Two French runners arrive for Mile Championship

Sahpresa

Immortal Verse

Sahpresa

Immortal Verse

The two France-based runners for this year’s Mile Championship arrived safely in Japan on Saturday, Nov. 5. The 6-year-old Sahpresa and 3-year-old Immortal Verse landed at Narita International Airport east of Tokyo, then moved to the nearby JRA Racing School quarantine facilities, where they will spend time before traveling to the Kyoto venue in western Japan. The two will be the only foreign-based runners in the race this year, following the withdrawal of Sidney’s Candy from the United States.

Nadege Ouakli, groom for Immortal Verse, said the filly was fine following the journey of some18 hours. “She’s no different from when she is in France and there are no problems with her condition. The trip went smoothly, without problem.” Ouakli said they would take Immortal Verse out on the track for a look around on Sunday.

Vincent Vion, assistant trainer for Rodolphe Collet, commented on Sahpresa’s condition. “She appears to have lost a bit of weight during the trip, but she seems well. Today, we plan to just walk her around the stable area. Tomorrow, the plan is to take her onto the track.”

Sahpresa, sired by Sahm, out of the Pleasant Tap mare Sorpresa, currently has 8 wins in 20 outings. This will be her third bid in a row for the Mile Championship. In 2009, she finished in third place. Last year, she came in fourth less than half a length off the winner, then followed that run up with a third-place in the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin. This year, in five races thus far, saw her scoop her third win in a row of the Sun Chariot Stakes in England. Already the only filly to win the race back to back since the race achieved G1 status in 2004, her win Sept. 24 at the Rowley Mile Racecourse in Newmarket secured her place in the history books.

The American-bred Sahpresa is currently owned by Japan’s Teruya Yoshida and trained by Rodolphe Collet. In 2003, Collet fielded Tigertail in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup. Tigertail went to the gate a 10th pick longshot but crossed the finish line in third place. Collet’s father, Robert, won the Japan Cup in 1987 with Le Glorieux.

Of Sahpresa, son Rodolphe says, “I knew she would be better with time, but few people believed me when I said she was very good.” So good, in fact, that Yoshida eventually bought her from her owner/breeder, Douglas McIntyre, in October last year – after which Sahpresa ran two fine races to finish on the heels of the winner in both Japan and Hong Kong.

Still, Sahpresa’s winning time over the mile (1,609 meters) in the Sun Chariot was 1 minute 37.6 seconds this year. That time was nearly 6 seconds slower than the record for the turf 1,600 meters at Kyoto. That record - 1 minute 31.8 seconds -- was set last year by A Shin Forward in the Mile Championship. A Shin Forward was carrying 57 kg.

Immortal Verse, an Irish-bred bay filly by Pivotal out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Side of Paradise, currently has four wins from her eight starts, along with a second and a third. Also under the charge of Robert Collet, she is owned by R C Strauss and was bred at Kilfrush Stud. Immortal Verse has been given six races this year and swept three in a row starting with the Prix de Sandringham (G2) at Chantilly on June 5, then the Coronation Stakes (G1) at Ascot on June 17, followed by the Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville on Aug. 15. Her last time out saw her finish third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (British Champions Mile) at Ascot on Oct. 15. All but her debut race have been at the mile. Gerald Mosse has ridden Immortal Verse for her last three races. Her rider for the Mile Championship, however, has not yet been announced.

Collet, as a trainer of both runners, has a double shot at not only the prize money, but the added JRA bonus being offered to top finishers of selected races. Sahpresa, with her win of the Sun Chariot Stakes, and Immortal Verse, with her win of the Prix Jacques le Marois, are both eligible for the bonus. Seventy million yen will be paid to the winner on top of the 100 million yen first-place prize money. Twenty-eight million will go to the runnerup on top of the 40 million yen prize money. A third will win 25 million yen in prize money, with an additional 18 million yen in bonus money.

Christophe Lemaire, winning jockey in this year’s Melbourne Cup, will have the ride in the Mile Championship. Lemaire, currently in Japan on a short-term license, rode Sahpresa in the Sun Chariot Stakes this year. Lemaire, well-known in Japan for his many stints here, piloted Vodka to her win of the Japan Cup in 2009.

The Mile Championship will be run on Sunday, Nov. 20 at the right-handed Kyoto Racecourse. Three-year-olds carry 56 kg. Four-year-olds and up carry 57 kg in the race. Sahpresa will receive a 2 kg weight allowance. Immortal Verse will run under 54 kg. Post time of the Mile Championship is 3:40 p.m.