To the roar of 30,000 lucky fans, the white wonder Sodashi was back in the winner’s circle for the first time since April last year when she left a star-studded field in her wake in Sunday’s $2,825,000 Group 1 The Victoria Mile (1600m) for fillies and mares at Tokyo racecourse.
Given every possible chance by Hayato Yoshida, the Naosuke Sugai-trained daughter of Kurofune defeated the ever-consistent Kizuna 4yo Fine Rouge by two lengths.
The Group 1 winning Daiwa Major 5yo Resistencia was a neck back in third edging out the outsider Rosa Noir (Manhattan Café), followed by the brilliant Songline (Kizuna), and Triple Tiara heroine Daring Tact (Epiphaneia) at her first start for the year.
Race favourite Lei Papale disappointed in 12th. The daughter of Deep Impact stretches her winless run to seven starts since capturing the Group 1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin in April last year.
Winner of the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at two and the Group 1 Oka Sho at three, Sodashi rounded out 2021 when down the track in the Group 1 Champions Cup (1800m) on the dirt at Chukyo.
She was back on the dirt in her seasonal debut in the Group 1 February Stakes at Tokyo on February 20, finishing third behind defending champion Café Pharoah (American Pharoah).
Sodashi advances her record to seven wins and a third from eleven starts.
The Champion 2YO Filly in Japan in 2020, Sodashi is the first foal of the King Kamehameha mare Buchiko, a three-quarter sister to Group III winner Hayayakko and a half-sister to triple Listed stakes winner Yukichan (Kurofune), the granddam of Group II winner Meikei Yell (Mikki Isle).
