Gr1 Victoria Mile Leaves Deep Impact

One of Japan's leading Group 1 races for females, the Victoria Mile (1600m) has resulted in yet another showcasing of the influence of ill-fated champion racehorse and sire Deep Impact (Sunday Silence). Restructured in 2006, specifically to provide the older fillies/mares with a chance to race their contemporaries, the weekend's event earned each of its place-getters with automatic starting spots in France's Gr1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (1600m), and Prix Jacques le Marois (1600m). Odds-on favourite, 5YO Gran Alegria,claimed this year's renewal against a high-class field, crushing her opponents to also set her up for a guaranteed start in the Gr1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2200m). Like the runner-up Rambling Alley and third-placed Magic Castle, Gran Alegria is a daughter of Deep Impact. Last year's best Sprinter-Miler becomes the first horse to win all three JRA Goup 1 mile titles for 4YOs and up, which also includes her Yasuda Kinen and Mile Championship titles last year. Trained by Kazuo Fujisawa, her other two Group 1 victories were in the 2019 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, 1,600m) and last year's Sprinters Stakes (1,200m). Winning rider Christophe Lemaire, who was aboard champion Almond Eye when she won last year's Victoria Mile, said of Gran Alegria's dominance, "She was very strong as we had all expected… She showed that she's at a different level than her competitors and will probably win more Group 1 titles going forward."

Gran Alegria lead home a Deep Impact trifecta (pic: Japan Racing Association)