The final leg of the triple tiara takes place at Kyoto on Sunday with superstar filly Liberty Island prohibitively priced to take the crown.
Six fillies have won the Japanese Triple Tiara, compared to eight males doing the Triple Crown. Not sure what that means but we've seen a few very talented fillies win the Shuka Sho at very similar odds to what Liberty Island is set to jump on Sunday.
Almond Eye, the best mare Japan has ever seen (in my humble), was rated 125+ off her win in the Group 1 Yushun Himba (2400m), starting $1.70 there and then ran to 121 in her Shuka Sho win at $1.30.
Gentildonna was rated 124+ off her Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) win where she started $6.60, winning by 5 lengths before falling in to win the Shuka Sho at $2.30.
Liberty Island is already rated 126 off her 6 length win in the Yushun Himba at $1.40 and early markets have her around $1.20 on Sunday.
It seems dismissive to Liberty Island (and even the other very talented fillies who are surely running for second) but it's all about what's next for the daughter of Yankee Rose.
Almond Eye and Gentildonna both ran in the Group 1 Japan Cup (2400m) at their next start, and both won.
Almond Eye started $1.40, one roll longer than her Shuka Sho price, and blew them away, running to (I believe) the equal highest rating ever produced by a mare in Japan, tied with Lys Gracieux when she won the Group 1 Arima Kinen (2500m) by 5 lengths.
Gentildonna also ran to a new peak in her Japan Cup win, edging out the great Orfevre ($3) at $7.60 and running to what would remain her peak at 126.
Liberty Island should win this and set up what could be the match race of the year, decade, maybe in the history of Japanese racing.
Equinox is confirmed to be targeting the Japan Cup via the Group 1 Tenno Sho Spring (2000m), a race he famously won last year.
If both win their next start, and both will be very short to do so, it will be mouthwatering stuff at Tokyo.
While Liberty Island's very likely glory in following in the footsteps of Almond Eye, Gentildonna and co. should be celebrated on Sunday, it probably won't get the praise it deserves as it'll be impossible not to have an eye on Equinox and what next start might look like.
