Last year’s Arima Kinen heroine Regaleira returned to winning ways in Sunday’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Kyoto, justifying short odds with the minimum of fuss to register the third top-level success of her career.
Trained by Tetsuya Kimura for owners Sunday Racing, Regaleira and jockey Keita Tosaki travelled wide in mid-division through the early stages of this 2,200-metre contest and still had plenty of ground to make up on long-time leader Erika Express (Epiphaneia) as the 16 runners entered the home straight.
Paradis Reine (Kizuna), who finished one place behind Erika Express when third in last month’s G1 Shuka Sho, was the first to collar her old foe inside the final two furlongs, but Regaleira soon emerged as a big danger out wide on the track. Produced to lead with 50 metres to run, the daughter of Suave Richard quickly asserted from there to win by a length and three-quarters in a new record time for the Group 1 first run over this distance back in 1996.
Paradis Reine fared best of the three-year-old challengers in filling the runner-up spot, with another length back to Lilac (Orfevre), who edged out Lynx Tip (Kitasan Black) by a head in claiming the final podium position.
“I’m truly delighted to have won with Regaleira again,” said Tosaki. “I’m both happy and relieved that we were able to live up to everyone’s expectations as the race favourite.
“The stable staff told me how good her condition was and I could feel it too when I rode her. She was calm during the post parade and jumped out of the gate on her own.
“The condition of the inner track wasn’t very good, so I made sure that we didn’t get stuck there. She responded well in the stretch. I’m confident that she’ll do even better from here.”
The Arima Kinen, which takes place at Nakayama on Sunday, December 28, is likely to be next port of call for Regaleira as she tries to become the first horse to win consecutive editions of that Group 1 since Symboli Kris S (2002 and 2003). Last year, she earned a slice of history as the first three-year-old filly to win the Arima Kinen for 64 years.
Now a top-level winner at two, three and four, having also won Nakayama’s Hopeful Stakes as a juvenile, Regaleira’s return to action this year was delayed by injury, but she proved that she retained all of her ability when returning to Nakayama to win September’s G2 Sankei Sho All Comers.
G1 2200m QEII for F&Ms
Won by the classy 4yo filly 7. REGALEIRA (Suave Richard X Roca (Harbinger) under Keita Tosaki
Her 3rd G1 win, first against fillies and mars
Defends her Arima Kinen crown next#JRA
pic.twitter.com/E7fcz3rV5r
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) November 16, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Regaleira, a member of the first crop of the G1 Japan Cup and G1 Osaka Hai hero Suave Richard, is out of the winning Harbinger mare Roca, who achieved her career high when finishing third in the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup. She is the dam of three winners from four runners, with the others including the six-year-old Douradores (Duramente), who completed a remarkable one-two for the mare when chasing home Regaleira in the Sankei Sho All Comers.
Roca, in turn, is out of the Dance in the Dark mare Land’s Edge, a half-sister to none other than Deep Impact, the Japanese Triple Crown winner who quickly rose to become one of the world’s most influential stallions. Land’s Edge also features as the second dam of the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) hero Urban Chic (Suave Richard) through her daughter Edgy Style (Harbinger), as well as last year’s G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) scorer Stellenbosch (Epiphaneia) through another daughter in Bloukrans (Rulership). Stellenbosch featured among Regaleira’s opposition in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup but could finish only tenth.
Both Deep Impact and Land’s Edge are out of the blue hen Wind In Her Hair (Alzao), herself a Group 1 winner in Germany and runner-up in the Oaks at Epsom.
Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
QUEEN ELIZABETH II CUP-G1, ¥252,980,000, Kyoto, 11-16, 3yo/up, f, 2200mT, 2:11.00, fm.
1–REGALEIRA (JPN), 123, f, 4, by Suave Richard (Jpn)
1st Dam: Roca (Jpn) (GSP-Jpn, $240,719), by Harbinger (GB)
2nd Dam: Land’s Edge (Jpn), by Dance in the Dark (Jpn)
3rd Dam: Wind in Her Hair (Ire), by Alzao
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuya Kimura;
J-Keita Tosaki; ¥133,486,000. Lifetime Record: 11-5-0-1,
¥835,637,000. *1/2 to Douradores (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}),
MGSP-Jpn, $1,244,438. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Paradis Reine (Jpn), 119, f, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)–Paradise Garden,
by Closing Argument. O-Makio Okada; B-Okada Stud;
¥52,996,000.
3–Lilac (Jpn), 123, m, 6, Orfevre (Jpn)–Viva Bouquet (Jpn), by
King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Seiichi Serizawa; B-Kineusu Farm;
¥33,4980,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 1, HD. Odds: 2.30, 10.00, 32.70.
Also Ran: Lynx Tip (Jpn), Coconuts Brown (Jpn), Sekitoba
East (Jpn), Safira (Jpn), Vermicelles (Jpn), Verehrung (Jpn), Stellenbosch (Jpn), Bond Girl (Jpn), Erika Express (Jpn), Shinryokuka (Jpn), Kelly Fled Ask (Jpn), Kana Tape (Jpn),
Aurora X (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.
AloJapan.com