The Yoshito Yahagi trained five-year-old Heart's Cry mare carried all before her when creating history with the first win by a Japanese-bred, trained and owned runner in the Moonee Valley Racing Club's Group 1 WS Cox Plate over 2040m at The Valley in October.
Lys Gracieux then returned to Japan to cap her triumphant career winning the Grade 1 Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) over 2500m at Nakayama in December to go along with her win in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen earlier in the year.
Lys Gracieux won both the Japan Racing Association's Horse of the Year for 2019 and Best Older Filly or Mare award. In the voting for the Horse of the Year award, Lys Gracieux received 271 votes out of 274.
The Horse of the Year title is the highest honour given to JRA-registered race horses and is selected by the Horse of the Year Selection Committee represented by journalists of various dailies and magazines.
The JRA Awards ceremony will be held on January 27.
Note: All information, including ages and race performances, are as of December 31, 2019, unless otherwise indicated.
Horse of the Year and Best Older Filly or Mare:
Lys Gracieux (JPN)
5-Year-Old, Dark Bay, Mare
Sire Heart’s Cry
Dam (Sire of Dam) Liliside (American Post)
Owner Carrot Farm
Trainer Yoshito Yahagi
Jockey Damian Lane
Breeder Northern Farm
Wins / Starts in 2019 3 / 5
(Overseas 1 / 2)
Earnings in 2019 747,663,900 Yen
(Overseas 266,435,900 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2019 Takarazuka Kinen (G1)
Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (G1)
Cox Plate (Australia, G1)
Best Two-Year-Old Colt:
Contrail (JPN)
2-Year-Old, Brown, Colt
Sire Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam) Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song)
Owner Shinji Maeda
Trainer Yoshito Yahagi
Jockey Yuichi Fukunaga
Breeder North Hills Co. Ltd.
Wins / Starts in 2019 3 / 3
Earnings in 2019 111,267,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2019 Hopeful Stakes (G1)
Best Two-Year-Old Filly:
Resistencia (JPN)
2-Year-Old, Bay, Filly
Sire Daiwa Major
Dam (Sire of Dam) Malacostumbrada (Lizard Island)
Owner Carrot Farm
Trainer Takeshi Matsushita
Jockey Yuichi Kitamura
Breeder Northern Farm
Wins / Starts in 2019 3 / 3
Earnings in 2019 102,708,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2019 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1)
Best Three-Year-Old Colt:
Saturnalia (JPN)
3-Year-Old, Dark Bay, Colt
Sire Lord Kanaloa
Dam (Sire of Dam) Cesario (Special Week)
Owner Carrot Farm
Trainer Katsuhiko Sumii
Jockey Christophe Lemaire
Breeder Northern Farm
Wins / Starts in 2019 2 / 5
Earnings in 2019 338,590,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2019 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1)
Best Three-Year-Old Filly:
Gran Alegria (JPN)
3-Year-Old, Bay, Filly
Sire Deep Impact
Dam (Sire of Dam) Tapitsfly (Tapit)
Owner Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.
Trainer Kazuo Fujisawa
Jockey Christophe Lemaire
Breeder Northern Farm
Wins / Starts in 2019 2 / 3
Earnings in 2019 208,603,000 Yen
(Overseas 33,770,700 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2019 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) (G1)
Best Older Colt or Horse:
Win Bright (JPN)
5-Year-Old, Gray, Horse
Sire Stay Gold
Dam (Sire of Dam) Summer Eternity (Admire Cozzene)
Owner Win Co. Ltd.
Trainer Yoshihiro Hatakeyama
Jockey Masami Matsuoka
Breeder Cosmo View Farm
Wins / Starts in 2019 4 / 6
(Overseas 2 / 2)
Earnings in 2019 520,279,800 Yen
(Overseas 415,914,800 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2019 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Hong Kong, G1)
LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (Hong Kong, G1)
Best Sprinter or Miler:
Indy Champ (JPN)4-Year-Old, Bay, Colt
Sire Stay Gold
Dam (Sire of Dam) Will Power (King Kamehameha)
Owner Silk Racing Co. Ltd.
Trainer Hidetaka Otonashi
Jockey Yuichi Fukunaga
Breeder Northern Racing
Wins / Starts in 2019 3 / 6
(Overseas 0/ 1)
Earnings in 2019 292,504,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2019 Yasuda Kinen (G1)
Mile Championship (G1)
Best Dirt Horse:
Chrysoberyl (JPN)
3-Year-Old, Bay, Colt
Sire Gold Allure
Dam (Sire of Dam) Chrysoprase (El Condor Pasa)
Owner Carrot Farm
Trainer Hidetaka Otonashi
Jockey Yuga Kawada
Breeder Northern Farm
Wins / Starts in 2019 5 / 5(NAR 3 / 3)
Earnings in 2019 217,602,000 Yen
(NAR 107,000,000 Yen)
Principal Wins in 2019 Champions Cup (G1)
Japan Dirt Derby
Best Steeplechase Horse:
Shingun Michael (JPN)
5-Year-Old, Bay, Gelding
Sire Shingun Opera
Dam (Sire of Dam) Devena (Tokai Teio)
Owner Shigenori Isaka
Trainer Keiji Takaichi
Jockey Mitsuki Kaneko
Breeder Hikaru Bokujo
Wins / Starts in 2019 4 / 6
Earnings in 2019 160,861,000 Yen
Principal Wins in 2019 Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1)
TRAINERS & JOCKEYS
- Best Trainer (races won): Takayuki Yasuda (64 wins)
- Best Trainer (winning average): Mitsumasa Nakauchida (0.225)
- Best Trainer (money earned): Yoshito Yahagi (2,214,248,900 Yen)
- Best Trainer (training technique): Mitsumasa Nakauchida
JRA Best Jockey (races won): Christophe Lemaire (164 wins)
JRA Best Jockey (winning average): Yuga Kawada (0.260%)
JRA Best Jockey (money earned): Christophe Lemaire (3,547,238,000 Yen)
- MVJ (Most Valuable Jockey): Christophe Lemaire (44 points)
Best Steeplechase Jockey: Kazuma Mori
Best Jockey (newcomer): Arata Saito
- Trainers’ figures include National Association of Racing (NAR; Racing by Local Governments) and overseas race results.*The MVJ is determined by points allotted a jockey for his or her ranking in four different categories for designated JRA, NAR and overseas races. The four categories are “number of wins,” “win average,” “earnings,” and “number of rides for the year.” The MVJ award is bestowed upon the jockey with the highest total points.
