Lys Gracieux Wins QEII, a Bridesmaid No More

Lys Gracieux, four times a runner-up at the top level, finally broke through with a perfectly timed, stretch-running victory in the Nov. 11 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Kyoto Racecourse.

With Joao Moreira in the irons, the Heart's Cry filly broke alertly and raced in the middle of the 17 fillies and mares around the first two turns of the 2,200-meter (about 1 3/8 miles) turf test. As the field spread into the stretch, Lys Gracieux quickly picked things up and reeled in pacesetter Crocosmia to win by a neck. The favorite, last year's winner Mozu Katchan, was a another three lengths back in third.

Despite a pair of wins at the grade 3 level, Lys Gracieux had frustrated her owners and trainer, U Carrot Farm and Yoshito Yahagi, with maddeningly close second-place finishes in the 2016 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1), the 2017 Oka Sho (Japanese One Thousand Guineas, G1) and Shuka Sho (G1), and this spring's Victoria Mile (G1).

"Today was her day," Moreira said. "We were in a good position, two off the fence, and she had plenty left in the tank after angling out at the last turn. Under pressure she responded very well, and I had every confidence from the 300-meter point that we were going to win.

"She's a real champion."

Lys Gracieux finished in 2:13.1 over firm going.

While it was the first grade 1 win for the filly, it was the fifth win on the day for Moreira, the "Magic Man"— something of a rider without a jurisdiction. The Brazilian left Hong Kong following the 2017-18 season, intending to ride permanently in Japan, but muffed a required written test on the history of Japanese racing.

Moreira currently rides in Japan on a temporary ticket and is booked to bounce back and forth between Japan and Hong Kong in the near future. Trainer John Size has named Moreira to ride Hot King Prawn in the BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Sprint (G2) Nov. 19 at Sha Tin—the local prep for the Longines Hong Kong Sprint (G1) Dec. 9. Size and his owners have submitted an application to the HKJC Licensing Committee with the hope of making the Brazilian his new stable jockey.

For now Moreira clearly remains in demand in Japan. With mounts in 10 of the day's 12 races at Kyoto, Moreira not only won five times but also finished second in the day's finale.