IN winning the Cox Plate in Australia in October, Lys Gracieux had served notice that she was among the best horses in the world, and she ended her career in scintillating style in the Group 1 Arima Kinen, worth 3,000,000 yen, in Nakayama on Sunday.

The Heart’s Cry mare now retires with three consecutive Group 1 wins – the Takarazuka Kinen in June, before her Cox Plate and Arima Kinen wins. She is one of only five mares to win the final big Group 1 of the Japanese season, a list that includes Gentildonna and Daiwa Scarlet.

Aerolithe set off at what looked a generous pace and held a big lead to halfway. The five-year-old Northern Farm-bred Lys Gracieux broke smoothly and hugged the rails just back from mid-field with favourite Almond Eye travelling well on the outside.

The field pulled the leader back as they approached the final bend, with Almond Eye appearing to be in a good position four back and ready to make her effort.

As Almond Eye was slow to respond, Saturnalia on her outside was the first to make a bid for victory, but just behind him Damian Lane had steered Lys Gracieux out into the clear. The mare responded immediately, hitting the front 200 metres out and flying past the cheering crowds for a five-length victory easing up.

Trainer Yoshito Yahagi marked his eighth JRA Group 1 victory since the Takarazuka Kinen and jockey Damian Lane, who was riding under a one-day short-term license, scored his third JRA Group 1 win following the Victoria Mile in May with Normcore and the Takarazuka Kinen in June with this mare.

“Obviously, I went into the race thinking Almond Eye would be hard to beat but I just had so much confidence in this horse, the way she improved out of the Takarazuka Kinen into the Cox Plate and Yahagi-san said she’s improved again,” Lane said.

“I just knew she was going to run a big race. It was a really good pace and I found a lovely spot back in the rail. I didn’t know what sort of track I was going to get but a space opened up and she did the rest,” he added.

Third favourite Saturnalia travelled wide toward the rear. The Lord Kanaloa colt improved his position while taking a wide trip, he quickened well but was unable to match the speed of the winner, and he held off the strong challenge of World Premiere by a neck.

Odds-on-favourite Almond Eye was very disappointing, she made ground from mid-field to have every chance in the early straight but when in the clear she found nothing as Lys Gracieux surged clear on the outside. She was eased and weakened away to finish ninth.

“She was physically fit and in good condition but she couldn’t keep her calm before the crowd in the first lap and lost her rhythm. She was unable to relax and was tired as it was a 2,500-metre race,” commented Christophe Lemaire. She had won the Japan Cup over a mile and a half last year and this was not her true running.

Ryan Moore finished fifth on Kiseki, while Oisin Murphy’s mount Suave Richard never fired in 12th. Tote betting on the race came to 46,889,714,600 yen!