Aerolithe boosts Arrowfield pedigrees

The growing relevance of Japanese Group 1 results for Australian stallions and pedigrees was nicely illustrated when 3YO filly Aerolithe won last Sunday’s Tokyo NHK Mile Cup 1600m G1.

The powerfully built grey filly is a daughter of Kurofune and the Neo Universe mare Asterix who has been based at Arrowfield since March 2015 as part of the Stud’s Jungle Pocket Joint Venture with Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm.

Mr Yoshida bought back the attractive Lord Kanaloa-Asterix filly at this year’s Magic Millions Sale, and the mare produced a Snitzel filly last Spring before conceiving to Redoute’s Choice.

However, that’s not Aerolithe’s only connection with Arrowfield. Asterix is also a half-sister to Star Isle, the dam of Japan’s 2016 Champion Sprinter & Miler Mikki Isle who joins the Arrowfield stallion roster this coming Spring.

He’s the standout male performer in a family noted for top-class females, including champion Japanese mare Diamond Biko, US Grade 1 winner Lilacs And Lace and brilliant four-time US Grade 1 winner Stella Madrid, third dam of both Aerolithe and Mikki Isle.

Bred by Northern Farm, Aerolithe is prepared by former jockey Takanori Kikuzawa for Sunday Racing and given she’s a Group 1 winner at only hr sixth start, she must be a good prospect for further major prizes during this Japanese season.