Group 1 Victory For Mad Cool at Chukyo Japan
Mad Cool, a five-year-old Moyglare Stud-bred Dark Angel, who was exported to Japan having been sold to Katsumi Yoshida for €225,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale, landed his first Pattern Race when holding off Namura Clair by a head in a thrilling finish to the Gr.1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo yesterday. Owned by Sunday Racing Company Limited and trained by Manaubu Ikezoe, he tracked the pace-setting Hong Kong visitor Victor The Winner in this Gr.1 contest, which was run on yielding turf following persistent drizzle. Taking over in front when Victor The Winner ran wide on the home bend, he drew two lengths clear before just having enough in hand to hold off the runner-up’s late burst, with Victor The Winner keeping on well to secure third, three lengths a drift. This was a 12th career start and sixth win for Mad Cool. He suffered the agony of a nose defeat in the Gr.1 Sprinter Stakes in October, before a visit to Hong Kong saw him finish eighth, two and three-quarter lengths and four places behind Victor The Winner, in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Sprint.
His dam Mad About You has produced seven winners from her first seven foals after winning three times, including the Gr.3 Gladness Stakes, in a 15-race career for Moyglare Stud and trainer Dermot Weld. His grandam Irresistible Jewel also sported the famous black, white and red Moyglare silks and was housed at the Weld yard, registering a Gr.2 Ribblesdale Stakes success along with two other victories before producing four other winners, including another Weld/Moyglare Ribblesdale heroine Princess Highway, plus the Gr.1 Irish St Leger victor Royal Diamond.
Mad Cool is his sire Dark Angel’s 16th individual Group 1 winner.
