Latest news with #NHKMileCup
News.com.au
12-08-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Japan's Group 1 weapon Panja Tower poised to head to Australia for $10 million Golden Eagle
Japanese star Panja Tower has been confirmed as the latest foreign raider set for a $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) assault at Royal Randwick this year. Trainer Shinsuke Hashigushi has put Australia's coveted four-year-old feature in his crosshairs as he attempts to replicate the success of fellow Japanese raider Obamburumai in 2023. Obamburumai gave Japan its first victory in the Golden Eagle two years ago when scoring under the urging of Australian-based jockey Josh Parr. Panja Tower is a winner of three of her five career starts to date and has twice one in stakes grade, including the Group 1 NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo on May 11. Price assessors at TAB quickly installed Panja Tower as an $11 chance on the same line of betting as Aeliana, Evaporate, Linebacker and Treasurethe Moment. 'His trainer, Mr Hashiguchi, when he won the NHK Mile, the first thing he said in his winning interview was that he would send this horse to the Golden Eagle,' Australian Turf Club Head of Racing and Wagering Nevesh Ramdhani told Sky Racing radio. 'That horse is now locked in to travel to Sydney for the race.' G1 3yo NHK Mile at Tokyo: Won in a thriller by 3c 11. PANJA TOWER (Tower of London x Clarksdale (Victoire Pisa)) under Kohei Matsuyama 2nd MAGIC SAND x Yutaka Take 3rd filly CERBIATTO x Michael Dee 🇳🇿 1.31.7 for the Mile #JRA — Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) May 11, 2025 • 'Could be anything this season': Legendary hoops pick their spring stars Japan has representation in last year's Golden Eagle with favourite Ascoli Piceno (12th) failing to perform as expected while Corazon Beat finished last. But the international trend continued in the feature with English galloper Lake Forest edging out French talent Lazzat in an incident-charged edition of the race. It is hoped that multiple European gallopers head to Australia again for the four-year-old feature, including recent Thoroughbred Stakes victor Seagulls Eleven. Seagulls Eleven, which is raced by members of the Premier League's Brighton Hove Albion, is a $26 chance in betting. A win for the seagulls! 🰽 Seagulls Eleven, owned by some @OfficialBHAFC players, wins a messy edition of the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes for team @hpalmerracing and @themichaelowen. 🟦⬜ï¸� — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 1, 2025 • Trainer Hugo Palmer confirmed last Friday to Racing TV that a trip to Australia was still on the radar. 'It's a lot of money to pass up so we'll just have to see.' he said. Fellow English trainer Charlie Fellowes last week reiterated his desire to bring Luther ($26) to Australia for the Golden Eagle.
Japan Forward
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Jantar Mantar Wins the 75th Yasuda Kinen by a Comfortable Margin
With the victory at Tokyo Racecourse, the Palace Malice progeny became the first horse to win the NHK Mile Cup and the Yasuda Kinen. Yuga Kawada guides Jantar Mantar to victory in the 75th Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse on June 8, 2025. (©SANKEI) Second favorite Jantar Mantar claimed his third G1 title in the 75th running of the Yasuda Kinen, his first outing of 2025, on Sunday, June 8 at Tokyo Racecourse. In 2023, the son of Palace Malice won all three starts in his 2-year-old season, including the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes (G2, 1,600 meters) and the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (G1, 1,600 meters) to become the season's Best Two-Year-Old Colt. With Sunday's win, Jantar Mantar became the first NHK Mile Cup winner (May 2024) to claim the prestigious mile Yasuda Kinen. Trainer Tomokazu Takano registered his ninth Japan Racing Association G1 title following his 2024 Queen Elizabeth II Cup with Stunning Rose. Jockey Yuga Kawada scored his 29th G1 victory. It was his fourth Yasuda Kinen title following previous wins aboard Maurice in 2015, Satono Aladdin in 2017 and Danon Kingly in 2021. Jantar Mantar closes in on a victory in the Yasuda Kinen. (©SANKEI) Jantar Mantar was quick out of the gate and raced in a prominent position around third behind Mad Cool (Ryusei Sakai's ride). Keeping the keen Palace Malice colt in control while choosing the better part of the track off the rails and asking his mount to stay patient entering the stretch, Kawada gave Jantar Mantar the green light after the 400-meter pole. The 4-year-old responded with good speed to take command just before the 100-meter marker. And he pulled away to win by a comfortable 1½-length margin over Gaia Force. ( Watch the race on the JRA's YouTube channel. ) Winning jockey Yuga Kawada (©SANKEI) "The colt broke well and was in a good position in third to start. But then [he] got a little overexcited as horses came from behind so I got a little worried," Kawada said after the race. He then said, "The colt just barely managed to contain himself as much as he could after that, and I was still