<1> 2024: Ten Happy Rose and Jockey Tsumura
Ten Happy Rose and jockey Tsumura, winners of the 2024 Victoria Mile
Ranked 14th in a 15-horse field, Ten Happy Rose charged from behind to win. It was a stunning achievement: the horse’s first Grade 1 attempt in its 24th career start, and its first graded stakes victory happened to be at the top level.
For jockey Akihide Tsumura, in his 21st year of riding, it was also a long-awaited first JRA G1 victory. In the post-race interview, he thanked his wife and two sons for their support, and his comment that the three of them were watching a soccer game that day brought a warm mix of tears and laughter to the venue.
<2> 2007: Koiuta and Jockey Matsuoka
Koiuta and jockey Matsuoka, winners of the 2007 Victoria Mile
The 12th-pick Koiuta shot forward from sixth position to take the lead and win. Both the horse and jockey Masami Matsuoka secured their first JRA G1 title. Koiuta was making its 16th start, while Matsuoka was in his fifth year of racing.
In the race, Koiuta edged past the front-running 9th-pick Asahi Rising by half a length from the inside. The 8th-pick Daring Heart finished third, creating a massive upset with a trifecta payout of over 2.28 million yen.
<3> 2019: Normcore and Jockey Lane
Normcore and jockey Lane, winners of the 2019 Victoria Mile
The 5th-pick Normcore surged from midfield to win in a record time of 1:30.5, beating second-place Prima Scala by a neck to claim its first G1 victory.
For jockey Damian Lane, making his first partnership with Normcore, it was a delightful first JRA G1 win. He had arrived in Japan for the first time in April of that year, winning his first JRA graded stakes at the Niigata Daishoten (Mail de Grace) later that month. The day before the Victoria Mile, he also took the Keio Hai Spring Cup (Tower of London), making it a consecutive weekend of graded stakes victories.