Gentildonna becomes first two-time Japan Cup winner

One year after making history as the first three-year-old filly ever to win

the Grade 1 Japan Cup, Sunday Racing Co.'s Gentildonna again etched her name in

the record book by becoming the first two-time winner in Sunday's renewal at

Tokyo. Expertly handled by new rider Ryan Moore, Gentildonna just lasted by a

nose from sophomore filly Denim and Ruby. The result was a triumph for their

sire Deep Impact, the 2006 Japan Cup winner who was responsible for the exacta,

while continuing the recent trend of female domination.

Distaffers have now crossed the wire first in five straight runnings of the

Japan Cup. After Vodka began the sequence in 2009, Buena Vista was disqualified

for interference in 2010 and later gained revenge in 2011, and Gentildonna has

joined them on the honor roll. She has also emulated them by becoming the third

female to exceed the billion yen mark in career earnings.

Gentildonna had not won since prevailing in her famous duel with Orfevre here

last November, but the reigning Japanese Horse of the Year had performed

creditably in her three outings this season. Runner-up in the March 30 Dubai

Sheema Classic to St Nicholas Abbey, the Sei Ishizaka trainee was third to Gold

Ship on unsuitably rain-affected ground in the June 23 Takarazuka Kinen. She

raced a touch too keenly early in the October 27 Tenno Sho Autumn, and paid the

price when settling for second to Just a Way.

But on Sunday, Gentildonna relaxed better for Moore, who reserved the

favorite just off the pace, within comfortable striking distance of the leaders.

Eishin Flash showed the way, tracked by Tosen Jordan and Verxina. Second choice

Gold Ship was unhurried at the rear of the 17-horse field, and made little

headway from there. Cornering for home, Tosen Jordan ranged up to challenge

Eishin Flash, and Hit the Target likewise joined the fray on the outside.

Gentildonna had ample room for maneuver to the inside of Eishin Flash, and

she stormed through to take command in the stretch. Although she appeared to

have made the decisive move, a late threat emerged in the shape of Denim and

Ruby. Erupting well toward the outside of the course, Denim and Ruby was gaining

ground fast and drew level with Gentildonna as they reached for the wire. Had

Gentildonna hung on, or had Denim and Ruby followed in her hoofsteps as a

three-year-old filly upstaging a Horse of the Year?

The camera proved that Gentildonna got there first by a whisker in a final

time of 2:26.10 for about 1 1/2 miles on the firm turf.

"I've been conditioning her to win in every race," Ishizaka said, "but

(though we hadn't won until now) I am so relieved that we have finally been able

to meet the expectation of our staff and the fans that have kept their faith in

her.

"I just asked my jockey (Ryan Moore) to keep her relaxed -- if he could

accomplish that, then we had more or less won the game. She gave me confidence

seeing her settle in well before the race although she got a little keen and

took the front a little earlier than expected. She was in good hands, and I was

sure we had won although the win was a narrow one."

"Gentildonna has never run a bad race," Moore observed. "In Dubai her run was

top class, then the race after that unfortunately was over wet track (which is

not to her liking). Last year, she beat Orfevre. Before the race Gold Ship could

be the biggest threat, but he probably didn't run his best today.

"Today, I just wanted to let her run as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately

the race went very slow, and I had to let her take me into the race and we were

a little more forward than what I had originally planned to have been. She was

in a good position, but when we started racing from the 800 (meters) she picked

up very well to get to the front by the furlong marker and on to that a little

bit earlier than hoped -- but she's just so honest, and being a top horse she

just kept giving that little bit more and just had enough (to win).

"She has an awful lot of gears to hold her position," Moore continued, "and

when the leader was getting off the fence -- I was always looking towards the

inside with her -- and it opened up nicely but I was having to ask her for some

effort and she hung in there well.

"I thought I had won at the line, but then Suguru Hamanaka (on Denim and

Ruby) was shouting so I wasn't sure if they were shouting because they'd won or

not, and the results on the board had the third, fourth and fifth but not the

first and second, so I was a little bit worried then, so I didn't want to get

too excited.

"I got a call when I was in Santa Anita asking me to ride her and I was very

happy to ride her. From an international point of view, you want be competing in

as many big races around the world, and the Japan Cup is on the ranks of the

Dubai World Cup, Kentucky Derby and the Melbourne Cup -- it's right up there

with the main races in the world -- and you look down and see some really

special horses that have won it, and it's just great to have your name on that

board."

Denim and Ruby reported home a neck ahead of Tosen Jordan, runner-up to Buena

Vista in the 2011 Japan Cup. Admire Rakti was a close fourth, and France's

globetrotting Dunaden fared best of the internationals in fifth.

"We were fine till we got to the mile," Dunaden's jockey Jamie Spencer said,

"and then it was steady, steady, steady. The going was very firm, like hard."

Trainer Mikel Delzangles said, "The horse ran well. They didn't run in their

regular pace, they pulled back a bit, and he wasn't in the front horses, and on

the firm ground, I think he ran a great race. He was very well placed until they

slowed down, but he finished very well."

Lelouch checked in sixth, followed by Verxina, Uncoiled, Nakayama Knight,

Eishin Flash, Hit the Target, Hokko Brave, Irish shipper Simenon, Smart Gear,

the disappointing Gold Ship, Fire and British raider Joshua Tree.

Willie Mullins, Simenon's trainer, commented after the race, "I was surprised

how slow it appeared to be early on. We thought it would be faster but that's

racing. It didn't turn out as we hoped for the first half. I learned a lot and

hopefully we'll be back with the same horse or with a better one."

Joshua Tree lost the race in the preliminaries, according to trainer Ed

Dunlop.

"I think he got upset with all that razzmatazz and the build-up before the

start. (Jockey) Johnny (Murtagh) said that he lost the plot before the race and

didn't want to run in the race," Dunlop revealed. "It's fantastic though,

Gentildonna winning twice in a row, and we'll be back."

Gentildonna has amassed ¥1,116,863,400 in

earnings from her 13-8-3-1 record. Having defeated males in the 2012 Shinzan

Kinen in her sophomore, and stakes, debut, she suffered her only unplaced effort

when fourth in the Tulip Sho. That blip on the radar can be excused as she had

previously spiked a fever. Gentildonna was unbeatable for the rest of the

season, landing the Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas), Yushun Himba

(Japanese Oaks) in stakes-record time, and the Rose Stakes, her prep in advance

of sweeping the Fillies' Triple Crown in the Shuka Sho. She made it five

straight with her Japan Cup decision over Orfevre, and thus supplanted him as

Horse of the Year.

Ishizaka indicated that Gentildonna will remain in training as a

five-year-old, with some unfinished business in Dubai.

"The plan for her to reclaim her title has been successful, so I

think she deserves a break," the trainer said. "She will not race in the

(December 22) Arima Kinen and continue to train next season. I have not mapped

out a specific plan yet, but another race in Dubai is a possibility."

Bred by Northern Racing in Japan, Gentildonna is a full sister

to multiple Grade 3 victress Donau Blue, who placed in last year's Victoria Mile

and Mile Championship. A close second in the October 14 Fuchu Himba two starts

ago, Donau Blue was most recently fifth in the November 17 renewal of the Mile

Championship at Kyoto.

Gentildonna and Donau Blue were produced by the Bertolini mare

Donna Blini, winner of the 2005 Cheveley Park and Cherry Hinton.

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