Leading Australian jockey Rachel King is no stranger to Group I success, but achieved a first in Japan on Sunday in becoming the first woman to ride a G1 winner on the JRA circuit when steering Costa Nova to victory in the February Stakes (1600m) on the dirt.
The Torryburn stud team, watching as they always do when their ‘plain bay fellow’ races, would have had a gasp or two mid race but it ended up as easy as it comes with Voyage Bubble making it three Group I wins from his last three starts in the Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.