2025 NHK Mile Cup: Group 1 Review
Venue: Tokyo Racecourse
Distance: 1600m
Value: ¥283,100,000 (US$1,973,159)
Panja Tower has emerged as a left-field G1 Tokyo Yushun (2400m) contender after a strong yet narrow victory in Sunday’s G1 NHK Mile Cup (1600m).
Owner Tomofusa Fukasawa said that Panja Tower could potentially attempt to follow in the footsteps of King Kamehameha and Deep Sky, the only two colts to complete the double, after his head defeat of Magic Sands.
The Race
An even start among the 18 runners was quickly punctured when Caught Alliciant, drawn widest of all, ducked out dramatically to the right and – despite urgings from jockey Akira Sugawara – proved difficult to get under control. Eventually she started chasing the pack but conceded 25 lengths after 100 metres.
Meanwhile, favourite Admire Zoom jumped smartly and was right in the vanguard from the outset. Pressure was also applied by Lance Of Chaos, Total Clarity, Tiratore and Voulezvous, setting up a hot early tempo as the first 600m was run in 33.4 seconds – the equal fastest first 600m in this race‘s 30-year history and the equal fourth fastest ever over the Tokyo mile.
Panja Tower settled just beyond midfield on the outside of Cerbiatto, while Magic Sands only had Caught Alliciant behind him of the 18 runners.
By the time of the first turn, Admire Zoom had managed to get into third, one-off the fence.
Early in the straight, Yuga Kawada was swinging off Admire Zoom as he inherited the lead. Just as he struck the front at the 400m, though, Admire Zoom was asked for more effort by Kawada and found very little and by the 250m, he was conceding ground as Panja Tower raced on by.
Having quickened smartly, Panja Tower was momentarily matched by Mondo dell’Amore and then it looked a matter of who could make ground along the inside. The answer? Magic Sands, sprinting sharply, and a ducking-and-weaving Cerbiatto.
The pair looked like they were going to catch Panja Tower, but momentum proved key and Panja Tower was able to hold off Magic Sands by a head. Cerbiatto was a further nose away in third.
And Caught Alliciant? Remarkably, after saving ground, she was beaten only four and a half lengths in 10th.
The Winner
Sent off as the 25-1 ninth favourite, Panja Tower was highly touted at two. He won the G2 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (1400m), beating G3 Saudi Derby (1600m) runner-up Shin Forever among others, and was sent out fourth favourite in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1600m).
However, he could only manage 12th behind Admire Zoom, beaten 11 lengths, and his first-up fourth in the G3 Falcon Stakes (1400m) in March also did little to suggest he was the top miler of his crop.
It was atonement of sorts for Panja Tower’s sire Tower Of London, who was favourite for the 2018 NHK Mile Cup but finished 12th to Keiai Nautique. Panja Tower, who was one of Tower Of London’s first foals born, also became his first Grade 1 winner.
The Connections
Jockey Kohei Matsuyama rode his sixth JRA Grade 1 winner on Sunday and his first since T O Keynes’ 2021 Champions Cup triumph. Five of his Grade 1 wins have come in three-year-old races: the three legs of the Triple Tiara with Daring Tact, the Satsuki Sho with Al Ain and now the NHK Mile Cup with Panja Tower.
Ritto-based Shinsuke Hashiguchi has been training since 2015 but his two Grade 1 wins – both with Graceful Leap – had come on the NAR circuit, in the JBC Sprint, and in the Korea Sprint in Seoul. Both are not considered Group 1 races globally and so Panja Tower’s win is his first international Group 1 in addition to being his first JRA Grade 1.
Fukasawa tasted victory under his Deep Creek banner. Deep Creek was created both as a tribute to two Yutaka Take-ridden icons, Deep Impact and Super Creek, as well as being a play on words on his name – Fukasawa can literally translate to deep creek in English.
The New Foreign Face
Cerbiatto may have been beaten a long head in third but for her jockey Michael Dee, who made his JRA Grade 1 debut on the filly, this might be the race that establishes his reputation in Japan.
Dee’s first ever short-term contract began with a fall on April 26 and he had only recorded one win, a 2000m turf allowance race on Ask Come On More at Tokyo last weekend, from 51 rides. In a jurisdiction where reputations are cemented quickly, time was quickly running out for Dee to establish himself among Japanese racing fans.
