Abu Qir Bay back up in class for G3 Aoi Stakes

Fine Needle filly Abu Qir Bay returns to G3 company for the Aoi Stakes over six furlongs at Kyoto, Japan, on Saturday, 31 May.

The Tomoyasu Sakaguchi-trained three-year-old acquitted herself well on her only previous Graded start, coming home fifth in the G3 Kokura Nisai Stakes at Chukyo in September.

Winner of a newcomers’ race at Fukushima in July, Abu Qir Bay made a successful start to this year when overcoming trouble in running to take a Kokura Stakes race by half a length.

She makes her first appearance since finishing sixth in Listed Marguerite Stakes, run over the same course and distance at the Aoi Stakes, in late February.