Indy Champ

Indy Champ (Japanese インディチャンプ, foaled 21 February 2015) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning his only start as a juvenile in 2017 he showed good form in the following year when he won three races and finished third in the Mainichi Hai. He emerged as a top-class performer in 2019 winning the Tokyo Shimbun Hai in February and going to take both of Japan's open age Grade 1 mile races, the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship

Indy Champ
Indy Champ after winning the Yasuda Kinen
SireStay Gold
GrandsireSunday Silence
DamWill Power
DamsireKing Kamehameha
SexColt
Foaled21 February 2015[1]
CountryJapan
ColourBay or Brown
BreederNorthern Farm
OwnerSilk Racing
TrainerHidetaka Otonashi
Record14: 8-1-2
Earnings¥431,672,000
Major wins
Tokyo Shimbun Hai (2019)
Yasuda Kinen (2019)
Mile Championship (2019)
Yomiuri Milers Cup (2020)
Awards
JRA Award for Best Sprinter or Miler (2019)

Background

Indy Champ is a dark bay horse with a white star and stripe bred in Japan by Northern Farm. During his racing career he was trained by Hidetaka Otonashi and raced in the blue and red colours of the Northern Farm affiliate Silk Racing.

He was from the twelfth crop of foals sired by Stay Gold a horse whose wins included the Dubai Sheema Classic and Hong Kong Vase in 2001. He went on to sire many major winners including Orfevre, Gold Ship, Nakayama Festa, Rainbow Line and Fenomeno.[2] Indy Champ's dam Will Power who won four minor races in five seasons on the track between 2009 and 2013[3] was a half-sister to several winners including Real Impact (Yasuda Kinen, George Ryder Stakes) and Neorealism (Queen Elizabeth II Cup).[4][5]

Racing career

2017: two-year-old season

On 28 December 2017 at Hanshin Racecourse Indy Champ made his racecourse debut in a 1400 metre event for previously unraced juveniles and won narrowly from Amore Jody and twelve others.[6]

2018: three-year-old season

Indy Champ made a successful start to his second season when he won a minor race over 1600 metres at Kyoto Racecourse on 13 January. He was then stepped up in class and distance for the Grade 3 Mainichi Hai over 1800 metres at Hanshin in March when he started at odds of 3.1/1 and finished third of the ten runners, two and a quarter lengths behind the winner Blast Onepiece.[7] In April at the same track he was beaten just over a length when he came home fourth behind Tower of London in the Grade 3 Arlington Cup.[8] Indy Champ was dropped back in class in June and finished second to the filly A Shin Twinkle in a minor race over 1600 metres at Hanshin. At Chukyo Racecourse on 14 July he started favourite for a race over 1600 metres and won from the four-year-old Clear The Track. After a break of more than five months Indy Champ returned to the track on 16 December and won the Motomachi Stakes over 1600 metres at Hanshin.[6]

2019: four-year-old season
Indy Champ's trainer Hidetaka Otonashi

On his first run as a four-year-old Indy Champ started the 1.7/1 in a fifteen-runner field for the Grade 3 Tokyo Shimbun Hai over 1600 metres at Tokyo Racecourse on 3 February. Ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga he raced on the inside rail and turned into the straight in sixth place before taking the lead 200 metres from the finish. He opened up a clear advantage before holding off the late challenges of Red Olga and Satono Ares to win by half a length and a head.[9] On his next appearance he came home fourth behind Danon Premium in the Yomiuri Milers Cup at Kyoto on 21 April after he failed to settle in a slowly-run race.[10]

In the 69th edition on the Yasuda Kinen over 1600 metres over 1600 metres at Tokyo on 2 June Indy Champ was partnered by Fukunaga and went off at odds of 18.2/1 in a sixteen-runner field. Almond Eye started the odds-on favourite while the other contenders included Danon Premium, Aerolithe (Mainichi Okan), Persian Knight (2017 Mile Championship), Mozu Ascot (winner of the race in 2018), Keiai Nautique (NHK Mile Cup) and Stelvio (2018 Mile Championship). After racing in fifth place as Aerolithe set the pace Indy Champ threaded his way through the field in the straight, took the lead in the final strides and won by a neck, with the fast-finishing Almond Eye a nose away in third. Fukunaga commented "He was tuned up well, was in great shape, and had a good draw, so I just tried hard not to miss our break. He tends to get distracted when he’s up front so I kept him off the pace. We were up against fierce competition, but I believed that he had a good chance as long as I didn’t make any mistakes and he certainly responded beautifully to our expectations".[11]

