Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (Group 1)

THE most exciting winner of last weekend, on a global stage, came when the three-year-old filly, Liberty Island, responded with a top-class performance as she came with a powerful run to claim her second Group 1 success in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) at Hanshin on Sunday.

The Duramente filly had been the champion two-year-old filly after her win in the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies last term and went off a strong favourite.

The victory marked a first classic title and sixth JRA-Group 1 win in total for trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida.

Jockey Yuga Kawada was winning two in a row following his win in the 2022 Oka Sho with Stars On Earth.

Liberty Island raced third from the rear along the rails early on, angled out to secure a clear path and made headway along the outside with a little more than three furlongs to go.

Powerful run

She still had a huge amount to do after circling wide into the straight, but the Duramente filly responded with a powerful finishing run down the outside to mow down her rivals with every stride, hitting the front just before the wire for a three-quarters of a length victory.

She is out of the Australian-bred and raced Group 1 winner Yankee Rose.

“We picked an inside draw and she wasn’t keen to hurry out of the gate so the position (behind) was where it was going to be. But she was relaxed today, was in good rhythm in the race and clicked into gear nicely so this is where she ended up (winning) so I am glad,” commented Yuga Kawada to JRA reporters.

She is the latest in a line of top-class Japanese fillies, and her rider added: “Now that we have accomplished our aim in the first of the Triple Crown (for fillies), I hope that we can meet expectations in the following title.”

Sixth favourite Kona Coast tracked the leader in second and remained on the leader’s tail coming into the straight.

The Kitasan Black filly took over from Mozu Meimei who weakened before reaching the final furlong and she ran on strongly, successfully fending off Efforia’s half-sister Perifania on her outside by a neck to hold second.