Having been sired by the wonder-horse Frankel, Soul Stirring was always likely to be an above average performer on the turf.
Having been sired by the wonder-horse Frankel, Soul Stirring was always likely to be an above average performer on the turf.
The four-year-old, who is owned by the Shadai Race Horse Company Ltd and trained by Kazuo Fujisawa looked unbeatable at Tokyo Racecourse which was staged in May 2017, cruising to an impressive two-length victory in the classic.
Christophe Lemaire, who piloted her to victory that day, suggested that there was plenty more to come from this star who finished comfortably ahead of Mozu Katchan. Soul Stirring goes down in the history books for being the first two-year-old Grade 1 winner sired by the hugely popular Frankel and has now been crowned champion as a two and three-year-old. She previously claimed the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies event back in 2016 and although she is yet to be raced outside of her native Japan, she looks set to clock up the miles in 2018 with proposed trips to both Royal Ascot and November’s Breeders Cup. The filly was acknowledged at the Japanese Racing Association Annual Awards with one of the owners, Teruya Yoshida talking excitedly about some of the future ventures and possibilities which have been lined up for the impressive four-year-old. Frankel remains the highest-rated horse in the modern-era of the sport having been given a rating of 140 prior to his retirement in 2012 and many racing fans have been eagerly awaiting to see how the multiple Grade 1 winner’s offspring would fare in competitive fields. Soul Stirring’s dam is US Champion and French Classic winner Stacelita who enjoyed success in the Prix de Diane, La Coup and the Beverly D. Stakes and it’s little wonder that this horse is held in such high regard. The former Chad Brown inmate was to become a broodmare back in 2011 with accumulated career earnings of $2,371,241. Soul Stirring could follow in her dam’s footsteps and compete at the Breeders Cup in 2018 although a number of opportunities are likely to present themselves prior to the November event which is set to return to Churchill Downs this year. The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is a possible destination with the ante-post betting having priced the Japanese Oaks winner up at 33/1 for the race.
