Puro Magic goes all the way

TOKYO – The moderately-backed Puro Magic turned in a wire-to-wire victory in the 370 million yen (S$3 million) Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) at Nakayama, near Tokyo, on Sept 27, capturing her first Grade 1 title in her sixth challenge at that level.

Debuting in June as a two-year-old, the daughter of Asia Express was mainly raced at 1,000 and 1,200 metres and registered three Grade 3 titles – the 2024 Aoi Stakes (1,200m), the Kitakyushu Kinen (1,200m), and the 2025 Ibis Summer Dash (1,000m) – during her three and four-year-old seasons.

This year, the five-year-old mare won the Grade 3 Hakodate Sprint Stakes (1,200m) in June and the Ibis Summer Dash in August, then registered a runner-up effort in her previous start, the Grade 2 Centaur Stakes (1,200m), three weeks earlier, which earned her the Summer Sprint Series champion title.

This win marked the first Grade 1 title for her sire Asia Express, winner of the 2013 Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1,600m).

Both trainer Shogo Yasuda and jockey Mirai Iwata were at their second Japan Racing Association (JRA) Grade 1 success.

Yasuda won his first in the 2024 Tokyo Yushun (2,400m), the Japanese Derby, with Danon Decile, while Iwata claimed his first in the 2024 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (1,600m) with Arma Veloce.

Puro Magic broke sharply from the widest stall and quickly assumed command to set the pace. She continued to lead the field, opening a three-length gap over the rest of the field while turning the corners.

Though challenged by World’s End (Akihide Tsumura) and Sound Moryana (Hayato Yoshida) in the final 100m, the gallant bay found another gear and managed to cross the wire with a neck to spare.

“I was a bit worried about the ground condition, but thanks to her ability and speed, we were able to take the lead,” said Iwata.

“She was more composed than in her last race and managed to hang on in the stretch.”

Along the rails, World’s End closed in stoutly with every stride, but was a neck short of catching Puro Magic to settle for second, repeating his runner-up effort in his previous Grade 1 start, the Yasuda Kinen (1,600m) this spring.

After breaking sharply, Sound Moryana eased back around fifth early. The Grade 3 Keeneland Cup (1,200m) winner turned the final corner in tandem with World’s End, duelling with him in the last 200 metres, but missed the runner-up seat by a nose to finish third.

Race favourite Star Anise (Christophe Lemaire) broke smoothly and travelled wide toward the back, around 10th from the front.

Despite meeting traffic at the top of the lane, the three-year-old Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, 1,600m) winner found an open space 200m out to unleash a powerful turn of foot, recorded as the second fastest closing sectional to close in on the top three, but finished 1¼ lengths behind in fourth. JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION