Lucky Lilac in good form for Japanese 1,000 Guineas

Lucky Lilac was the champion 2-year-old filly in Japan last year on the strength of an unbeaten three-race campaign that included two graded stakes wins.

She appears to be in equally good form this year in advance of Sunday’s Grade 1 Japanese 1,000 Guineas at Hanshin Racecourse. Lucky Lilac won her first start of 2018 in the Grade 2 Tulip Sho by two lengths at a mile on turf at Hanshin on March 3.

“Her footwork’s good and I feel she’s getting stronger as she develops,” trainer Mikio Matsunaga told Japan Racing Association publicists. “She’s relaxed and has a good appetite.”

Lucky Lilac is part of a field of 18 in the 1,000 Guineas, which is run at a mile on turf and has a purse of $2.123 million. Owned by Sunday Racing Co. Ltd., Lucky Lilac could be as short as even-money.

Her main rivals are Almond Eye, who won the Grade 3 Shinzan Kinen at Kyoto Racecourse at a mile on Feb. 3, and Mau Lea, who was second in the Tulip Sho.

The field includes the first three finishers of the Group 2 Fillies’ Revue at Hansin on March 11: Liberty Heights, Encore Plus, and Dernier Or.
Lily Noble has chased Lucky Lilac in her last two starts, finishing second in the Juvenile Fillies and third in the Tulip Sho in her first start of the year.