Tower Of London has been a superb flagbearer in Japan for his sire Raven’s Pass and on Saturday, 11 May, he added a second win at G2 level and third Group victory overall to his record when landing the Keio Hai Spring Cup at Tokyo.
Held up during the early stages of the seven-furlong contest, Tower Of London simply swept past his rivals once entering the straight and taking the lead inside the final furlong, kept on superbly to win by three quarters of a length. His time of 1:19.40 was a new course record.
Tower Of London won his first Group race over the same course and distance in November 2017 and was victorious in the G3 Arlington Cup at Hanshin last April. He was also third in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes at two.
Tower Of London is out of the multiple winner Snow Pine (Dalakhani), herself a three-parts sister to Stakes winner Lake Toya – dam of Dubawi’s G1-winning daughter Sobetsu. Snow Pine is also a half-sister to Listed winner Sixth Sense (Shamardal). They are from the family of multiple G1 winners Generous and Imagine.
Raven’s Pass sires an excellent 9% Stakes winners to runners, including last year’s G1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardere winner Royal Marine, plus Group-winning sprinter Raven’s Lady. He is now sire of seven Black Type performers in 2019, including yesterday’s G2 Huxley Stakes second, Matterhorn.
Raven’s Pass stands at Kildangan Stud at a fee of €10,000, Oct 1, SLF.
