There are so many lessons in Japan's accession as a dominant influence on the 21st Century Thoroughbred, a trend that even the most obtuse and parochial of us cannot fail to observe, that it's difficult to know where to start.

When, for instance, will those industries clinging to a historic presumption of superiority–either side of the Atlantic–acknowledge what's happening sufficiently to reverse the traffic and start importing Japanese racehorses to stand on their own farms? Not for a while yet, you suspect, given that you would need to be confident of commercial demand to make the necessary investment viable. And for now it seems an adequate challenge to get traction even for those few representatives of Japanese bloodlines to have at least showcased their wares before a domestic audience.

But it's not as though this latest tour de force–featuring winners of the biggest prize on both surfaces at Meydan, as well as the first four in the G2 UAE Derby–was founded simply in stallion trade. The Japanese have certainly embraced many sires renounced as uncommercial by breeders in Kentucky and Europe. But that investment has been consistent with a holistic strategy, embracing the right mares, the right land, the right horsemanship.

Obviously the Japanese have enjoyed advantages, in terms of colossal gambling and government engagement. But all these unmissable moments of vindication, as in Riyadh last month or at the 2021 Breeders' Cup, have completed patient years of groundwork, during which Japan was sometimes viewed as a convenient, nearly gullible receptacle for the cashing out of unwanted genetic goods.

As commercial breeding elsewhere has become ever more focused on the sales ring, the Japanese meanwhile persevered with a longer game. Selection was predicated on the kind of assets, like stamina and durability, that are treated with something between dread and derision in other markets. But now we see the results.

Certainly nobody can remain deceived that this has all happened because of a single, game-changing roll of the dice on Sunday Silence. And if Japan did not get here overnight, nor can those industries now being challenged expect to retrieve the situation other than by patient increments.

Let's take G1 Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) as a snapshot. He is, admittedly, by a grandson of Sunday Silence. But the dam of Orfevre (Jpn) is by a sire, Mejiro McQueen (Jpn), who not only represents the fourth generation of a sire-line transplanted by the arrival from Europe of Partholon (Ire) in 1963, but also extends an indigenous maternal line through eight generations of Japanese mares to one foaled as long ago as 1909.

Partholon, by the way, ended up as Japan's champion sire on three occasions, having won the Ebor H. at York, over 14 furlongs as a 3-year-old. The die was cast. Because if we're going to give due credit to the bottom line, then here's a question that I should like to ask any American breeder mating a mare this spring.

Say the resulting foal becomes champion sophomore or maybe, instead, he could win the second richest race on the planet. Either would sound pretty good, right? Well, what do the last two horses to reach this pinnacle of dirt racing, Epicenter (Not This Time) and Ushba Tesoro, have in common?

The answer is that the third dam of both is a daughter of Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire), one of the most redoubtable stamina influences in the recent history of European grass racing. Ela-Mana-Mou's two best-known sons were Double Trigger (Ire), who swept the Cup races in Britain including the G1 Ascot Gold Cup at 20 furlongs, and Snurge (Ire), whose Classic success came over 14 in the G1 St Leger.

Now, I'm not suggesting for a moment that this single, attenuating strand specifically accounts for the excellence of Epicenter and Ushba Tesoro over two turns of dirt. But what I do believe is that this forgotten horse–virtually unknown in Kentucky, presumably, beyond its substantial community of emigre horsemen of a certain age–is typical of the overall “branding” today enabling Japanese runners to carry their speed so unanswerably.

Look at Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who switched from turf to win the world's richest prize in Riyadh last month. Hardly anything in his pedigree indicated a likely proficiency on dirt, but it is saturated (sprinting sire notwithstanding) with toughness and stamina. His first two dams are by Montjeu (Ire) and High Estate (Ire). One has had a record impact at Epsom, the other was by a Derby winner and sired one himself. The next dam was admittedly by a sprinter, but out of a mare by another undiluted source of staying power in dual Arc winner Alleged.

