JRA G1 wrap: ‘explosive’ filly Brede Weg prevails in wet Queen Elizabeth II Cup
Lord Kanaloa filly Brede Weg became a Group 1 winner at just start number five, overcoming a tricky inside draw and the soft Kyoto surface to defeat the older mares in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Sunday.
The story of the race
When rain and racing in the 48 hours before the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup left the Kyoto surface looking worse for wear, Christophe Lemaire admitted he had doubts about the race favourite Brede Weg: jumping from gate one, the inexperienced filly – at just her fifth race start – would likely be on the most worn part of the track.
Lemaire need not have worried. Brede Weg swept aside the worries with a classy win that signalled an emerging star in the shadows of Equinox and Liberty Island.
Brede Weg had not contested the three-year-old Triple Tiara races and thus avoided the buzzsaw that is Liberty Island but she is clearly a talent on the rise and a marquee horse for fourth year trainer Keisuke Miyata.