2024 Sprinters Stakes: Group 1 Review
Track: Nakayama Racecourse
Distance: 1200m
Value: ¥328,800,000 (about US$2.3 million)
Jockey Atsuya Nishimura couldn’t contain his emotions after his first Group 1 win in the G1 Sprinters Stakes aboard longshot Lugal.
The relief and joy was clear in Nishimura’s reaction as he returned to scale on the upset winner of a wild race on a shifting, worn and perhaps slightly rain-affected track at Nakayama in which the favoured runners – including two Hong Kong raiders – failed to figure.
For winning trainer Haruki Sugiyama, it was a fifth career Group 1 and first in 2024, after previous top level success with Justin Palace and Daring Tact.
The Race
It shouldn’t be a surprise when a leader rips along at high speed in a JRA Group 1 and Puro Magic is a leader, but this was ridiculous. A 34-1 outsider in betting, Puro Magic was pushed to lead and then proceeded to clock 9.9 seconds from the 1000m to the 800m and then 10.4s from the 800m to the 600m. The pace was unrelenting after that as well as some of the runners found themselves off the bit and chasing with 600m to go.
For most of those trying to be close to the speed it was tough, not just because of the unrelenting tempo but also kickback in the middle stages (see Joao Moreira’s comments next). Still, Lugal was able to be handy and kick and score by a neck: his finishing time a blistering 1.07.00s set up by the early madness in front.
The Track
Nakayama is already a tricky, turning track with a short straight, but throw in some pre-race rain and you can get an upset result. Comments from Moreira, who rode sixth-placed Victor The Winner, may be worth considering when weighing up the runs of the beaten fancies here.
The course was rated good to firm but the pre-race shower, however small, may have contributed to some inconsistency. Moreira had Victor The Winner in a seemingly perfect spot, one out and one back, but lost ground and momentum at a key stage of the race.
“As we passed the 800m, the track was so soft and chopped up but the horses at the back were getting so much kick back on their face, they dropped even further back,” Moreira said. “At that stage of the race Victor The Winner came off the bit and I started having to dig him up so he didn’t lose contact with the front division. That indicates that the track did affect him a little bit, but it did affect other horses in the race as well.”
Superstitious punters may have figured that Victor The Winner and Moreira were doomed the moment he drew barrier 14: As Hong Kong Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges pointed out, the number 14 sounds like “must die” (實死) in Cantonese.
Fellow Hong Kong visitor Mugen never got warm after settling back in the field.
Satono Reve started race favourite on the strength of three straight wins but was unable to get into the race after settling midfield, and finished seventh.
The Eye-Catchers
Runner-up Toshin Macau and third-placed Namura Clair flashed home after getting shuffled back in those critical middle stages.
Trainer Mizuki Takayangi could yet consider a Hong Kong Sprint entry for Toshin Macau.
Supporters of Namura Clair, who produced the fastest final 600m in the race (33.2s) lamented another near miss: Namura Clair has now placed five times in Group 1 races, including the last four Group 1 sprints in Japan. Unfortunately for young trainer Kodai Hasegawa, nearby Hong Kong isn’t any easier and a chance at a domestic G1 is slipping away for his five-year-old stable star.
Second fastest final 600m split (33.3s) was the Golden Eagle winner Obamburamai, who was never in it after a sluggish start from the inside gate to settle last and ran into 11th. Where the four-year-old finds the right mile race to show his best remains to be seen.
Breeding
A look at Lugal’s pedigree page doesn’t scream ‘G1 sprinter’. By the late stallion Duramente, last year’s champion sire in Japan and a stamina laden Tokyo Yushun winner whose progeny excel as they step up in distance, and out of a mare by the 2008 Epsom Derby winner New Approach. But there is a good deal of class and speed on his dam’s side of the family, coming through from his fourth dam, the great miler, Miesque, and her Group 1-winning daughter East Of The Moon,
The Quote:
Haruki Sugiyama, trainer: “Truly, G1 races are a dream for any horseman, so to be able to win like this is the best feeling. Today, the horse moved smoothly, had a great physique, and looked in top form. Before the race, I discussed with the jockey that given the current track conditions at Nakayama, the start would be key, and once that was successful, I felt the stable had done its final job. From that point, I could watch the race calmly.”
“I knew that both the jockey and the owner were experiencing their first G1 win, so I couldn’t help but shout with joy. In the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, we ended up greatly disappointing as the favourite, so we approached the Sprinters Stakes with a strong sense of determination. We worked closely with the farm staff, and I’m really happy that the results came through. Going forward, there are various options, including overseas races. We’ll monitor the horse’s condition and take time to discuss with the owner. Working with horses is truly challenging, but I believe it’s a very rewarding job.”
Atsuya Nishimura, jockey: “I’m truly glad that I continued my career as a jockey. I’m grateful to trainer Sugiyama, the stable staff, and everyone involved for their hard work in raising this horse. After the frustrating loss as the favorite in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, I felt like I let everyone down, so I’m really happy. I’m overjoyed. I don’t remember anything about the race, not even the moment of victory.”
“The first person I want to express my gratitude to is my mother. She raised me on her own, and since becoming a jockey, I’ve been able to come this far thanks to the support of so many people. I’ve also troubled the horses a lot, and there are many people I want to thank. Becoming a G1-winning jockey was one of my goals, but I still have many more goals to achieve. I will keep working hard to reach them.”
What next?
There are no more Group 1s for sprinters in Japan until next year, so the G1 Hong Kong Sprint looms as a logical next step for Lugal and some of the beaten runners.
