On July 27, 2025, the 60th running of the GIII Sekiya Kinen took place at Niigata Racecourse over 1600 meters on turf. The race ended with a spectacular performance by Kanatape, the 6-year-old mare ridden by Rachel King, claiming her first graded victory in record time.
■ Rachel King’s Back-to-Back GIII Victories
Rachel King, who had just won the Hakodate Nisai Stakes the previous week, piloted Kanatape to victory from well off the pace. Sitting in the rear group, the duo made a powerful move on the outside in the stretch to take the lead and stopped the clock at 1:31.0, breaking the previous course record of 1:31.5 set by Danau Blue in 2012.
King celebrated her second consecutive GIII win and her sixth overall JRA graded title. Kanatape, trained by Nobuyuki Hori, became the first 6-year-old mare in history to win this race. For trainer Hori, it marked his milestone victory at all 10 JRA racecourses, a feat achieved by only seven trainers so far.
■ Watch the 2025 Sekiya Kinen Replay
Relive the thrilling finish of the 2025 Sekiya Kinen in full HD below:
■ Emotional First Title for Kanatape
Bred by Northern Farm and owned by C. Fipke, Kanatape is sired by Lord Kanaloa out of Ticker Tape (by Royal Applause). Although she had placed second in the Fuchu Himba Stakes, she had not won a graded title until now. This victory came in her 17th start and rewarded her consistent form.
■ Tight Finish for Second Place
The battle for second place ended in a rare dead heat between 2nd favorite Bond Girl, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, and 10th choice Off Trail. Lemaire commented, “She was relaxed and showed her brilliant turn of foot. The winner carried 54kg while we had 56kg—unfortunate but no regrets”.
■ Complete Result Highlights
- 1st – Kanatape (1st favorite)
- 2nd – Bond Girl (2nd favorite) & Off Trail (10th favorite) – Dead heat
- 5th – Shivers (4th favorite)
- 9th – Fortune Time (3rd favorite)
■ Looking Ahead
This win catapults Kanatape into the spotlight of summer mile series contention. With the momentum of Rachel King’s rising popularity and back-to-back graded wins, fans will be watching closely where this duo heads next. A mile championship? A step up in class? One thing’s certain—“King Ane-san” is on fire!
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