Photo: Japan Racing Association
A recent Japanese Grade One winner has a kiwi connection.
Uberleben (Gold Ship x Meine Theresia) won the Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), the second leg of the Japanese Fillies’ Triple Crown at Tokyo Racecourse over the weekend.
Uberleben, which means “survival” or “to survive” in German, races in the colours of K Thoroughbred Club Ruffian, is one of five winners, from as many runners, out of the winning mare Meine Theresia (Roses In May x Meine Nouvelle).
The win was the second in seven starts for the filly who was bred by Shigeyuki Okada's Big Red Farm.
It was the first Grade One victory for her sire Gold Ship, a six-time Grade One who stands at Big Red Farm.
Uberleben’s third dam is Zabeel mare Meine Pretender who left New Zealand shores when purchased as a yearling for $180,000 by Mr H Kaneko in 1997.
Bred by Yarrawonga Racing Ltd, Meine Pretender is out of Mill Reef mare Giladah who was the dam of five winners including Group Two winners Double Reef (Last Tycoon) and Star of Nouvelle (Star Watch.
It is a family which continues to have updates from Australasian runners including this season’s Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) winner Inspirational Girl (Reliable Man x Be Inspired) and Gr.2 Easter Handicap (1600m) winner Demonetization (All Too Hard x Midnight Special).
