2025 Yushun Himba: Group 1 Preview
Venue: Tokyo Racecourse
Distance: 2400m
Value: ¥326,500,000 (US$2,262,835)
Japan’s best three-year-old fillies will take to Tokyo on Sunday for the G1 Yushun Himba (2400m), the Japanese Oaks.
Since 1938, it has been the country’s premier race for three-year-old fillies and has been won by the likes of Air Groove, Cesario, Buena Vista, Gentildonna, Almond Eye, Loves Only You and Liberty Island.
The horse to beat: Embroidery
Embroidery is aiming to become the 18th filly to win both the G1 Oka Sho (1600m) and the Yushun Himba. Joao Moreira, who won the Oka Sho on the filly, will instead be riding at Gavea in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday and so Christophe Lemaire – who missed the Oka Sho due to riding Rousham Park in Australia – will be reunited with the daughter of Admire Mars.
While she has struck her greatest success at a mile, arguably her most impressive win came over 1800m last year. She broke the Niigata 1800m track record for juveniles by almost a second – some feat considering horses like Equinox and Cervinia have won over the Niigata 1800m at two. That gives plenty of heart for her going beyond 1800m for the first time.
Although Embroidery is related to 2009 Yushun Himba winner Buena Vista, her pedigree doesn’t scream mile and a half. Nevertheless, she is a classy filly and she will be a leading player.
The testing material: Arma Veloce
Thirty years after Hiroyuki Uemura took his one and only ride in the Yushun Himba, finishing last on Young Ebros in 1995, he returns with his first Yushun Himba runner as a trainer in Arma Veloce.
Arma Veloce will aim to become the third filly in the last decade to complete the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and Yushun Himba double after Soul Stirring and Liberty Island.
Beaten a neck by Embroidery in the Oka Sho, Arma Veloce has a more stout pedigree than Embroidery as a daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Harbinger and she is a leading contender. She may even challenge for favouritism.
Mirai Iwata takes his third ride in the Oaks, attempting to emulate his father Yasunari who won the race in 2014 on Nuovo Record.
The wildcard: Kamunyak
It has been 24 years since Kent Desormeaux became the first foreign jockey on a short-term contract to win a Japanese classic when Lady Pastel won the Yushun Himba. Since then, no short-term foreign jockey has won the race.
Andrasch Starke is the best placed to break that long drought aboard Kamunyak, who won the G2 Flora Stakes (2000m) last month.
She had looked outpaced in two starts at a mile before relishing getting out in trip and the mile and a half looks even more suitable. Her third dam Dance Partner won the Yushun Himba in 1995.
The improver: Vip Daisy
Vip Daisy would have started the year as one of the Yushun Himba favourites but she enters under something of a cloud.
Runner-up in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last year, the daughter of Satono Diamond loomed up to win the G2 Tulip Sho (1600m) in March and maybe even hit the front for a half-stride before she was outgunned by Kurino Mei and Water Gerbera.
Last time out in the Oka Sho, she raced well back in the field but struggled to pick up late before finishing 11th.
Both races were contested in rainy conditions and although they were officially run on good or firm ground, the Oka Sho in particular looked to be worse than that underfoot.
The blueblood: Brown Ratchet
Perhaps more than any other race in Japan, the Yushun Himba boasts an honour roll filled with remarkable pedigrees. Last year’s winner Cervinia was out of Yushun Himba runner-up Cecchino, 2023 winner Liberty Island was out of Australian Group 1 winner Yankee Rose and Stars On Earth was out of a daughter of six-time Grade 1 winner Stacelita, who herself produced 2017 winner Soul Stirring.
In this year’s Yushun Himba, there is no horse more regally bred than Brown Ratchet. A Kizuna three-quarter sister to the world’s leading dirt horse Forever Young, both horses are out of American Grade 2 winner Forever Darling.
Brown Ratchet was favourite for last year’s Hanshin Juvenile Fillies but finished 16th, 11 lengths behind Arma Veloce, while she didn’t show much more when ninth in the Oka Sho, nine lengths behind Embroidery.
Damian Lane will take his first ride on the filly as she steps out beyond a mile for the first time. ∎
