Has Damian Lane found his next Lys Gracieux? It is early days yet, but this daughter of Deep Impact could not have been any more impressive on Sunday as she heads to the Japanese Oaks.
While the main action was 360klms away at Kyoto for the Group 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) meeting, Lane was winning the day’s feature at Tokyo, the Listed Sweetpea Stakes, on the Yasuo Tomomichi-trained 3yo filly Des Ailes who looks as if she may be something special.
Unraced at two, Des Ailes made a winning debut in a 3yo maiden over 1800 metres at Hanshin on March 15 where she missed the start and came from well back in the field under Yutaka Take to win by a half-length. With Take riding at Kyoto, Lane grabbed his chance here.
Des Ailes was even more impressive on Sunday. She again came from well-back in the 18-runner feature over 1800 metres to defeat Smart Lien (Kizuna) by a length and three quarters with another three-quarters of a length back to Akano Nijuichi (Black Tide) in third. win by one and three-quarter lengths.
Bred and raced by Shadai Farm, Des Ailes ran her final 600 metres in a blistering 32.5 on the firm track.
The daughter of Deep Impact is the is the first foal of Le Havre mare Avenir Certain (FR), who won the classic double, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (1600m) and Prix de Diane (2100m) in 2014.
Prix du Jockey Club winner Le Havre was the best performer sired by the former Darley shuttler Noverre (IRE) who was a three-quarter brother to the champion Arazi.
Noverre left little of note in five seasons in Australia but did better in Europe, although it was not enough to save him from his eventual sale to India.
It is no great secret how highly the Japanese value racetrack performance in the mares they import.
Avenir Certain (FR) won her first six starts before meeting her Waterloo in the 2014 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Treve.
She has an unraced two-year-old filly by Deep Impact.
Another top-class French-bred mare to make her mark in Japan is the Green Tune mare Lune d’Or (FR) whose son Fierement made a winning 2020 debut on Sunday to defend his Group 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) title by a nose.
The son of Deep Impact returned from his disappointment in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe to close out 2019 with a well-beaten fourth behind Lys Gracieux in the Group 1 Arima Kinen.
Fierement is the seventh foal of Lune d’Or (FR) who had to travel to Italy for her Group 1 in the Premio Lydia Tesio. She also owns Group II wins in the Deauville Prix de Pomone and Saint-Cloud Prix de Malleret as well as a Group 1 third in the Yorkshire Oaks.
