Fine Needle after Centaur Stakes repeat

G1-winning sprinter Fine Needle (Yoshitada Takahashi/Yuga Kawada) aims for a repeat victory in the G2 Centaur Stakes at Hanshin, Japan, on Sunday, 9 September. 

The five-year-old son of Admire Moon ran on strongly for a decisive success in the six-furlong turf sprint 12 months ago before going on to gain a breakthrough first G1 in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen over the same distance at Chukyo in March. 

Fine Needle, who also captured the six-furlong G3 Silk Road Stakes at Kyoto in January, makes his first appearance since staying on to take fourth in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, also over six furlongs, at Sha Tin, Hong Kong, on 29 April. 

He meets 14 other sprinters in the Centaur Stakes including six horses who contested the G3 Kitakyushu Kinen at Kokura on 19 August – Love Kampf, Asakusa Genki, Diana Halo, Aonbharr, Great Charter and Fumino Moon. 

Harry Sweeney, President of Godolphin in Japan, said: “Fine Needle has been working really well. 

“The trainer is extremely happy with the horse, although he has left a little bit to work on ahead of the horse’s main target, which is the G1 Sprinters Stakes at the end of the month. 

“This race doesn’t look particularly competitive and we are hoping for a big run.”