Lachesis goes one better in Kyoto's QE II Cup

Masaya Oshima's Lachesis, runner-up in last year's Queen Elizabeth II Cup,

nabbed favorite Nuovo Record in time to take Sunday's renewal of the Grade 1

prize at Kyoto. One of a trio in the field trained by Katsuhiko Sumii, the Deep

Impact filly was earning her first black-type victory. Stablemates Dia de la

Madre and Quatre Feuilles finished third and fifth, respectively, in a strong

showing for the yard.

Lachesis didn't get away alertly from her rail post, but the 5-1 third choice

had no difficulty settling just about midpack. Meanwhile, Sunshine was rolling

along on the front end, tracked by 2012 QE II Cup runner-up Verxina. Defending

champion Meisho Mambo secured a close stalking spot, accompanied by reigning

Japanese Oaks heroine Nuovo Record.

Down the homestretch, Nuovo Record delivered a potent punch to seize command.

But jockey Yuga Kawada angled Lachesis off the fence to find room, and

quickening readily between foes, she accosted Nuovo Record. Although the

sophomore tried to fend her off, the four-year-old Lachesis proved too powerful

and prevailed by a neck. Her final time for about 1 3/8 miles on the firm course

was 2:12.3.

"Her start wasn't great, but we were able to position ourselves in an ideal

spot behind Nuovo Record during the first two corners," said Kawada, who was

winning the QE II Cup for the first time. "We were squeezed in a bit at the

straight but she had plenty of run and the will to go, and really stretched well

up to the finish."

This also marked the first QE II Cup victory for Sumii. Finishing another 1

1/4 lengths back in third was another Sumii runner, Dia de la Madre, who loomed

boldly from far back. Sunshine faded to ninth, and Verxina (11th) and Meisho

Mambo (12th) likewise finished unplaced in the 18-distaffer field.

Lachesis improved her scorecard to 11-4-3-0,

¥231,392,000. Since her second to Meisho Mambo here a year ago, the bay

has performed well in three of four starts this season. Her only poor effort, a

15th in the May 18 Victoria Mile, was ironically her only outing versus fellow

distaffers in 2014. When tackling males, she finished fourth in the February 16

Kyoto Kinen, missed by a nose in the March 15 Chunichi Shimbun Hai, and was most

recently a close second to Meiner Lacrima in the September 28 Sankei Sho All

Comers.

Bred by Northern Farm in Japan, Lachesis is a full sister to current multiple

Grade 3-placed sophomore Satono Aladdin. Both are by Deep Impact and out of the

Grade 2-winning Storm Cat mare Magic Storm.

The QE II Cup is the first event in Japan's Autumn International series,

which also comprises the November 23 Mile Championship at Kyoto, the November 30

Japan Cup at Tokyo and the December 7 Champions Cup at Chukyo (the successor to

the Japan Cup Dirt).

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