Ridgemont Highlands’ Sandown Stud based champion Pathfork hails from one of the very best families in the stud book, and they continue to fire on all cylinders.
On Sunday, brilliant five-year-old Almond Eye – who, like Pathfork, is a descendant of the taproot mare Best In Show – made it Gr1 win number seven when she romped home to a clear-cut, and decisive, four length win in the Gr1 Victoria Mile run over a mile at Tokyo.
Top notch Almond Eye
Japan’s Horse Of The Year in 2018, Almond Eye (by Lord Kanaloa) has now won eight of just ten starts, with her triumphs also including the 2018 G1 Japan Cup and 2019 G1 Dubai Turf.
Winning jockey Christophe Lemaire said after the pair’s impressive win on Sunday, “I think she’s matured well, as she was relaxed from the paddock to the start of the race.I was able to position her in good position behind Sound Chiara and race her in her own rhythm without getting any pressure from the outside. She felt good during the race and displayed her powerful strides at the end. She’s a legend horse and will surely win more Group One races going forward.”
Almond Eye, one of just five fillies to sweep the Japanese Fillies’ Triple Crown, is out of the Sunday Silence mare Fusaichi Pandora, whose victories included a triumph in the 2006 Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup.
Fusaichi Pandora’s granddam is legendary broodmare Sex Appeal, dam of champions El Gran Senor and Try My Best as well as champion South African sire Northern Guest.
Winner of the Gr1 boylesports.com Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at two, the Distorted Humor sired Pathfork has had an excellent season in 2019-2020 thus far, with his notable representatives including the graded stakes winners Jet Start, Mighty High and Mr Flood.
Pathfork – a son of Distorted Humor
A half-brother to Gr1 Preakness Stakes winner War Of Will, Pathfork has five lots on offer at the 2020 National Yearling Sale.
