Jockey Yuga Kawada
The 21st running of the Victoria Mile (Grade 1, 1,600 meters turf, Tokyo Racecourse, May 17) — Final workout on May 13 at the Ritto Training Center.
[Data spotlight] Camniac’s pedigree and race record
Camniac (4-year-old filly, Ritto, Yasuo Tomomichi stable, sire Black Tide), winner of last year’s Oka Sho (Japanese Oaks), will be ridden by Yuga Kawada (Ritto, freelance). The jockey held a joint press conference at the Ritto Training Center. His best result in this race was second place on Queen’s Walk last year, and he now aims for his first victory.
— Looking back on your last start, second place in the Hanshin Himba Stakes.
“Since she’s a horse I’m most worried about in the gate, I focused on how much tension she would show going into the race. She managed to hold back to some extent and ran a decent race, so I was relieved about that.”
— What are you paying attention to?
“She’s a filly whose tension easily rises, so it’s about managing that. In the Shuka Sho, she actually got too tense before entering the gate, and inside the gate she couldn’t control her excitement, which led to a race where she couldn’t run at all. Last time, I raced while giving the most care to that aspect.”
— How has she been in between races?
“I’ve heard she’s been progressing smoothly.”
— What do you see as her best quality?
“She was a wonderful horse even before her debut. She once had a big setback, but then grew in a different way. I was in Hong Kong and couldn’t ride her, but she came back to a certain level in the Flora Stakes and then got fit enough to win the Oaks. That’s why I had high expectations for the Shuka Sho, but her difficult side came out, so I’m focusing on managing that again.”
— How did she change from her 3-year-old season in the Hanshin Himba Stakes?
“Growing in a different way refers to last spring. Her warm-up in the Shuka Sho was also very good, and her condition was excellent. Last time, she was able to go into the race in a decent state, and since that wasn’t the main target, she wasn’t fully wound up. But we adjusted considering her tension as well. Even though she lost, the fact that she could run with a certain level of performance is what matters most.”
— What about the Tokyo mile?
“She already experienced 1,600 meters in her last start, so she handled it without issues. The distance is no problem, and as an Oaks winner, switching to left-handed racing is also not an issue.”
— Your determination?
“The biggest point is how much she can hold back her tension before the gate and until the break. Until race day, I’ll pay close attention to that, and if she can break cleanly and be in a state to run well, I think the result will naturally follow. That’s the most important thing.”