First half of 2024 ends full of records and memories from 12 elite races
Wednesday, 26 June, 2024 13:25
Danon Decile (Photo: Yuki Shimono)
The Takarazuka Kinen marked the end of the first half of the racing year, bringing us close to the midpoint of the year. Over the past six months, we have witnessed numerous memorable races and record-breaking performances. In this article, we will focus on the trainers and review the G1 races of the first half of the year.
This spring's flat G1 season consisted of 12 races, each won by a different jockey, a rare occurrence. Additionally, several trainers celebrated their first JRA G1 victories. Starting with Hidenori Take in the February Stakes, followed by Hiroyuki Uemura in the Osaka Hai, Inao Okada in the Tenno Sho (Spring), Shogo Yasuda in the Japanese Derby, C.Shum in the Yasuda Kinen, and Tatsuya Yoshioka in the Takarazuka Kinen. Notably, for Take, Uemura, and Yoshioka, these wins marked their first G1 victories, even when considering NAR and international races.
Shogo Yasuda's triumph in the Japanese Derby made him the youngest winning trainer in history at 41 years, 10 months, and 19 days. It was a remarkable achievement in his seventh year as a trainer. Norihiro Yokoyama, who rode Danon Decile to victory, became the oldest jockey to win the Derby, adding an interesting twist to the race. Furthermore, Shogo Yasuda's father, Takayuki Yasuda, won the Japanese Derby in 1991 as a jockey aboard Tokai Teio, making this a unique father-son Derby victory combination, albeit in different roles.
Last year, in the 26 JRA G1 races (including jumps), horses from eastern Japan won 15 times, while western Japan horses won 11 times. However, this year, so far, horses from eastern Japan have won only 2 G1 races, compared to 9 victories for western Japan horses, with one international winner. This shift indicates a challenging season for horses from Miho Training Center, but there is still hope for a comeback in the autumn.
This spring's flat G1 season consisted of 12 races, each won by a different jockey, a rare occurrence. Additionally, several trainers celebrated their first JRA G1 victories. Starting with Hidenori Take in the February Stakes, followed by Hiroyuki Uemura in the Osaka Hai, Inao Okada in the Tenno Sho (Spring), Shogo Yasuda in the Japanese Derby, C.Shum in the Yasuda Kinen, and Tatsuya Yoshioka in the Takarazuka Kinen. Notably, for Take, Uemura, and Yoshioka, these wins marked their first G1 victories, even when considering NAR and international races.
Shogo Yasuda's triumph in the Japanese Derby made him the youngest winning trainer in history at 41 years, 10 months, and 19 days. It was a remarkable achievement in his seventh year as a trainer. Norihiro Yokoyama, who rode Danon Decile to victory, became the oldest jockey to win the Derby, adding an interesting twist to the race. Furthermore, Shogo Yasuda's father, Takayuki Yasuda, won the Japanese Derby in 1991 as a jockey aboard Tokai Teio, making this a unique father-son Derby victory combination, albeit in different roles.
Last year, in the 26 JRA G1 races (including jumps), horses from eastern Japan won 15 times, while western Japan horses won 11 times. However, this year, so far, horses from eastern Japan have won only 2 G1 races, compared to 9 victories for western Japan horses, with one international winner. This shift indicates a challenging season for horses from Miho Training Center, but there is still hope for a comeback in the autumn.