28 June 2021
The Japanese have a dream: to win the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Should they succeed in doing so, it will coincide with 100th anniversary of this legendary horse race which will be run at ParisLongchamp on October 3. The five-year-old mare Chrono Genesis looms indeed as a serious Japanese challenger in this year's Arc de Triomphe.
Chrono Genesis won the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen over 2,200 metres at Hanshin on Sunday. She was ridden for the very first time by French jockey Christophe Lemaire, who has been based in Japan since 2015. As the mare’s regular rider, Yuichi Kitamura, is currently sidelined through injury. Christophe Lemaire said: “The mare was in top form. We were also able to take up a good position behind Lei Papale. Showing a neat turn of foot, she was well on top in the final 200 metres. The mare relishes soft ground and I think that she can prove very competitive in France.”
Chrono Genesis won this same race last year, having also annexed the Arima Kinen, one of the major Japan prizes, at the backend of 2020.
On Sunday 27 June, she accounted for Unicorn Lion and Lei Papale, another potential Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe contender, who suffered her first career defeat. In her previous outing, namely the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic in Dubai, Chrono Genesis lost no caste in defeat when giving best to Mishriff, and the latter is similarly being aimed at the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Chrono Genesis certainly has a lot to live up to: as her sire, Bago, won the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2004!