'A fantastic horse' - Namur strikes gold in Mile Championship after Moore replaced due to injury

A last-minute jockey change did Namur no harm when landing her first top-level success in the Mile Championship at Kyoto on Sunday.

The daughter of Harbinger was due to be partnered by Ryan Moore, but he was replaced by Kota Fujioka after sustaining a back injury in a fall in the second race of the day. 

Bred by Northern Farm and owned by Carrot Farm Co, the four-year-old had won twice at Grade 2 level and also finished second in the Shuka Sho last October. Her narrow win was the fifth of her career from 13 starts and she edged out Soul Rush, by Rulership, and Justin Cafe, by Epiphaneia, for Grade 1 honours. 

The four-year-old is out of the Grade 3-placed Daiwa Major mare Sambre Et Meuse, making her a half-sister to two Graded performers including Grade 3 score Ravel. Sambre Et Meuse is a half-sister to last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Marche Lorraine and a close relation to the Graded-placed Avenir Marcher. It is the further family of Japanese 1,000 Guineas heroine Kyoei March, by Dancing Brave.

Namur: Harbinger filly captured Grade 1 success in the Mile ChampionshipCredit: Masakazu Takahashi

Fujioka, winning his second JRA Grade 1 after the 2009 NHK Mile Cup on Jo Cappuccino said: "She did a great job. It was a last-minute change, but she's such a great horse. I heard about her beforehand from the trainer and Joao Moreira, who had ridden her in the previous race, so I rode with good intentions.

"The start wasn't quite right, but she ran calmly and her response was so good. I was under a lot of pressure when asked to ride such a fantastic horse at short notice, so I feel relieved."

Moore added: "I'm very grateful to everyone at JRA for taking care of me, there's an X-ray facility which I am impressed with. It's a shame I couldn't ride in the race after that but I'm doing well after being cared for."

The leading jockey will ride defending champion Vela Azul in the Japan Cup next Sunday. 

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