This kind of thing is not confined to the Japanese, of course. The World Cup runner-up Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal) admittedly represents a versatile sire-line, but there are deep wells of stamina in his pedigree. His dam is by Platini (Ger) (Sumuru {Ger}), a horse that once outstayed even Ela-Mana-Mou's son Snurge. (And Shamardal himself requires us to reflect how his dam's half-brother Street Cry {Ire} became a Classic influence on dirt, as they are out of an G1 Irish Oaks (12f) winner by the ardent stayer Troy {GB}).

Certainly Ushba Tesoro himself is laden with staying influences. His sire Orfevre is a Japanese St Leger winner (15f) by Stay Gold–another son of Sunday Silence who majored in soundness (still showing top-class form at seven) and stamina (stayed two miles). And his dam is by King Kamehameha (Jpn), whose fertility as a source of brilliance was hardly impaired by his Classic success over 12 furlongs. She was out of one of the more accomplished runners (couple of graded stakes wins on turf after export to Bobby Frankel) by Septieme Ciel, a generally disappointing stallion by Seattle Slew. Ela-Mana-Mou then enters the picture as a mate for a daughter of the imported Argentinian sire Pronto (Arg).

We should not be surprised, then, if the Ela-Mana-Mou mare who features as Epicenter's third dam should be out of a daughter of Busted (GB), whose two best sons Bustino (GB) and Mtoto (GB) both sired winners of the G1 Ascot Gold Cup over 2 1/2 miles. (Nor, if anyone is inclined to complacency in a commercial industry that can produce Flightline, should we neglect that the champion's second dam is by Roberto's son Dynaformer, while his sire's granddam is by Nijinsky).

More predictably, perhaps, similar motifs occur just as prominently behind Equinox, sensational winner of the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic. His sire Kitasan Black (Jpn), a grandson of Sunday Silence, twice won a Grade 1 over two miles; while his damsire King Halo (Jpn) (out of a mare by Sunday Silence's sire Halo) is by Dancing Brave, one of the all-time European greats yet soon written off to Japan as a stallion. Equinox's granddam is herself by a rejected Arc winner in Tony Bin (Ire), while the next dam is by a dual winner of the race in Alleged.

We just found Alleged, remember, lurking behind Panthalassa as well. And while his own background–by Hoist The Flag/inbred 3×4 to War Admiral–may take us into the mists of time, it also takes us right to the crux of the matter. Because dirt racing is about carrying speed, and that is itself a form of stamina.

Interestingly Tony Bin also provides the second dam of UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake, who must be getting his stamina from the bottom side as a son of the imported American sprinter Mind Your Biscuits. Derma Sotogake's damsire is Sunday Silence's son Neo Universe, a Japanese Derby winner beaten a length in the 15-furlong St Leger. The way he destroyed his pursuers last Saturday permits no doubt that Derma Sotogake has the maternal wherewithal to carry his sire's speed and–setting aside last year's farcical tactics from the two UAE Derby graduates–nobody should be complacent that the GI Kentucky Derby itself can be secure from Japan's expanding hegemony.

Evidently there is no guarantee that Equinox will be given the chance to slake a rather longer thirst in the Arc, which is a pity given the Longchamp winners seeding his family, not to mention the fact that his own sire contributed two of Japan's serial near-misses in the race.

But just imagine what would happen if the Japanese suddenly felt sorry for the industries they compete with, and donated Equinox to Kentucky or Britain. Would the commercial breeders of the Bluegrass, anxious to catch the eye of an Ocala pinhooker, come flocking? With his background, I doubt it. What, equally, would Nathaniel (Ire) tell Equinox about the kind of harem a proven Classic influence can expect in Britain? (That's the same Nathaniel who added the latest Epsom Derby winner to a resume already including Enable (GB), yet is still only charging £15,000 and increasingly relying on jumps mares).

And there's your answer, really. If we want to recover the ground lost to Japan, then we need to understand just what these rampant Japanese racehorses are digging into: seam after seam of soundness and stamina. Of course they need brilliance too. That's where the whole skill of breeding comes in, maintaining that cutting edge of speed. Yet one after another of these horses have been sired, not by recent imports, but by horses that have been developed in the Japanese program, many of them holding their form year after year, generally on turf and over what many would consider appalling distances.

Yes, we must reiterate the shrewd selection of mare imports over the years. The $750,000 paid for Ushba Tesoro's granddam, for instance, doubtless owed little to her sire Septieme Ciel and rather more to the fact that had managed to add more black-type to the famous Claiborne clan of her fourth dam Bourtai.

