With many of Japan’s top horses halfway around the world in Dubai and Chukyo Racecourse rated as productive, March 27 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1) looks ripe for an unexpected result.
However, few people can predict what really happened, as it was unannounced Naran Huleg gather from the far back, squeeze through a very small slit along the inside and get up to win with a neck. Lotus Land second place, only standing before the opportunity 226-1 Lord Kir.
【Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1), 1200m, Chukyo, JRA】
Naran Huleg defeated Takamatsunomiya Kinen!#JRA #race #TakamatsunomiyaKinen #NaranHuleg pic.twitter.com/GrX6tjhss9
– HorseRacingInJapan (@HorseRacing_JPN) March 27, 2022
The first 10 finishers are separated by no more than 2 lengths with 9th and 10th places considered a deadly heat. Love the odds, Resistenciaset a fast pace in the 1,200 meter sprint (about 6 segments) but the grass was too wet to take damage and she reported on fading Friday.
Naran Huleg, 6-year-old son of Charming gold in addition to Brian’s Time mare Kelley’s Beauty (JPN), won her first grader award of any kind at the start of her first 1st grade. Coach Yoshitada Munakata, who opened the stables in 1993, and equestrian Kyosuke Maruta, in their 16th season, both scored their first 1s.
“I’m very happy and relieved to be able to win the 1st place race, thanks to Naran Huleg,” Munakata said. “Although we wanted a better surface, he showed his usual intensity in games with a strong surface.”
The coach said before the race, the 1,200-meter, left-handed condition at Chukyo will be “his best ride. We’ll have to see how well he can do before a competition.” level 1 exam. We were finally able to race him in 1st grade and I hope he does his best.”
Maruta says there’s nothing surprising about his tactics, even though their effectiveness is novel.
“Race racing from the back is a familiar style for him so I just focused on keeping the pace of the horse,” the rider said. “He’s never been on a heavy court before but he handled it well. I took him through the ring with the same confidence I did at the Tanzanite Stakes.
“I’m really happy we were able to get out first.”
Competing initially on the ground, Naran Huleg has had four previous wins on grass, most recently in the 1,200-meter Tanzanite Stakes last December. His best at the classification level was a second in the Ocean Stakes (G3), also at 1,200 metres, March 5.
Bred by Setsuko Sakato and owned by Katsushige Muraki, the chestnut currently has six wins in 29 starts. His boss, by Sunday Silence, is a dirt road specialist, having won four 1st place races on that surface in 2002 and 2003. His dam has only raced on the ground with 11 finishes. in the top 17 from 17 starts on the National Association of Racing circuit.
Takamatsunomiya Kinen begins the spring parade of Japan’s 1st grade events continuing on April 3 with Osaka Hai (G1), 2,000 meters (about 1/4 mile) at Hanshin Racecourse. April’s schedule also includes Oka Sho (Japan 1000 Guineas-G1) April 10 in Hanshin and Satsuki Sho (Japan 2000 Guineas-G1) the following Sunday in Nakayama.
