Masato Shibata and Mirco Demuro among the most successful riders in the race’s 75-year history, while Tomomichi was registering his third success since 2018.
Having been run at Hanshin Racecourse since 2014 following a shift from Nakayama, it was staged at Kyoto for the first time as renovations continued in Osaka.
Admire Zoom has a long way to go to match some of the best winners in the race’s history like Narita Brian, Eishin Preston, Dream Journey, Rose Kingdom or Do Deuce, but he has made a start down the path.
THE RACE
A messy race can be summed up by the pedestrian first 1000m of 60.4 seconds, including a 1200m to 600m split of a dawdling 37.2 seconds. The field then quickened for a final 600m of 33.7 seconds and a final 400m of 21.9 seconds, making it virtually impossible for anything from too far back to get into the finish.
Longshots Craspedia and Daishin Ra were the only horses pushed into a forward spot. Ryoya Kozaki eventually eased on Craspedia, allowing Norihiro Yokoyama to take up a sedate lead on Daishin Ra.
Kawada on Admire Zoom sat second while Cristian Demuro aboard Museum Mile improved to his inside into third at halfway, allowing their horses every opportunity as many of their rivals were buffeted around in behind. These included Ryan Moore’s mount Nitamonodoshi and Arlecchino, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, who had only one horse behind them after 600m. Not to mention favourite Arte Veloce and Yutaka Take (but more on him later).
When Daishin Ra succumbed to pressure early in the straight, it was fifth favourite Admire Zoom and second elect Museum Mile who were there ready to pounce. Quickly, though, it became clear it was a one-horse race as Admire Zoom stretched away powerfully to win by two and a half lengths over Museum Mile.
Of those in the pack, only Lance Of Chaos was able to quicken sufficiently, giving young rider Seinosuke Yoshimura his first Group 1 placing. Daishin Ra just held down fourth, capitalising on his slow early fractions to outrun his 150-1 odds.
THE WINNER
Purchased for 126,500,000 yen (US$822,150) as a yearling – the 27th most expensive lot of 231 on offer – Admire Zoom’s dam Daiwa Zoom was a Listed winner over 1800m on turf. It is the family of American Grade 1 winners Strategic Maneuver and Max Player, while Admire Zoom is a distant relation of Kyoto feature winners Genuine and Asakusa Kings.
However, there was little to suggest Admire Zoom would be a Group 1 winner by year’s end when he debuted over the Kyoto 1600m in October, finishing fourth to Theresa. He was blocked when attempting to improve turning for home but then weakened out under pressure.
There was a hint to his potential though when he contested a maiden over the same Kyoto 1600m last month. Ridden handy and allowed to quicken on the turn, he sprinted clear in a manner similar to his Group 1 success at the course and distance on Sunday.
Admire Zoom is Maurice’s sixth Group 1 winner worldwide, joining Geraldina, Jack d’Or and Pixie Knight in Japan as well as Hitotsu and Mazu in Australia.
THE OWNER
It was a poignant victory for Junko Kondo, marking her first official Group 1 win since she officially assumed ownership of the “Admire” horses in 2020.
Kondo’s husband Riichi won many Group 1 races, but it was the Asahi Hai Futurity in which he tasted most success, winning the race three times with Admire Cozzene (1998), Admire Don (2001) and Admire Mars (2018). He also raced standouts Admire Groove, Admire Moon and Admire Rakti.
Riichi Kondo died of cancer in late 2019, just weeks before Admire Mars won the Hong Kong Mile.
Admire Zoom is set to provide his widow with her first opportunity to chase Tokyo Yushun glory. It is a race that her late husband won once with Admire Vega in 1999.
THE BEATEN FAVOURITE
Arte Veloce was given little chance by Yutaka Take. Jumping away cleanly from stall eight, he was within a length of the early lead after 200m. However, Take grabbed hold of Arte Veloce and by the 1000m he was back in 10th some five lengths from early leader Daishin Ra.
They were clearly going slowly but the race developed around Take, with Christophe Lemaire on Arlecchino improving to his inside and outsider A Shin Wand quickening to his outside. This left him in an impossible position midway through the race.
Arte Veloce had only one horse behind him upon turning into Kyoto’s relatively short straight. All things considered, his effort to finish fifth – even though he was a distant eight lengths behind the winner – was extraordinary.
The run was enough to suggest that Arte Veloce remains a leading player for the Japanese Triple Crown in 2025.
THE QUOTE
Yuga Kawada (Admire Zoom, 1st): “I’m glad that the colt was able to finish the season off on a good note. His last race was also very impressive and I knew he had great potential to win this one too. However, he’s not the easiest horse to keep in control, so I was careful to deal with that.
“He was in a good rhythm coming into the last corner, so I was able to bring out his best performance and I knew then we were unbeatable. As I’ve said, he does need to be handled carefully, but he has outstanding ability and the potential to have a great future ahead.”
Yutaka Take (Arte Veloce, 5th): “Today, the race didn’t go very smoothly. He didn’t finish strongly in the last stretch either. I think he is capable of much more. He nearly lost his rhythm, and when I tried to hold him back, he ended up getting boxed in by the pack. This result is not reflective of his true ability.”
THE FUTURE
All roads lead to the Japanese Triple Crown next year, which begins with the G1 Satsuki Sho (2000m) at Nakayama on April 20.
No horse has completed the Asahi Hai Futurity and Satsuki Sho double since Logotype in 2012/13 – even Admire Zoom’s stablemate Do Deuce could only manage third to Geoglyph and Equinox at Nakayama. In fact, the last Satsuki Sho winner to even come through the Asahi Hai Futurity was Logotype.
Nevertheless, that will be the likely target for a number of these horses, including Admire Zoom.
It wouldn’t surprise, though, to see Admire Zoom switched back in trip after the Satsuki Sho for the G1 NHK Mile Cup (1600m) at Tokyo in May. Both Admire Mars and Jantar Mantar won the Asahi Hai Futurity, finished close up in the Satsuki Sho before dropping in trip to win the NHK Mile Cup ∎
