Lys Gracieux takes QE II Cup as Moreira wins five

Lys Gracieux roared home from the back of a 17-horse field to win the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Sunday at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan. The win was one of five on the card for jockey Joao Moreira, who landed his first Group 1 race while riding in Japan this season.

Moreira attempted to become a full-time rider on the Japan Racing Association circuit but didn’t pass the first of two rigorous tests required to obtain a long-term license. Moreira’s short-term license expires soon and he will return to Hong Kong, where he had been among the leading jockeys before attempting to make his move this year.

As for Lys Gracieux, she began travelling with alacrity a half-mile or so from the finish of the 1 3/8-mile QE II Cup for fillies and mares, bursting into contention with a quarter-mile to go and wearing down pacesetting Crocosmia, though only barely. Crocosmia had led throughout the QE II Cup and in a fine performance finished three lengths in front of third-place Mozu Katchan, last year’s QE II winner.

This also was a first Group 1 for Lys Gracieux, a 4-year-old daughter of Heart’s Cry and Liliside, by American Post, who is trained for U Carrot Farm by Yoshito Yahagi.

Santa Ana Lane back to best in Sprint Classic

Santa Ana Lane, who failed to adequately cope with heavy going while running a turn in the TAB Everest Stakes last month at Randwick Racecourse, bounced back to top form running down a straight course over good ground at Flemington on Saturday to win the Group 1, $720,465 VCR Sprint Classic.

Santa Ana Lane, who had to wait for room about 300 meters out while rallying from second-last, came between horses under jockey Mark Zahra and was home by a neck over In Her Time. Both horses closed from well behind the leaders in a race dominated by off-pace types. Redzel, the Everest winner, was part of the speed but could finish only fifth Saturday. Jungle Cat ran on from midpack to get third while no match for the top two.

Santa Ana Lane, trained by Anthony Freeman, is a 6-year-old gelding by Lope de Vega out of Fast Fleet by Fastnet Rock.

Also on the Saturday card at Flemington, Trap for Fools notched an upset win over Irish Derby hero Latrobe in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes over 1 1/4 miles.