'I don't remember anything about today's racing' - jockey overcome as Lugal returns from injury for Grade 1 triumph

Lugal made a remarkable comeback from serious injury to win the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama on Sunday morning, a first win at the highest level for both the four-year-old son of Duramente and his jockey Atsuya Nishimora.

It was also the second new Group/Grade 1 winner of the weekend for the colt's broodmare sire New Approach, who appears in that position in the pedigree of Saturday's Middle Park Stakes winner Shadow Of Light.

The winner of the first Grade 1 of the autumn season at Nakayama had been sent off favourite for the Grade 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen back in the spring but could only finish tenth in that contest. He was subsequently found to have fractured his left radial carpal bone and left third carpal bone.

Lugal came late to claim his fourth career success in the shadow of the post and it was an emotional victory for his jockey.

 "I'm really glad I continued my life as a jockey. Thanks to the trainer Sugiyama, the staff of Sugiyama Stable, and everyone involved this horse. I was really disappointed at the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, so I'm glad."

"I don't remember anything about today's racing, sorry!" said an overcome Nishimora. "Lugal made a jockey who had never won a Grade 1 a Grade 1 jockey. Becoming a Grade 1 jockey was one of my goals, but I still have many goals to achieve, and I want to work even harder."

The winner is a son of Duramente who won the Japanese 2,000 Guineas and Derby but the son of King Kamehameha only stood for five seasons before his untimely death from acute colitis aged just nine. 

Lugal's success is another poignant reminder of what might have been for the regally-bred Classic winner as he is the seventh Group 1 winner by Duramente.

Sunday's winner was bred by Mishima Bokujo and races for Yoshmasa Ema, with the Grade 3 Silk Road Stakes back in January the best result of his career prior to his Grade 1 breakthrough.

He is inbred to the brilliant Miesque through her son Kingmambo, who is the sire of King Kamehameha, and her daughter East Of The Moon, second dam of Lugal's own dam Atab.

By New Approach, Atab was bred by Shadwell Estates and sold, in foal to Mukhadram, for €35,000 to De Burgh Equine at the 2018 Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale.

Atab is a winning half-sister to Listed Free Handicap winner Ibn Malik and out of Moon's Whisper, an unraced Storm Cat half-sister to Alpha Lupi, the dam of three individual Group 1 winners; Alpha Centauri, Alpine Star and Discoveries.

Moon's Whisper is a daughter of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Prix de Diane and Prix Jacques le Marois heroine East Of The Moon, a Private Account half-sister to Kingmambo and out of the brilliant Miesque.

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