After a break of four months Indy Champ returned in the Mainichi Okan over 1800 metres at Tokyo on 6 October in which he raced in second place for most of the way before finishing third behind Danon Kingly and Aerolithe. On 17 November he was one of seventeen horses to contest the 36th running of the Mile Championship at Kyoto and with Kenichi Ikezoe in the saddle he started the 5.4/1 third choice in the betting behind Danon Premium and Danon Kingly.The other runners included Al Ain, Mozu Ascot, Red Olga, Persian Knight and Diatonic (Swan Stakes). Ikezoe tucked Indy Champ in behind the leaders in fourth place on the inside before making a forward move exiting the final turn. He went to the front 150 metres from the finish, broke clear of his rivals and won by one and a half lengths from Danon Premium. Ikezoe, who took the ride at short notice when Fukunaga was suspended, said "I was told that he is a bit unstable at the start but he broke well and we were able to race in good position while eyeing Danon Premium. He responded really well when asked at the lane".[12]

For his final run of the year Indy Champ was sent to Sha Tin Racecourse to contest the Hong Kong Mile on 8 December and started joint-favourite alongside the local champion Beauty Generation. Ridden by Damian Lane he struggled to obtain a clear run in the last 400 metres and although he kept on well he was unable to reach the leaders and came home seventh of the ten runners behind Admire Mars.

In January 2020, at the JRA Awards for 2019, Indy Champ was voted Best Sprinter or Miler taking 211 of the 274 votes. He also finished second to Win Bright in the poll to determine Best Older Male Horse, receiving 118 votes to the winner's 136.[13]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Indy Champ (JPN), bay stallion, 2015[1]
Sire
Stay Gold (JPN)
1994		 Sunday Silence (USA)
1986		 Halo Hail To Reason
Cosmah
Wishing Well Understanding
Mountain Flower
Golden Sash (JPN)
1988		 Dictus (FR) Sanctus
Doronic
Dyna Sash Northern Taste (CAN)
Royal Sash (GB)
Dam
Will Power (JPN)
2007		 King Kamehameha (JPN)
2001		 Kingmambo (USA) Mr Prospector
Miesque
Manfath (IRE) Last Tycoon
Pilot Bird (GB)
Tokio Reality (USA)
1994		 Meadowlake Hold Your Peace
Suspicious Native
What A Reality In Reality
What Will Be (Family: 3-l)[5]
gollark: Now to actually make the search bit work.
gollark: Using exponential regression, I determine that I'll have the whole internet downloaded within about 10 hours.
gollark: Wow, 32 domains found just crawling osmarks.net!
gollark: No.
gollark: Oh, my redirect code needed work but it's otherwise fine, great.

References
  1. "Indy Champ pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Stay Gold progeny". Racing Post. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  3. "Will Power race record". JBIS.
  4. "Will Power family". JBIS.
  5. "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Mayonaise - Family 3-L". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  6. "Race Records:Lifetime Starts Indy Champ". JBIS.
  7. "Mainichi Hai result". Racing Post. 24 March 2018.
  8. "Arlington Cup result". Racing Post. 14 April 2018.
  9. "Tokyo Shimbun Hai result". Racing Post. 3 February 2019.
  10. "Yasuda Kinen (G1) - Preview". Horse Racing in Japan. 28 May 2019.
  11. "Indy Champ Beats Heavy Favorite for First G1 Title in the Yasuda Kinen". Horse Racing in Japan. 2 June 2019.
  12. "Indy Champ Claims This Year's Mile Championship to Secure Both Spring & Autumn G1 Mile Titles". Horse Racing in Japan. 17 November 2019.
  13. "Winners of the 2019 JRA Awards announced". Horse Racing in Japan. 8 January 2020.
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