But what kind of reception, honestly, would Deep Impact (Jpn) himself have had in Lexington, as a winner over two miles? American breeders didn't want his sire, but did they ever learn that lesson?

At least commercial breeding in Kentucky still aspires to a second turn on the first Saturday in May. But while I'm always recommending dirt sires as a way–and a proven way–to transfer a speed-carrying capacity to European Classic racing, the Japanese are meanwhile reminding us that the reverse also applies: that there's nothing like grass stamina to help keep up the gallop on dirt.

As I acknowledged at the outset, it would be commercially difficult to export an elite runner from Japan to stand in Europe or America. But now that they are taking their excellence onto a global stage, perhaps that kind of gamble may gradually start to inch a little closer.

In the meantime, only a few horses have had the chance to introduce Japanese blood to domestic racing theaters elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, the most promising experiment to date is the work of John Magnier and his partners in Coolmore, who outcrossed one of their many top-class daughters of Galileo (Ire) to Deep Impact (Jpn) and produced Classic winner Saxon Warrior (Ire)–whose debut crop includes GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf scorer Victoria Road (Ire). Saxon Warrior's fee this spring is up to €35,000 from €20,000, and the same operation is now hoping to repeat the process with Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The strong favorite for the Epsom Derby is similarly out of a high-class Galileo (Ire) mare, and actually won the same juvenile Group 1 as Saxon Warrior last fall.

Not many people, however, have either the resources or the imagination to emulate this kind of thing. As things stand, a Japanese sire-line entered the North American general sires' list in 2022 only at No. 92 through Silent Name (Jpn), who offers Ontario a direct conduit to Sunday Silence. And we do also have Yoshida (Jpn), a grandson of Sunday Silence, about to launch his first juveniles. His Grade I wins on both turf and dirt were due reward for the rare enterprise shown by WinStar in importing a Japanese yearling to race in the U.S.

Sunday Silence's son Hat Trick (Jpn) was a noble earlier experiment, and Gainesway bought into the project after he pulled Group 1-winning juvenile Dabirsim (Fr) out of his hat as a freshman. (The same farm, to its credit, evidently also liked the fact that Karakontie (Jpn) is out of a Sunday Silence mare.)

Unfortunately Hat Trick dwindled to 19 mares at $5,000 in his final spring in Kentucky, before ending his days in Brazil. Dabirsim did meanwhile produce Royal Ascot winner Different League (Fr), an €8,000 weanling who advanced her value two years later to 1,500,000gns. That sum, incidentally, was ventured by another far-sighted Coolmore partnership, co-signed by M.V. Magnier and White Birch Farm.

Obviously it was always unlikely that such rare samples of Japanese blood should happen to prove as potent as the best of their gene pool. But who knows? Perhaps we will gradually learn a little humility. Perhaps we can admit to ourselves that, where Japan has strengthened over the past couple of generations, is precisely where we have allowed things to slide.

As always, there's an ultimate consolation to the way this business functions. But eventually the people with the daring and the imagination to take a harder path, and heeding Japan's example, will be waiting for your horse on the racetrack.

We're all being taught a pretty deafening lesson here. That doesn't mean many people are necessarily going to pay attention, even if the Japanese now plunder the Kentucky Derby itself. But it'll be pretty obvious, in a few years' time, just who was listening, and taking notes, before going away to complete their homework.

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The 6-year-old, the final World Cup ride for jockey Frankie Dettori, won the GII San Antonio S. in dominating fashion in late December at Santa Anita and returned to Riyadh last time to reprise his runner-up effort from last year in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup four weeks back. The task at hand certainly wasn't made any easier by the draw, but connections were taking it all in their stride.

“We'll leave it up to Frankie and he'll get us around there,” said Jimmy Barnes, assistant to trainer Bob Baffert, who owns four World Cup trophies. “The horse came over from Saudi in good shape. He's looking awesome.”

His last three trips to the Gulf region have netted Country Grammer the better part of $14 million and a victory this weekend would make him the richest racehorse of all time.

