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Mikki Queen wins Japanese Oaks from Rouge Buck

Deep Impact's trainer Yasutoshi Ikee
Image: Deep Impact's trainer Yasutoshi Ikee

Mikki Queen came from off the pace to collar favourite Rouge Buck and win the 76th Yushun Himba, the Japanese Oaks, at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday.

The victory gave trainer Yasutoshi Okee his 11th Group One success, but his first since Orfevre's win in the 2013 Arima Kinen.

Whereas many of the field came into the contest via the Japanese 1000 Guineas, the winner - third-favourite in the betting - took a different route and had landed the Wasurenagusa Sho over 10 furlongs last month, having failed to earn enough prize-money in her previous outings to qualify for the Guineas (the Oka Sho).

Mikki Queen's stamina proved telling as despite being back in fourth with ground to make up at the furlong-pole, she made relentless progress to lead 50 yards out and win going away under jockey Suguru Hamanaka.

The winner is sired by champion Japanese stallion Deep Impact, who was in fact responsible for four of the first six horses home, and also trainer by Ikee. European riders Mirco Demuro and Christophe Lemaire both took part in the contest, finishing ninth and 16th respectively.

Winning rider Hamanaka said: “I’m so happy she was able to demonstrate her ability. I especially concentrated on her break since she’s been struggling at it so far.

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"I thought I would relax her (in the early stages) so to get her turn of foot at the stretch. She responded well and quickened being driven, so I just prayed for the best. It was my fault that she wasn’t able to start in the Oka Sho, so my hopes to do well today were definitely higher than ever."

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