Godolphin’s Fine Needle lands G1 Sprinters Stakes
Fine Needle captured the G1 Sprinters Stakes over six furlongs at Nakayama, Japan, on Sunday, with a thrilling run to take the lead close home.
The five-year-old Admire Moon horse, trained by Yoshitada Takahashi and partnered by Yuga Kawada, broke well in the field of 16 for the six-furlong race on turf.
Held up in eighth towards the outside, he came with a very strong and prolonged burst of speed in the straight to beat Love Kampf by a neck in 1m 8.3s on ground officially described as good.
He is the fifth horse to win both of Japan’s G1 sprints in the same year, having again shown excellent speed to come from off the pace and triumph by a nose in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen over the same distance at Chukyo in March.
Harry Sweeney, President of Godolphin in Japan, reported: “We are extremely pleased with this very exciting victory.
“Fine Needle had the best form coming into the race, but with the ground turning soft there was always the chance of a surprise result since Japanese racing generally takes place on good to firm ground.
“He has won on soft before and is very consistent – he has now won two G1s, a G2 and a G3 this year.
“There are no more G1 sprints in Japan until March next year so he will have to race overseas.
“The options are the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1, 5f 110y, Churchill Downs, US, Nov.3) or the Hong Kong Sprint (G1, 6f, Sha Tin, Dec.9).
“We will see how Fine Needle comes out this race before making a decision.”
Fine Needle’s only 2018 defeat came in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, also over six furlongs, at Sha Tin, Hong Kong, in May, when he kept on to finish fourth.
THUNDER SNOW ON COURSE
Meanwhile, firmly on target for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Thunder Snow ran a tremendous race when caught in the final strides of the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes on dirt at Belmont Park on Saturday.
The four-year-old Helmet colt, partnered as usual by Christophe Soumillon, broke slightly slowly from the outside eight stall, but soon made up ground to race in third, some way off the front two Diversify and Mendelssohn who went off very fast in the 10-furlong race.
The first quarter-mile was run in a blistering 22.72s and the halfmile in 45.64s and sensibly Christophe Soumillon let them alone before making steady progress on the turn for home and was switched wide entering the straight.
Thunder Snow came through to challenge the front two and went to the front with a furlong remaining. He looked all over the winner before Discreet Lover finished late and wide to get up and triumph by a neck in 1m 59.99s.
Saeed Bin Suroor’s immediate reaction was to say: “I don’t believe Thunder Snow was beaten.”
The Godolphin trainer then commented about his G1 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline winner: “He has run a huge race – I am very happy with the performance.
“He needed it and we will now go for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1, 10f, dirt, Churchill Downs, Nov.3).”