The horse that beat him in Saudi last time from the rail, Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) drew the 15 hole, soliciting a collective gasp among those in attendance. While it is true that the gameplan remains the same regardless of the barrier, significantly, the Saudi Cup is contested over a one-turn nine-furlong trip. Conversely, the 2000-metre World Cup begins near the wire and has an abbreviated run to the first turn. There will be little margin of error for jockey Yutaka Yoshida, though he broke beautifully from gate one last time.

“Even if he misses the jump, he still has to go forward, so it's really no concern,” trainer Yoshito Yahagi said of last year's G1 Dubai Turf dead-heater. “We have only one tactic with him so it doesn't change. He won the Dubai Turf last year so we know he loves it here, all is good.”

With the focus on the defending champ as well as the eight-strong entry from Japan, Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal) feels like a somewhat forgotten horse going into the weekend despite tough-trip blowout victories in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 and R2. He also drew awkwardly in gate 13.

“It is a battle between some great horses and I hope we can win it,” said Algiers's young owner Hamdan Sultan Ali Alsabouli. “Gate 13 is fine but I was hoping to get five or six.”

Co-trainer Simon Crisford added, “He has drawn wide in both prep runs and so it's no real concern.”

Salute the Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus}) returned to his best form last time to take out the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 over the World Cup course and distance on Super Saturday for a second time in three years, besting Bendoog (Gun Runner) by two lengths. The pair drew gates four and seven, respectively.

“I might look happy but I'll be happier once the race is over!” said Bahraini conditioner Fawzi Nass. “He is well named, he is an absolute soldier. If we've got any tactics from this gate, I won't be telling you!”

Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) looks to become just the second horse to complete the G2 UAE Derby/World Cup double and figures to be ridden for pace by Australian jockey Damian Lane from a double-digit alley.

“We're not upset at all,” said Masafumi Matsuda, assistant trainer to Koichi Shintani. “After the race, we will be hopeful that stall number 12 will be the lucky one for us. We will go over the tactics with the jockey, but Crown Pride absolutely loves Dubai, so we hope it will be lucky for us.”

The World Cup is the last of the five Group 1s on the program, all of which were drawn Wednesday as well. Post time for the World Cup is 8:35 p.m. Owing to Ramadan, no post-race pyrotechnics or concert will take place. Live coverage of the Dubai World Cup airs on FS2 beginning at noon EST on Saturday. The Dubai World Cup undercard will be live on FS2 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST.

Saturday, Meydan, UAE, post time: 8:35 p.m. ET
DUBAI WORLD CUP SPONSORED  BY EMIRATES AIRLINE-G1, $12,000,000, 3yo/up, 2000m
1 (13) Algiers (Ire) (Shamardal)
2 (7) Bendoog (Gun Runner)
3 (10) Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah)
4 (14) Country Grammer (Tonalist)
5 (12) Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn})
6 (2) Emblem Road (Quality Road)
7 (9) Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong)
8 (3) Jun Light Bolt (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn})
9 (15) Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn})
10 (1) Remorse (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})
11 (4) Salute the Soldier (Ger) (Sepoy {Aus})
12 (11) Super Corinto (Arg) (Super Saver)
13 (6) T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister)
14 (8) Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn})
15 (5) Vela Azul (Jpn) (Eishin Flash {Jpn})

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The 6-year-old is one of 13 in the field for the $12-million centerpiece of the meeting, including no fewer than eight runners from Japan topped by Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who registered a half-length defeat of Country Grammer in the G1 Saudi Cup last month. Emblem Road (Quality Road), who upset Country Grammer in the 2022 Saudi Cup, is set to make the trip over from Riyadh.

In terms of numbers, the U.S. supplies five of the 13 likely starters the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, whose defending American-bred champion Switzerland (Speightstown) is also engaged. Gunite (Gun Runner) gave an excellent account of himself when making his seasonal debut in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, finishing runner-up to champion Elite Power (Curlin), while the in-form Sibelius (Not This Time) ships in for Midlantic-based conditioner Jerry O'Dwyer and will be ridden by Ryan Moore. Hopkins (Quality Road), a latest winner of the GIII Palos Verdes S., also represents the Bob Baffert barn, while C Z Rocket (City Zip) was a late addition to the field. Super Ocho (Chi) (Dubai Sky) is one of two World Cup night entries for trainer Amador Sanchez, who also sends out Gulfstream allowance winner Super Corinto (Arg) (Super Saver) in the G2 Godolphin Mile.

