Killer Ability shows killer instinct to win final Group 1 of the season

Killer Ability claimed the final Group 1 of the Japanese turf season with victory in the Hopeful Stakes for two-year-old colts at Nakayama on Tuesday.

Carrot Racing's son of perennial champion sire Deep Impact was second favourite for the mile contest and was settled in third by his young jockey Takeshi Yokoyama, the rising star of the Japanese weighing room.

The Takashi Saito-trained colt made his move at the top of the home straight, taking over at the front and holding off all challengers in the closing stages.

He was a length and a half ahead of Cristian Demuro on second-placed Justin Palace, who is a Deep Impact half-brother to Palace Malice. It was another length and a quarter back to Lagulf, by Maurice, in third.

The winning Deep Impact colt is out of the Congaree mare Killer Graces, who won the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Hollywood Park, and it was the second win in three starts for Killer Ability.

The favourite, Grade 3 winner Command Line, started slowly and couldn't settle in a good position under Christophe Lemaire, who has ridden 199 winners this year. Command Line was swallowed up on the bend and eventually finished 12th of the 15 runners.

The winning jockey Yokoyama, who was riding his fifth Grade 1 winner, all this year, said: "When I rode him in training, I felt his ability. Although I had a little bit of worry about his nerves, he relaxed to run in the best position for him.

"He wanted to go on a little before the back straight, but he relaxed again soon, so I was relieved. He is now like a child and his hindlimbs are not powerful yet so he runs only with heart. If he can run more steadily, he would run much stronger."

The 23-year-old was very pleased to achieve his goals in 2021, saying: "I had a target to be a Grade 1-winning jockey and ride 100 winners in this year. Thanks to the connections and horses, I could do it."

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