Iconic Japanese performer Lemon Pop, a son of Schumer Bloodstock purchase Unreachable, signed off his brilliant career for Godolphin with yet another Group 1 win on Sunday, this time in the Champions Cup at Chukyo.
Bidding to become only the second horse after Transcend to win back-to-back renewals of the contest, Lemon Pop made all under Ryusei Sakai, kicking clear at the top of the home straight before holding on for a game success.
Trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka, it was the 13 win in 18 starts for the Lemon Drop Kid horse, who now retires to take up stallion duties at Darley Japan. Last year’s Japanese Champion Dirt Horse, he was also successful in the Grade 1 February Stakes. He was honoured with a retirement ceremony following the Champions Cup card at Chukyo.
Harry Sweeney, President of Godolphin in Japan, said: “What a race! What a horse and what a way to go! The banner on our promotional material for his new career as a stallion next year says simply ‘Lemon Pop – Drink Him In!’. And that’s exactly what we should be doing as six-time winning Group 1 horses like him don’t come along very often. He has been a most consistent horse in Japan and has won 13 of his 16 starts and finished second in the other three. As happened last week in Tokyo with Auguste Rodin, the JRA will have a retirement ceremony for him directly after racing today. He absolutely deserves it.
“It is always a risky decision to keep a six-year-old colt in training and we are relieved that it has worked out so well. He added three G1 titles to his curriculum vitae this year and will retire to stud as one of the best dirt horses ever to race in the JRA. Kudos to all involved.”
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.
