Second Grade 1 win for well-bred Ascoli Piceno with Victoria Mile success in Tokyo

The beautifully bred Ascoli Piceno justified favouritism when she finished with a late surge to win the Grade 1 Victoria Mile in Tokyo on Sunday. 

Partnered by Christophe Lemaire, the Yoichi Kuroiwa-trained Ascoli Piceno sustained her challenge to deny the equally well-bred Queen's Walk by a neck, with Shirankedo a nose behind that pair in third. 

Ascoli Piceno landed her first Grade 1 in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in December 2023, while the Northern Farm-bred talent had also captured the Grade 3 Keisei Hai Autumn Handicap last year. After finishing down the field in the Golden Eagle in Australia, she travelled to Saudi Arabia in February where she won the Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint on Saudi Cup night. 

Lemaire, who was winning his first JRA Grade 1 contest of the year, said: "As the favourite on the outside stall and on this wet track, I was worried about how she would run. She didn't get off to a good start, so she couldn't pick up speed and it was a bit hectic. She accelerated after I urged, but she had to change lead several times and it took her a while to get up to top speed. 

"Still, she was mentally strong and ran on well until the end. I'm glad we won a Grade 1."

The Daiwa Major four-year-old is bred in the purple being out of the Danehill Dancer mare Ascolti, a daughter of Fillies' Mile winner and Moyglare Stud Stakes runner-up Listen. That Sadler's Wells mare is a sister to Moyglare winner Sequoyah, the dam of three winners headed by dual Guineas hero, St James's Palace Stakes and Sussex Stakes victor Henrythenavigator.

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