He was not expected to improve his record aboard 72-1 shot Cerbiatto after her sixth in the G1 Oka Sho (1600m), but he rode a patient race from a low draw and almost timed his run to perfection. Cerbiatto was charging through the line and would have won in another few strides.
Dee rides another Silk Racing filly, Grade 3 winner Mi Anhelo, in next weekend’s G1 Victoria Mile over the same course and distance. That was the same race that gave Damian Lane his first Grade 1 win in Japan aboard Normcore in 2019 and perhaps Dee is on track to follow Lane as a go-to rider in big races for Japanese connections.
The Quotes
Kohei Matsuyama (jockey, Panja Tower, 1st): “I was able to settle into a good position, but going into the race, I was more focused on allowing Panja Tower to run in his own rhythm rather than being too concerned about position. He broke well from the gate, and I think we were able to run a solid race in a good rhythm. I was pushing him with everything I had, truly hoping he would respond.
“I’ve thought he was a talented horse ever since his debut, and he also has a graded stakes win at Tokyo. He has a running style that allows him to unleash a strong late kick, so I have always kept that in mind when riding him. He showed that late kick again today, and I believe he still has a lot of room to grow. I’m genuinely excited about what lies ahead for him.”
Tomofusa Fukasawa (owner, Panja Tower, 1st): “We’ll make a decision after discussing with the stable staff and trainer, but as of now, we haven’t ruled out June 1 (Derby Day). It remains one of the options.”
Yutaka Take (jockey, Magic Sands, 2nd): “Before the race, he was quite tense. I felt it would be better to avoid getting caught in traffic. We were able to execute the race we had aimed for. We were just a little short. It was very close.”
Naosuke Sugai (trainer, Magic Sands, 2nd): “We were so close. All I can do is give credit to the winning horse. He came surging up the inside at the end. We finished second, so I think we have enough to qualify for the Derby, but we won’t go. I think he’ll be sent out for a spell in preparation for his main target in the autumn, the Mile Championship.”
Michael Dee (jockey, Cerbiatto, 3rd): “The plan was to let her run in a good rhythm, and that led to the position we took. She has a tendency to get worked up, so I focused on keeping her relaxed, but once we got into the race, she didn’t pull and ran smoothly. She responded immediately in the home stretch. Once we got that far, I really wanted to win. We didn’t have luck on our side, but it was a fantastic performance.”
Keita Tosaki (jockey, Mondo dell’Amore, 4th): “Since we had the inside draw, I was able to settle him nicely along the rail and have him conserve his energy. He felt good coming into the fourth corner. However, just as we saw in the final workout, his action after being asked to go was still lacking something. I hope that aspect will improve going forward.”
Seinosuke Yoshimura (jockey, Lance of Chaos, 5th): “The pace was too fast. He broke well from the gate, and under normal circumstances, drawing an inside post would have been a positive. However, just for today, I honestly felt there was a noticeable difference between the inside and outside, based on how the turf rode. We were able to settle in about the position we had expected. However, since the pace turned out to be faster than anticipated, we ended up chasing from a position affected by that pace, and I think the difference between inside and outside came into play as well.”
Damian Lane (jockey, Satono Carnaval, 6th): “He broke well from the wide draw. In order to secure cover, we settled about one row further back, but during the run, he travelled in a good rhythm and felt strong under me. In the home stretch, I guided him to the outside to find space, and from the 400m mark, he showed a good turn of foot. I think he gave his all.”
Christophe Lemaire (jockey, Immigrant Song, 11th): “I was in a very good position, right behind the race favourite, and he felt good throughout. However, once we hit the uphill section, he began to lose momentum.”
Yuga Kawada (jockey, Admire Zoom, 14th): “His rhythm started to come apart from the third corner, but upon closer inspection, it turns out he had lost a shoe about 200 to 300 meters after the start. I think the effects of that began to show from that point onward. I think he will come back stronger again for his next race.”
The Future
The Tokyo Yushun remains under consideration for Panja Tower, while he could also take on the older horses in the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) a week later. As Naosuke Sugai said, Magic Sands will have a break ahead of the autumn, while plans are up in the air for Cerbiatto. ∎