in doubt as to how he would respond at the stretch. But, considering the circumstances, he really put in a good performance in the end and really exceeded my expectations as to how strong he is." The 75th running of the Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse. (©SANKEI) Gaia Force (Seinosuke Yoshimura) raced in mid-division between rivals after a smooth break and edged forward approaching the final turn as Soul Rush (Suguru Hamanaka) passed him on the outside. After a brief struggle to find space to angle out early in the stretch, the 6-year-old son of Kitasan Black unleashed an impressive turn of foot that timed the second-fastest finish (tying with Soul Rush and Water Licht) soon after the furlong pole. Gaia Force overtook several rivals, including the race favorite, to outduel that foe by a neck for second while unable to match the winner. Race favorite Soul Rush was unhurried after a good break, sat in mid-field around 11th and made headway approaching the final corner. He was in good position for a clear run on the outside for the stretch run. But Hamanaka's ride was unable to pick up speed early enough while quickening in the final 100 meters. As a result, Soul Rush finished a neck's length behind the runner-up. Fourth favorite Brede Weg (Keita Tosaki) and 11th favorite Win Marvel (Kohei Matsuyama) placed fourth and fifth, respectively. The Takarazuka Kinen is the JRA's next G1 race on Sunday, June 15 at Hanshin Racecourse. Read the full report , including details on each of the Yasuda Kinen entrants, on JRA News. Author: JRA News
Japan Forward
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
NHK Mile Cup: Panja Tower Edges Magic Sands in a Thrilling Finish
The Tower of London progeny held off Magic Sands and Cerbiatto in a pulsating dash to the wire in the 30th NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse. Panja Tower (11), ridden by Kohei Matsuyama, wins the 2025 NHK Mile Cup by a head on May 11 at Tokyo Racecourse. (©KYODO) Ninth favorite Panja Tower claimed his first G1 and second graded title in the 30th NHK Mile Cup on Sunday, May 11 at Tokyo Racecourse. The bay colt, who is among the first crop of Tower of London, who won the 2019 Sprinters Stakes, broke his maiden in his debut start in September 2024 (Chukyo, 1,200 meters). And he immediately registered his first grade-race victory in the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes (Tokyo, G2, 1,400 meters) two months later. On Sunday, Panja Tower provided trainer Shinsuke Hashiguchi with his second JRA G1 success following the 2018 JBC Sprint with Graceful Leap. Jockey Kohei Matsuyama scored his sixth G1 title and his first since the 2021 Champions Cup with T O Keynes. Panja Tower was swift out of gate 11 and was reserved in a wide mid-pack position of the 18-horse field. Making the widest turn into the straight, the son of Tower of London unleashed a furious closing kick, drawing even with the frontrunner 300 meters out. Panja Tower pulled away while rallying with, and narrowly holding off, Magic Sands (Yutaka Take's ride) on the inside and Cerbiatto (Michael Dee) digging in between them in the final strides. ( Watch the race on the JRA's YouTube channel. ) Winning jockey Kohei Matsuyama (©SANKEI) "We were able to sit in a good position, but the rhythm was more of an important factor," Matsuyama said in a post-race interview. "And I'm happy he ran steadily in a good rhythm today." The jockey added, "As you know, he's shown his strength since his debut and has a graded win in Tokyo, and the way he stretched incredibly today proves he has a bright future ahead of him." The 30th running of the NHK Mile Cup. (©SANKEI) Third choice Magic Sands was unhurried, settling second from the rear, and was steered to an inner route by Take rounding the final corner to make a bid. The Kizuna colt, while launching the fastest drive over the last three furlongs (33.7 seconds) from behind, found a clear path 300 meters out and eventually dueled with the winner in the last 100 meters. But Magic Sands was a head short at the wire and had to settle for second. Cerbiatto, the 12th pick, sat on the rails just behind Panja Tower and after straightening away, increased speed to shoot out from the pack. The filly dug in fiercely in the final strides, nearly catching the top two finishers but was a head-and-nose short at the wire to finish third. Mondo dell'Amore (Keita Tosaki) and Lance of Chaos (Seinosuke Yoshimura) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Breaking smoothly from stall eight, race favorite Admire Zoom (Yuga Kawada) was a bit keen in the backstretch but settled on the rails to stalk the pace in second. Picking off the pacesetter in the early stretch, the Maurice-sired colt showed effort in sustaining his lead. But he dropped away once, overtaken by the eventual winner, and faded to 14th. Kawada stated after the race that the colt had lost a shoe 200-300 meters out of the gate. The Victoria Mile on Sunday, May 18 at Tokyo Racecourse is the next G1 race on the JRA calendar. Read the full report , including details on each of the NHK Mile Cup entrants, on JRA News. Author: JRA News
