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As Christmas is drawing to a close, Kawasaki Racecourse hosted the high octane “White Christmas Show,” is probably the pinnacle of featuring grey horses at their best. In the horse racing world, it was more than the breathtaking flurry of competitions; it involved merrymaking and magic that came with the festive season. To Christmas fans, this phenomenon was a real present from Santa Claus as they looked at these magical rails, which refreshed memories of real winter and true Christmas.
Today’s race, spanning 1 mile and governed by A2B1 conditions with a minimum weight requirement of 121 lbs, unfolded with unexpected intrigue. Against all odds, a half-sibling to the G2 champion triumphed in a manner that defied all expectations, adding an element of surprise to the event.
The thrilling horse racing action
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World Horse Racing recently shared an enthralling post on X, highlighting an event at the Kawasaki racecourse. The post was captioned, “RIDICULOUS WIN. Japan’s all-greys race, the White Christmas Sho at Kawasaki, goes to INNER STEEL: A half-brother to G2 winner GAIA FORCE, check out how wayward he is from gate early! ”
RIDICULOUS WIN 😲😲😲
Japan's all-greys race, the White Christmas Sho at Kawasaki, goes to INNER STEEL 🎅🏼
A half-brother to G2 winner GAIA FORCE, check out how wayward he is from gate 4️⃣ early! 🩶#インナースティール | #ガイアフォース | #ホワイトクリスマス賞 | #競馬 pic.twitter.com/RFGuoJ3W8V
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) December 15, 2023
The race began with a strong start by all participants, notably #3 Joe Hirsch striving to break away from #5 Joy Luminous and #9 Tiny Power. As the race unfolded, #3 Joe Hirsch surged into the lead, closely pursued by #13 Ivana Glavas and #9 Tiny Power. Approaching the final corners, #4 Inner Steel made a significant move from behind, challenging Joe Hirsch for the top spot. In an exhilarating sprint to the finish line, Inner Steel, ridden by Naoki Machida, surged ahead and secured the victory, with Joe Hirsch finishing in second place and #14 Cosmo Ginga securing third.
This was a thrilling encounter between #3 Joe Hirsch, who was leading ahead of time but was overtaken by #4 Inner Steel closer to the finish line. Although Joe Hirsch made the first move, Inner Steel directed by Naoki Machida pulled over a vital trick just before the game elapsed and scored a win in an amazing finale. In this very tough race, Joe Hirsch came in second, while Cosmo Ginga finished third.
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Lineage of Inner Steel and GAIA Force
However, it’s worth noting that Inner Steel is the half-brother of GAIA Force, who is under the guidance of Trainer Haruki Sugiyama. Gaia Force, a 4-year-old of unknown sex, hails from the home track and sports a ‘b’ coloured coat. Born on January 1st, 2019, this promising horse descends from a lineage of racing prowess with Kitasan Black as its sire and Natale as its dam.
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Inner Steel and GAIA are siblings, sharing the same dam, Natale. Inner Steel, born on January 1st, 2020, is sired by Kurofune. Inner Steel is under the guidance of Trainer Katsuyoshi Uchida.
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