Third favourite Mikki Queen sustained a furious stretch drive to capture the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) ion Tokyo on Sunday for her first graded triumph at her fifth career start.

After scoring her first win in her second outing last December, she went on to finish second in the G3 Queen Cup (1600m) in February and after missing out on a run in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) the Deep Impact filly secured her second win on the same day in the Wasurenagusa Sho (2000m).

With this Yushun Himba victory trainer Yasutoshi Ikee – best known as the trainer of champion Orfevre - recorded his 11th JRA G1 victory.

Jockey Suguru Hamanaka has partnered Mikki Queen in all of her starts with the Oaks his fifth JRA G1 victory.

Mikki Queen settled in a rearward position with Not Formal and Loaded leading the field of fillies inexperienced at the 2400m distance at a slow pace.

Turning for home Hamanaka made the most of a huge opening to move to fourth at the furlong pole where Mikki Queen dug in to nail Culminar and Rouge Buck in the final 50 meters for a three-quarter length win.

“I’m so happy she was able to demonstrate her ability. I especially concentrated on her break as she’s been struggling at it so far,” he said.

“I thought I would relax her to get her turn of foot in the stretch. She responded well and quickened so I just prayed for the best.”

Race favourite Rouge Buck cruised down the backstretch in sixth and three-wide, edged up to enter the straight fourth and fought to hold off the persistent Culminar only to be pinned by Mikki Queen in the final half furlong.

Oka Sho runner-up Culminar broke well from a wide stall and travelled three-wide and in mid-pack down the backstretch in front of Mikki Queen.

The sixth favorite steadily accelerated but was caught by the closing speed of the winner while unsuccessfully trying to tag Rouge Buck and finished third.

Oka Sho victor Let’s Go Donki hugged the rails in mid-division but lacked the staying power to fizzle to tenth.

The race was another classic triumph for champion sire Deep Impact as his daughters finished first, third, fifth and sixth. Fillies by Manhattan Cafe finished second and fourth.