LOVES ONLY YOU ADDS A HONG KONG CUP TO HER ALREADY VERY IMPRESSIVE RACE RECORD

By Darren Winningham | Sunday, December 12, 2021

The $HK30 million Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup brought another win for the Japanese.

In fact, they quinellaed the race in what was a superb effort.

Loves Only You, a five-year-old mare, will now be sent to the breeding barn after a stirring win in the feature race. Trained by Yoshito Yahagi and ridden to perfection by Yuga Kawada, Loves Only You held off another Japanese runner Hishi Iguazu ridden by Joao Moreira.

Loves Only You finishes her career with a superb record of eight wins from only sixteen starts. She is truly an international superstar with wins in Japan, Hong Kong and in the Breeder’s Cup in the USA just last month.

Loves Only You had previously won the FWD Hong Kong QE11 Cup back in April. She will now retire undefeated in two Group 1 appearances in Hong Kong.

Loves Only You joined an elite club at Sha Tin with her victory by becoming the fifth horse to complete the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and Hong Kong Cup double in the same year after Jim And Tonic (1999), Vengeance Of Rain (2005), Designs On Rome (2014), and Win Bright (2019).

Kawada said after the race, “Thank you very much, I’m really proud. She jumped well but the pace was a bit slow. She relaxed well and then I was able to get a good position.

"She’s given me two big presents. She’s the best female horse I’ve ever ridden. I hope she will be a good mother.”

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