Multiple Grade 1 winner looking to bounce back in Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Trainer Haruki Sugiyama is confident multiple Grade 1 winner Daring Tact (Epiphaneia) can bounce back from a brace of defeats in the Japan Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) and Kinko Sho (Gr 2, 2000m) and return to winning ways in the Queen Elizabeth Cup II (Gr 1, 2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. 

A winner of the Japanese fillies triple crown in 2020, Daring Tact was handed her first defeat of her career came when being beaten by Almond Eye (Lord Kanaloa) in the Japan Cup on her final start of her three-year-old career, while she resumed with a second place finish in Kinko Sho on March 14.

“The most important thing is how she performs – if she shows the top of her ability this weekend, I am – as well as my team – confident that she is the best horse in the field, said Sugiyama. 

“But I know all the other runners in this kind of race are tough to beat so I am just trying to concentrate on how we can improve her before this weekend.”

Daring Tact cantered a lap on the dirt track on Tuesday morning (20 April) under regular jockey Kohei Matsuyama, who Sugiyama views as a calming influence on the occasionally volatile filly.

“Last start, the excuse was mostly the ground condition. I am 100 percent confident Matsuyama knows this horse better than any other rider in the world. It is a clear and easy decision to put Matsuyama on her in this race,” Sugiyama said.

“He is keeping good harmony with the filly – so if I relax and the filly relaxes, probably the best result will come to us. Pace at the moment is not a great concern for me.

“My filly is special in her ability. She is a very good filly to train.”