Cervinia, the 6-5 favourite, showcased her dominance in the final furlong to win the 29th Grade 1 Shuka Sho on Sunday at Kyoto. The race, valued at US$1.6 million, is the last leg of Japan's Triple Crown for 3-year-old fillies.
The Harbinger-sired filly became the fifth horse since Mikki Queen in 2015 to win both the Shuka Sho and the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks). This victory marked her third graded-stakes title, following the Artemis Stakes (G3) as a 2-year-old and her Yushun Himba win earlier this year.
In front of a crowd of 35,539, Sekitoba East (32-1) set a rapid pace, taking an early lead while Cervinia patiently held her position mid-pack. As the race progressed, Cervinia made her move in the final stretch, surging past her rivals to claim a 1 3/4-length victory.
Winning jockey Christophe Lemaire praised the filly’s performance, stating, “Cervinia ran an incredible race today. The fast pace suited her, and she responded beautifully when asked.”
Cervinia completed the 2,000-metre race in 1:57.1, just 0.2 seconds off the stakes record, on a turf course rated good to firm. The victory gave both Lemaire and trainer Tetsuya Kimura their first Japan Grade 1 wins since the Yushun Himba.
Bond Girl (13-1) closed quickly from the rear to take second, while Stellenbosch (5-2), winner of the Japanese 1,000 Guineas, finished third after a slow start.