Craspedia to make history as maiden in G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes
Thursday, 12 December, 2024 19:58
Craspedia (C)netkeiba
Craspedia, a 2-year-old colt who finished second in the G3 Kokura Nisai Stakes, will make history as the first winless horse to compete in a JRA G1 race when he lines up for the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.
Craspedia is by Mr Melody, out of Umbellata (by Agnes Tachyon). While his dam went winless, his pedigree includes notable talent, his aunt Germinal was the winner of the 2009 Fairy Stakes and placed third behind Buena Vista in both the Oka Sho and Japanese Oaks.
To date, Craspedia remains winless in three starts. He debuted in August in a Newcomers race over 1200m at Chukyo Racecourse, where he set a controlled pace before being caught late by A Shin Wand, finishing second. In the G3 Kokura Nisai Stakes, he ran strongly from a forward position but again fell short to A Shin Wand by three-quarters of a length. Most recently, in the G2 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes, Craspedia finished fifth. After a sharp break pushed him into an unplanned front-running role, he still showed his quality by staying within 0.6 seconds of the winner.
The step up to 1600m will be a key factor in his chances, but his ability suggests he is not out of his depth. Despite being a maiden, Craspedia's second-place finish in graded stakes earned him 6 million JPY in qualifying earnings, elevating him to Open Class status, a rarity for a winless horse.
This marks the first time a winless horse will contest a JRA G1 race. Furthermore, should Craspedia secure victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, he would become the first JRA horse in the graded stakes era (introduced in 1984) to claim such a title while still winless.
Having partnered with Craspedia in all three starts, jockey Ryoya Kozaki shares a deep bond with the colt. Together, they aim to etch a new chapter in Japanese horse racing history.
Craspedia is by Mr Melody, out of Umbellata (by Agnes Tachyon). While his dam went winless, his pedigree includes notable talent, his aunt Germinal was the winner of the 2009 Fairy Stakes and placed third behind Buena Vista in both the Oka Sho and Japanese Oaks.
To date, Craspedia remains winless in three starts. He debuted in August in a Newcomers race over 1200m at Chukyo Racecourse, where he set a controlled pace before being caught late by A Shin Wand, finishing second. In the G3 Kokura Nisai Stakes, he ran strongly from a forward position but again fell short to A Shin Wand by three-quarters of a length. Most recently, in the G2 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes, Craspedia finished fifth. After a sharp break pushed him into an unplanned front-running role, he still showed his quality by staying within 0.6 seconds of the winner.
The step up to 1600m will be a key factor in his chances, but his ability suggests he is not out of his depth. Despite being a maiden, Craspedia's second-place finish in graded stakes earned him 6 million JPY in qualifying earnings, elevating him to Open Class status, a rarity for a winless horse.
This marks the first time a winless horse will contest a JRA G1 race. Furthermore, should Craspedia secure victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, he would become the first JRA horse in the graded stakes era (introduced in 1984) to claim such a title while still winless.
Having partnered with Craspedia in all three starts, jockey Ryoya Kozaki shares a deep bond with the colt. Together, they aim to etch a new chapter in Japanese horse racing history.