Japanese Triple Tiara heroine and top-level-winning broodmare Gentildonna dies at 16

Japanese champion and top-level-producing broodmare Gentildonna has died at the age of 16.

The daughter of Deep Impact and Cheveley Park Stakes winner Donna Blini landed the Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas),  Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), Shuka Sho and Japan Cup at three, the last-named victory coming when defeating Orfevre in a thrilling finish. 

Gentildonna became just the fourth filly to win the Triple Tiara (fillies' Triple Crown) in her three-year-old campaign and was crowned Japanese Horse of the Year in 2012 and 2014. 

The Northern Racing-bred champion went on to add a further three Group or Grade 1 wins, including a second Japan Cup when she became the first horse to win back-to-back runnings of the race. She also won the Dubai Sheema Classic and Arima Kinen the following year. 

Trainer Sei Ishizaka paid tribute when speaking to Netkeiba: "This week is the Japan Cup, and she was a horse I would think about whenever the Classics or the Arima Kinen came around. Those three or four years with Gentildonna were tough for me, but I'm sure the horse had it even tougher. When she retired, all I wished for was that she would live a long life. I feel nothing but sadness and regret.

"She was tremendously strong as a three-year-old as well. It's the fate of a racehorse, but I believe she gave everything, she really ran her heart out. That's why I hoped she could enjoy a long life afterwards. It hurts whenever any horse I trained passes away, but she was truly one of the special ones."

Overall, Gentildonna won more than £12.2 million in prize-money and was granted a place in the JRA Hall of Fame in 2016. 

She went on to have a successful career at stud, producing Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers winner Geraldina, and was retired from broodmare duties in July. 

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