JAPAN: Gentildonna Horse of the Year For 2012

Monday, 14 January 2013: Champion filly Gentildonna has been named Japan's Horse of the Year for 2012.

The 2012 JRA Filly Triple Crown and Japan Cup winner also won Best Three-Year-Old Filly award.

Trained by Sei Ishizaka for the Sunday Racing Co. Ltd, won six of her seven starts in 2012 including the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), Shuka Sho and Japan Cup.

Gentildonna dominated the voting for the Horse of the Year award with 256 votes out of 289. St Leger and Arima Kinen winner Gold Ship (21), Arc runner-up Orfevre (11) and champion sprinter Lord Kanaloa (1) also polled votes from Selection Committee represented by journalists of various dailies and magazines.

2012 JRA Awards

Horse of the Year - Gentildonna
2YO Colt – Logotype
2YO Filly - Robe Tissage
3YO Colt - Gold Ship
3YO Filly – Gentildonna
Older Colt or Horse – Orfevre
Older Filly or Mare - Curren Chan
Sprinter/Miler - Lord Kanaloa
Best Dirt Horse - Nihonpiro Ours
Steeplechaser - Majesty Bio

TRAINERS & JOCKEYS

Best Trainer (races won): Katsuhiko Sumii (59 wins)
Best Trainer (winning average): Naosuke Sugai (0.1723%)
Best Trainer (money earned): Yasutoshi Ikee (1,951,971,200 Yen)
Best Trainer (training technique): Naosuke Sugai
Best Jockey (races won): Yasunari Iwata (135 wins)
Best Jockey (winning average): Norihiro Yokoyama (0.1794%; at least 250 rides are required)
Best Jockey (money earned): Yasunari Iwata (3,621,199,900 Yen)
Steeplechase Jockey: Shinya Kitazawa (13 wins)