The G2 UAE Derby is the first race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby that offers the winner 100 points, and three American-based sophomores are in the mix. Two of those wintered in Dubai for Doug O'Neill, namely Tall Boy (Lookin At Lucky), fourth to Practical Move (Practical Joke) in last year's GII Los Alamitos Futurity, who handed Charles Fipke's Shirl's Bee (Bee Jersey) a one-length loss in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas over a mile Feb. 10. Ah Jeez, a son of 2018 UAE Derby romper Mendelssohn, earned his way into the field with a 2 1/4-length allowance victory going seven furlongs at Meydan Feb. 24. Worcester (Empire Maker) is a third World Cup night runner for Baffert and most recently rounded out the trifecta in the Feb. 4 GIII Robert B. Lewis S.

Extravagant Kid (Kiss the Kid) won the 2021 G1 Al Quoz Sprint for Brendan Walsh and the conditioner is represented in this year's running by 'TDN Rising Star' Cazadero (Street Sense).

The last of the North American-based entries is Fipke's Grade I-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight (Speightstown), who runs in the G1 Dubai Turf after finishing ninth behind Golden Shaheen entrant Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) in the G1 February S. on the dirt at Tokyo Feb. 19.

COUNTRY GRAMMER's regular pilot Umberto gave the keys to Antonio Fresu and watched on for his pre World Cup breeze at Meydan this morning .Moved like a Stealth fighter- low flyin' ,quiet and fast . pic.twitter.com/mVO99XsKyv

— John Nicholls (@JohnNico49) March 13, 2023

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Of all the results possible in the big race, a Japanese victory would have been right up there as the most desirable for a relatively new fixture on the international racing circuit, as extravagant the prize-money may be.

Nobody understands this better than the County Tipperary native who swapped managing Naas racecourse for his current role as the Racing Advisor to the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia a little over four years ago.

Ryan and his team have worked tirelessly to provide the Saudi Cup fixture with a foothold on the international programme in that time and, along with Panthalassa's Saudi Cup win that spearheaded a Japanese-trained treble on the evening, the victory of Breeders' Cup winner Elite Power (Curlin) and a local success in the Saudi Derby all helped point to the fact that such status is being secured.

“We're in year four now and it's hard to believe that it's been four years since I left Naas racecourse to come out here,” a wide-eyed Ryan said after racing on Saturday.

“Tonight's result gives us a global spread–America won the Saudi Cup in year one, England in year two, the Middle East last year and now Japan. It gives the event an unbelievable spread.”

He added, “I am also delighted for Juddmonte to get their winner [Elite Power in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint ] as they've tried very hard to. I felt very bad about the fact that Mandaloun (Into Mischief) got delayed going back home to America last year after running in the Saudi Cup. Obviously that was out of our control but I was very happy to see Elite Power winning for them tonight.

“On the whole, the event has been fantastic and the enthusiasm for racing in Saudi Arabia is exploding. Our job now is to harness that and hopefully give them a platform for it.”

The progress that has been made in a short space of time can largely be put down to the huge confidence trainers and jockeys have had in the racing surface at Riyadh racecourse, particularly on the dirt track, which was evident when Frankie Dettori described it as 'one of the best in the world' at a press conference on Thursday.

That, along with a developing programme and colossal prize-money, has provided enough of a carrot for the international runners to take up the challenge. A number of those box office names helped make this year's meeting one to remember.

Ryan said, “We've been very well-supported from the outset. The Saudi Cup is the most important race on the card but we had a Breeders' Cup sprint winner here today and the Turf Sprint is a Group 1 in all but name. That race started out as a bit of a play thing at 1,351 metres and now it's a Group 3 but, the quality of field it is attracting, it could be a Group 1.”

He added, “The track was always our core asset–the dirt track in particular. We took a chance here in developing the turf track on the inside and that has matured beautifully. From that point of view, the international riders have been happy from day one to endorse the dirt track as possibly the best in the world. We added the turf track and took a chance that first year with an expansive race programme.”

