They run the races for a reason and the May 12 renewal of the Victoria Mile (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse provided a sharp reminder why.
The second-longest shot in the 15-horse field, Ten Happy Rose, rallied through the final furlong to post her first graded victory in her first start at the top level. It was just her sixth win from 24 starts. Jockey Akihide Tsumura scored his first grade 1 win while trainer Daisuke Takayanagi got his second.
Little wonder Ten Happy Rose was let go by the normally astute Japanese fans at odds of 208-1.
Turning into the uphill climb of the Tokyo straight, it looked like the handicappers had it at least partly right. The favorite, Masked Diva, was poised behind the early speed looking dangerous although second-favorite Namur was dawdling near the rear after a tardy start. Ten Happy Rose also was far behind the front-runners but with clear sailing outside rivals.
Then, the door slammed shut on Masked Diva and Namur was unable to get up enough steam to reach contention. Ten Happy Rose sailed right on by, drawing off in the final 100 meters to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Fierce Pride held off Masked Diva for second and Namur reported eighth.
Ten Happy Rose earned a “Win and You’re In” spot in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Del Mar. The first three finishers also claimed the right to a spot in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (G1) Sept. 8 as well as the Aug. 11 Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville.
Even Tsumura sounded slightly surprised at the outcome.
“When we were actually leading in the last 200 meters, it was almost unbelievable,” he said. “I had long been waiting and working hard to be able to stand on this podium as a grade 1 winner and it feels really great that I have finally made it.”
The jockey also seemed surprised at how the race played out.
“The race development, from the start up until the final corner, exceeded my imagination and it was just a matter of how much the mare could extend her strides from there,” Tsumura said.
Ten Happy Rose’s last victory came Aug. 27 in a 1,400-meter (about seven-furlong) sprint at Niigata Racecourse and, before that, her last trip to the winner’s enclosure was in May 2022. She has been competing primarily at 1,400 meters.
With the paucity of wins, the optimistic pre-race voice of assistant trainer Juntaro Taira went unheeded, to the sorrow of those who missed Ten Happy Rose on the form sheets.
“She has gotten good results with a long stretch like at Tokyo and Niigata,” he said. “The change in venues should be good. The question is: Where will she make her move? If the frontrunners can’t hold their ground, it’ll be good for her.”
Ten Happy Rose is a 6-year-old daughter of 2014 Japan Cup (G1) winner Epiphaneia , out of the Tanino Gimlet mare Fatal Rose. She becomes by far her dam’s premier offspring.
Bred by Shadai Farm, she races for Yasushi Tenpaku.
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