Japanese filly Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) has elevated herself to the level of superstar Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by winning the G1 Japan Cup in record-breaking fashion.
Almond Eye was given the perfect ride by Christophe Lemaire, sitting just behind the leaders and then powering over the top late to win the world's richest 2400m race in a record time of 2:20.6 by 1.75l.
She becomes just the second 3-year-old filly to win the famous race, joining Gentildonna (2012), in winning all three legs of the fillies Triple Crown as well as the Japan Cup. She is the seventh 3-year-old to win the famous race.
Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), who helped set up the record pace, held on for second with a big margin back to Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in third.
Defending champion Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) stayed on well to finish fourth while European raiders Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (11th) and Thundering Blue (USA) (Exchange Rate {USA}) (10th) were never really in contention.
It was Lemaire's second Japan Cup success from 14 attempts and came in front of a crowd of 98,988.
Almond Eye who is trained by Sakae Kuneida and was bred by Northern Farm, has now won seven of her eight starts. She is owned by Silk Racing.
Her dam Fusaichi Pandora (Sunday Silence {USA}) won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup for fillies and mares in 2006 and was then fifth behind Deep Impact in the 2006 Japan Cup before finishing ninth in the 2007 edition.
