Lucky Lilac Holds On to Score QE II Repeat Win

Lucky Lilac successfully, albeit narrowly, defended her title in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) Nov. 15 at Hanshin Racecourse thanks to a perfectly judged ride by Japan's leading rider, Christophe Lemaire.

The race, which shaped up as a battle between some veterans with question marks and 3-year-olds with promise, turned out to be a landslide for the older set with 5-year-old mares filling three of the top five placings.

Lucky Lilac, a 5-year-old daughter of Orfevre, started from the outside gate in the 2,200-meter (about 1 3/8-mile) test. Lemaire settled her out of trouble but well back in the field as Normcore opened up a big lead down the backstretch.

Lucky Lilac quickly made up ground around the final bend and hit the lead just inside the 300-meter mark, a decision quickly called into question as Salacia and Loves Only You mounted their challenges. As Lucky Lilac flashed past the finish in 2:10.3—a stakes record—Salacia was only a neck back and Loves Only You another neck behind her.

Win Marilyn finished fourth, the best of the 3-year-old contingent.

"We took the front early in the stretch," admitted Lemaire, who rode Lucky Lilac for the first time. "But she held on well until the end. She's a strong horse. She has been racing at the top level since her 2-year-old season, and I had confidence in her.

"The outside draw was a concern, but we were able to race smoothly and advance our position from the third corner. She was very composed and gave her usual turn of speed."

Lucky Lilac, produced by the Flower Alley mare Lilacs and Lace, was bred by Northern Racing and runs in the red, yellow, and black silks of Sunday Racing. She won her first four starts in 2017 and 2018, then suffered through a seven-race win drought before taking last year's QE II. She was 1-for-4 this year in preparation for the title defense, finishing a respectable third in the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) Sapporo Kinen (G2) in her previous start Aug. 23.

Trainer Mikio Matsunaga tipped before the QE II that the switch from Mirco Demuro to Lemaire might be the key to renewed success for Lucky Lilac.

"This time we're really looking for good results, so I want a jockey that can bring out her best," the trainer said. "The change in riders does not suggest at all that her performances before were lacking. She's not bad at Hanshin. She runs solidly. But I do want to have a fast track so she can give us her best."

Demuro rode Loves Only You in the QE II.

The QE II Cup, won in 2010 and 2011 by the Ed Dunlop-trained Snow Fairy, has been a springboard to further glory internationally. The 2018 victor, Lys Gracieux, subsequently won the Takarazuka Kinen (G1), the Arima Kinen Grand Prix (G1), and Australia's Ladbrokes Cox Plate (G1) the next year, earning Japan's Horse of the Year title in 2019. Lucky Lilac went from last year's QE II to finish second in the Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1) a month later.