It is the 3-year-old fillies' turn to take center stage for the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) on Sunday, May 25, when the second fillies' Classic is held at Tokyo Racecourse. And it's just a week before the prestigious Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).
The fillies' race was first run in the autumn of 1938, at Hanshin Racecourse over a longer distance than it is now. In those days, it was called the Hanshin Yushun Himba. Later, in 1946, it was switched to Tokyo and run in the spring over its current distance of 2,400 meters. The race was opened to foreign-bred fillies in 2003 and became an international Grade 1 race in 2010.
There are 20 nominations for Sunday's race, of which a maximum of 18 will go to post. All fillies will carry a set weight of 55 kg while competing for a ¥150 million JPY (approximately $1 million USD) winner's check.
Recent big-name winners have included Liberty Island (2023), Daring Tact (2020) and the great Almond Eye (2018). Another star filly, Loves Only You, holds the record time for the race when she won in 2019, stopping the clock in 2 minutes, 22.8 seconds.
Information on the 2025 Yushun Himba
A couple of races leading into Sunday's big event were the Grade 3 Flower Cup, run over 1,800 meters at Nakayama in March, and the Grade 2 Sankei Sports Sho Flora Stakes (an official Oaks trial race), run at Tokyo in April over 2,000 meters. The first five home in the Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) received an automatic entry into the Japanese Oaks.
This 86th running of the Yushun Himba will be the 11th race on the Sunday card at Tokyo, with a post time of 3:40 PM.
Here's a look at some of the top fillies expected to be in the lineup on Sunday:
Embroidery in Good Condition for the Yushun Himba
Seemingly going from strength to strength, 2025 Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) winner Embroidery will be one of the main fancies this Sunday. But she will have to see out the extra distance, having only raced up to 1,800 meters so far. She was a 2-year-old in her maiden race at Niigata when she did that, in the summer of 2024. However, she won that race in record time.
"After her last race, she went from Ritto [Shiga Prefecture] to Miho [Ibaraki Prefecture], and then on to Northern Farm Tenei [in Hokkaido] for a break," trainer Kazutomo Mori said. "She came back to the stable on May 8. Having been well cared for at the farm, she's in good condition, and there are no problems with her hooves."
He added, "She's relaxed and has been working well on the uphill training track since returning."
Christophe Lemaire returns to ride Embroidery once again, replacing Joao Moreira, who guided her to victory in her last race.
Trainer Expects Arma Veloce to Be in 'Great Shape'
Arma Veloce had to settle for second against Embroidery in the Oka Sho on April 13. However, she will be looking for revenge this time, and the filly's credentials are strong. She's never finished out of the first two in her short racing career.
"The jockey did a great job last time, but Joao Moreira on the winner was just too good," trainer Hiroyuki Uemura said recently. "My filly fought back again at the finish, so I could give her high marks for that. She's been at the stable since, and has been working on the woodchip course."
Uemura added, "Things have gone smoothly so far, and I get the feeling she should be in great shape for the race."
Jockey Mirai Iwata has struck up a good partnership with the filly, as well as the stable, so expect a big run from Arma Veloce on Sunday.
Lynx Tip Looks for a Winning Finish
The Kitasan Black-sired filly Lynx Tip might only have won a maiden race, but in her last pair, she's finished within a whisker of two very good winners in Satono Shining and Embroidery.
In her first two starts, she was ridden by Cristian Demuro. Now, for the Yushun Himba, older brother Mirco Demuro has picked up the ride.
Read the rest of this article about the Yushun Himba and the Japanese horses in contention on JRA News.
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Author: JRA News
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