Japan: Akaitorino Musume well-backed to win second straight Group 1 in Queen Elizabeth Cup
Akaitorino Musume won her first Group 1 on Oct. 17 and might be favored to capture her second Sunday at Hanshin Racecourse in the $2.16 million Queen Elizabeth Cup.
The Queen Elizabeth, contested around right-handed turns at 1 3/8 miles, drew a field of 17 fillies and mares, several of which are stark longshots. Akaitorino Musume, a 3-year-old, as of Friday rated no worse than a close second choice at about 5-2 behind 4-year-old Lei Papale. Win Marilyn, listed at about 5-1, was the only other entrant priced at single digit win odds.
Akaitorino Musume finished seventh in her career debut during fall 2020 but has not run a bad race in six subsequent starts, her only finish worse than second a fourth-place finish this past April in the Oka Sho, a one-mile race that was too short for Akaitorino Musume. By Deep Impact out of multiple Group 1 winner Apapane, Akaitorino Musume was second of 18 going 1 1/2 miles in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) in May. She returned five months later to beat 15 foes, including leading 3-year-old filly Sodashi, in the 1 1/4-mile Oka Sho.
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Trained by Sakai Kuneida and with regular jockey Keita Tosaki named to ride, Akaitorino Musume tends to settle in mid-pack before deploying a long, sustained run. The filly is somewhat tall and has more stamina and pace than a quick turn of foot.
Lei Papale started her career in January 2020 with a debut victory and won five more races before taking a loss, the six-race winning streak culminating with a first Group 1 success, in the 2,000-meter Osaka Hai this past April at Hanshin. In June, Lei Papale finally was beaten, finishing third in the Takarazuka Kinen, a 2,200-meter race (the same as Sunday’s) at Hanshin,
Her connections subsequently gave the filly a break until September. Lei Papale managed only a fourth of 16 in that comeback start, the Group 2 All Comers stakes over 2,200 meters at Nakayama but stands to take a step forward into contending form Sunday.
It was Win Marilyn who won the All Comers, one of her best races since she, like Akaitorino Musume, finished second in the Yushun Himba. Four-year-old Win Marilyn finished fourth in this race a year ago but had hit a form trough at that point in her career and figures to hit a higher mark in Sunday’s contest.
Post time for the Queen Elizabeth is 1:40 a.m. Eastern. You can catch all the action at DRFBets.com.