2025 Victoria Mile: Group 1 Preview
Venue: Tokyo Racecourse
Distance: 1600m
Value: ¥283,100,000 (US$1,973,159)
The G1 Victoria Mile (1600m) is Japan’s only Grade 1 restricted to older mares; the autumn’s G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200m) is open to three-year-old fillies as well.
First run in 2006, the honour roll features top middle-distance mares like Vodka, Buena Vista, Apapane, Verxina and Almond Eye; star milers like Normcore, Gran Alegria, Sodashi and Songline; and sprinters like Straight Girl.
The Victoria Mile, named for the Roman goddess of victory, will be run for the 20th time in 2025.
The Horse To Beat: Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno makes her Japan debut for 2025 here, but she has already won this year in Saudi Arabia, defeating 1400m specialist Win Marvel in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint (1351m) in Riyadh.
She has a strong overall record, her only failure coming in Sydney last year in the rich Golden Eagle (1500m), and her one course and distance run saw her finish second to Jantar Mantar in last year’s G1 NHK Mile Cup.
Ascoli Piceno will likely start favourite, as she has at all bar one start during her career. Christophe Lemaire retains the mount as he aims for his fourth victory in the race.
The Bridesmaid: Bond Girl
A Bond girl may not be a bridesmaid in Hollywood lore, but this Bond Girl certainly is. Since winning her Newcomer race here over the Tokyo mile in June, 2023 – defeating two-time Grade 1 winner Cervinia – she has not won in eight subsequent outings. That has included five stakes seconds and a further stakes third, among them a runner-up finish to Cervinia in the G1 Shuka Sho (2000m).
She has run over the Tokyo mile three times since for two seconds in the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup and G3 Tokyo Shimbun Hai and a career-worst 17th in last year’s G1 NHK Mile Cup.
The Wildcard: Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch was entered for next weekend’s G1 Champions & Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin. Instead of stepping up in trip after a disappointing 13th in the G1 Osaka Hai (2000m), she is dropping in distance to tackle the Victoria Mile.
She shaped as a top miler early, finishing a narrow second to Ascoli Piceno in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (1600m) in late 2023 before turning the tables in the G1 Oka Sho (1600m) in April last year.
She hasn’t won since but she was placed in the G1 Yushun Himba (2400m), G1 Shuka Sho (2000m) and the G1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m). What will she do back to a mile?
The Next Stable Star: Argine/Queen’s Walk
Trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida is still mourning the loss of Liberty Island in Hong Kong last month, but he saddles up two mares who could potentially fill that gaping hole in his yard.
Five-year-old Argine makes her Group 1 debut after winning three of her last five starts dating back to June last year. She just fell a nose short behind Safira in the G2 Hanshin Himba Stakes (1600m) last time out, but had won the G3 Turquoise Stakes (1600m) the start before.
Blueblood Queen’s Walk won the G2 Kinko Sho (2000m) last time out, defeating horses like Ho O Biscuits and Prognosis. She was a Grade 3 winner at a mile early last year but how she performs dropping back in trip is a major query.
The Milestone: Alice Verite
Kenichi Ikezoe is best known as the regular rider of Orfevre, but the 45-year-old jockey can join a small, select group if he can win the Victoria Mile on outsider Alice Verite.
There are six JRA Group 1 races restricted to fillies and/or mares: the Victoria Mile, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the three legs of the Triple Tiara in the Oka Sho, Yushun Himba and Shuka Sho, and the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies for two-year-olds.
Only three jockeys have won all six races: Yutaka Take, Christophe Lemaire and Masayoshi Ebina. However, Ikezoe can join them if Alice Verite – fourth to Thorpedo Anna in last year’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (1800m) – causes a surprise in Sunday’s feature.
His best result in the Victoria Mile was third aboard Japan Cup winner Shonan Pandora in 2016. ∎
