Horse racing - Frankel-sired Soul Stirring wins Japanese Oaks

The three-year-old, whose mother is multiple Group 1-winning mare Stacelita, became Frankel's first top level race winner from his first crop of offspring when she claimed the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies G1 last year.

British-trained colt Frankel, who retired unbeaten in 2012 after winning 14 races, is the highest-rated horse in the modern era.

Owned and bred by Khalid Abdullah and trained by Henry Cecil, Frankel, who accumulated almost three million pounds in prize money, was awarded a final mark of 140 in the World Thoroughbred Rankings in January 2013.

Soul Stirring finished in two minutes, 24.1 seconds over 2,400 metres, almost two lengths clear of Mozu Katchan.

"She always starts well so we managed to get in good position. She settled during the trip and found our space coming around the last turn. She never let up even on the long straight here," jockey Christophe Lemaire was quoted as saying by Kyodo.

"I'm excited for the fall with Soul Stirring. She's definitely capable of winning many more G1 titles."

(Writing by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien)