Jour Polaire upsets Victoria Mile in Tokyo

Jour Polaire rallied to the lead in the final strides of the May 13 Victoria Mile (G1) at Toyko Racecourse and just held off the favorite, Lys Gracieux, by a nose at the wire.

Red Advancer and Aerolithe were third and fourth in a blanket finish as Soul Stirring—the filly who gave Frankel his first grade 1 win as a sire—continued to disappoint as a 4-year-old, finishing seventh.

Jockey Hideaki Miyuki kept Jour Polaire in midpack and outside any trouble through the turn on a rainy day in Tokyo. As the field tackled the uphill run in the stretch, the 5-year-old Deep Impact mare began to gather momentum, reaching the front in the final strides.

Jour Polaire, bred by Shadai Corporation and owned by G1 Racing, finished in 1:32.33 over good turf. It was her sixth win from 14 starts and the first at the grade 1 level.

"I wasn't worried about the rain and (the course) getting softer, because it was perfect for my mare," Miyuki said. "I was hoping to race a little more near the pace. She showed a great turn of foot, but it was so close, I couldn't make out if we were beaten by Lys Gracieux from the outside at the end or not."

The race assumed its current conditions in 2006, but it already has a history of producing stars.

Past winners include Japan's two-time Horse of the Year Vodka, 2010 Horse of the Year Buena Vista, and 2010 fillies' Triple Crown winner Apapane.

The top three finishers in the Victoria Mile earned automatic, fees-paid starting positions in the Aug. 12 Prix Jacques le Marois (G1) at Deauville, as well as a transportation subsidy. 

Despite the heavy rain, 40,306 attended the races in Tokyo, wagering more than ¥15.3 billion (US$140 million) on the Victoria Mile.