Japan: Circle of Life grabs 2-year-old title with Hanshin Juvenile Fillies victory
Circle of Life clinched the 2021 championship for the 2-year-old filly division in Japan, and won her third consecutive start, in Sunday’s Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Hanshin Racecourse near Osaka.
Ridden by Mirco Demuro, Circle of Life ($9.40) closed from off the pace in a field of 18 to take the lead in the final sixteenth, winning the one-mile turf race by a half-length over 50-1 Lovely Your Eyes. The Juvenile Fillies was worth $1.1 million.
Water Navillera (9-2) finished third, beaten a length, with 5-2 favorite Namur fourth by 1 1/4 lengths. Namur was hampered by a poor start, but recovered to reach contention in the stretch.
Demuro has been aboard Circle of Life for all four of her starts, including a maiden race win at Nakayama Racecourse on Sept. 20 in her second race, and her stakes debut in the Grade 3 Artemis Stakes at a mile at Tokyo Racecourse on Oct. 30.
“I was certain in the last (furlong) that she would win,” Demuro told Japan Racing Association publicists. “I’ve ridden her since her debut and she really takes it in her stride in new surroundings and unfamiliar tracks, so she has plenty of energy to use in the race.
“I’m sure she can further extend her distance in future races, so I’m really looking forward to that, too.”
Circle of Life is by Epiphaneia and races for owner Masatake Iida and trainer Sakae Kunieda.
Kunieda trained Almond Eye, the Japanese Horse of the Year in 2018 and 2020.