Champion sprinter and young Darley stallion Fine Needle added a first Croup winner to his record on Saturday 4 November when his unbeaten daughter Culture Day took the G3 Fantasy Stakes, run over seven furlongs on the turf at Kyoto.
The runners set off at a blistering pace and Culture Day was settled in fourth position. Once entering the home straight, she demonstrated an impressive turn of foot when asked to quicken and saw off all challengers to win by half a length.
Culture Day remains unbeaten, having broken her maiden at Kokura back in September.
Bred by Matsuda Bokujo, Culture Day is out of the multiple winner L’Artista, dam of six winners from six foals to race. The dam is herself a half-sister to G3 winner Sarastro, plus the dam of multiple Group winner and G1 performer Fine Rouge.
Fine Needle was an outstanding racehorse, winning all four of his starts (and all at Group level) during his sensational final season on the track.
He became the first sprinter in the history of the JRA to win four Group races in the same year, plus the first since Lord Kanaloa to complete the sprint double of the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen and G1 Sprinters Stakes double.
Fine Needle is also sire of fellow Stakes winner Cruzerio do Sul and G3-placed Sky Canvas.
