Triple Crown bid is on for Almond Eye after sweet success in fillies' Classic

Hanshin: Oka Sho (Grade 1) | 1m, 3yo fillies

Almond Eye (Sakae Kunieda/Christophe Lemaire) produced an electric burst in the final two furlongs to land the first leg of the fillies' Triple Crown on Sunday.

Having sat second last in a race run at a strong gallop, Almond Eye moved into the clear on the outside as the runners lined up for the final quarter of a mile before cutting them down stylishly under a hands-and-heels ride from Christophe Lemaire to win by a length and three-quarters.

The Oka Sho is the Japanese equivalent of the 1,000 Guineas with the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) and Shuka Sho forming the other two legs of the fillies' Triple Crown.

An impressed Lemaire said: "Her response and speed at the stretch was unbelievable and felt great! Her strides kept getting bigger and all I had to do was to keep her straight.

"A step up in distance shouldn't be a problem for this talented filly, who has great potential to win the Triple."

Owned by the Silk Racing Co Ltd, Almond Eye was chased home by favourite Lucky Lilac with Lily Noble third.

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