Brilliant Japanese performer Lemon Pop made it back-to-back wins in the Mile Championship Nambu Hai, a local Japanese Group 1, at Morioka on Monday to add yet another update to the record of his dam, Schumer Bloodstock purchase Unreachable.
Lemon Pop kicked for home at the top of the straight and soon opened up daylight before Peptide Nile rallied to get to within a length of the leader half a furlong out. He reasserted in the closing strides before being eased on the line to score by a comfortable three-quarters of a length.
The son of Lemon Drop Kid is already something of an iconic performer for Godolphin in Japan as the winner of 12 of 17 starts for trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka. Last year, he became only the fourth horse to win both JRA Group 1 dirt races in the same calendar year when sweeping the Group 1 February Stakes and Champions Cup at Chukyo in Japan.
“It has a lovely ring to it – 12 wins from 15 starts in Japan and second on the other three outings!” said Harry Sweeney, President of Godolphin in Japan. “It is not too often we get to boast such a statistic, especially as his 12 wins now include five at the highest level. Consistent does not seem to do him justice – perhaps ultra-consistent would be better.
“All that said, we were somewhat anxious before the race as he didn’t quite sparkle in his last piece of work and seemed somewhat disinterested, a risk with any six-year-old entire in training. However, he looked brilliantly at the track today, walked very well and behaved impeccably. He didn’t have it all his own way during the race this year and had pressure all the way but won quite comfortably in the end. And as Peptide Nile, who finished second, won the G1 February Stakes earlier this year, it franked his status as the reigning Japanese champion dirt horse. He will run one more time this year, either the Jpn1 JBC Sprint in Saga over 1400m or he will try for back-to-back wins in the G1 Champions Cup over 1800m. A win in the latter would put him in pole position to retain his status as champion.
“One way or the other, he will be going to stud next year, and our marketing department are already working on advertising. He is a well-made attractive colt and should prove very popular in his second career.”
Lemon Pop is out of Unreachable, a daughter of Giant’s Causeway from the family of Danehill who was purchased privately by Chad Schumer as agent for $50,000 after she failed to sell at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale.