Whether it was races for Arabian-breds, contests confined to runners who were bred locally, sprints, marathons and everything in between, you name it, there was a race for it in Riyadh. Not only that, chances were that there was a pretty lucrative purse up for grabs as well. Take for example the fact there was an Arabian race on dirt worth $1 million on Friday while Saturday's Group 1 Classic on turf was run for $2 million. Staggering stuff.

A local expert told Nick Luck that one of the main reasons why people follow Arabian racing is that the majority of the runners are seasoned campaigners that tend to be kept in training that bit longer. The Gulf's answer to jumps racing back home in Britain and Ireland if you like. Given the average age for Saturday's 12-runner Group 1 was six, it was hard to disagree with that logic.

However, what our expert failed to tell us about Arabian-breds is that they are flighty little buggers. Just ask the stalls handler who had his leg broken by one of the runners on Friday.

None of the Japanese-trained horses were reported to have wreaked such havoc this week but Panthalassa did win the Saudi Cup as a 6-year-old and that could go some way to explaining the growing affection and association that fans from that part of the world have built up with him.

Not only that, but his stablemate Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) won the 1351 Turf Sprint as a 5-year-old while Japan's third winner of the evening, the Yasutoshi Ikee-trained Silver Sonic (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), took out the G3 Red Sea Turf H. at the grand old age of seven.

Yoshito Yahagi | Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia

If it's not the horses that send the Japanese racing fans wild, perhaps it's the great characters associated with the game, and they don't come much better than the Saudi Cup-winning trainer Yoshito Yahagi.

Just about the only man who could pull off a grey suit bedecked with a red and white-striped tie and topped off with a bright purple hat, Yahagi let everyone in on the secret behind his hat-wearing habits after Panthalassa's triumph.

“When I started training, nobody knew who I was. That way, how people came to recognise me, was when I started wearing hats. Today, I wore the same hat that I wore to the Breeders' Cup. I have 200 to 300 hats.”

Long gone are the days where Yahagi needs to wear an illuminous hat to get himself recognised. His achievements speak volumes. Similarly, the Saudi Cup has now become a recognised event, and Ryan says that it is here to stay.

“When you think about it, we started in April 2019 with one race and now we have ended up with a two-day festival with people coming from all over the world. Even look at that jockeys' challenge yesterday, that is turning into a proper test–dirt, turf, sprint and middle-distance races–and we have jockeys begging us to get into it. It's become a real spectacle.

“It was great that the locals got a winner. We always felt that the Saudi Derby was probably the race that they could grab a hold of and win. There are just plenty of positives to take from the two days and there was a huge crowd again here tonight. It's really positive.”

He added, “You see the guys here who are so active in the horses-in-training sales back home, in particular looking for those dirt types, and it's very easy to see what pedigrees go on it. For the horses who have been imported, it does take them a little bit of time to acclimatise, we have seen that, but a bit of patience goes a long way.”

Hapipi Go Lucky (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) is one such graduate. A winner for Johnny Murtagh when trained in Ireland, she was sourced at the Tattersalls Horses-In-Training Sale in 2011 for just 11,000gns, but landed a $400,000 handicap for her new connections on Friday.

Such success can only be a benefit to the local owners and trainers, who will doubtlessly feel they have a chance to get in on the action in the coming years. But it's the Panthalassas, Elite Powers and the Country Grammers of this world that will help drive the Saudi Cup's status as a global event, and Ryan has put together a team with a track record of delivering the goods.

“It started from year one–we put the horse at the very centre of our efforts. The trust with the horse and then hopefully the people will follow. A mention for Emer Fallon, a fellow Irish native, she does amazing work with the trainers, who all know her. The jockeys get on great with her as well. She follows the form on a global level and she's really the one who sets the tone for all of this and we just rally around her in terms of the conversations that need to be had to attract people to the meeting.”

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Following Wednesday's post position draw, Yahagi declared himself pleased enough with having been assigned the one hole, saying simply, 'gotta go.' And jockey Yutaka Yoshida followed the script to a 'T', kicking the entire straight into the lead, as G1 Satsuki Sho hero Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong), an unknown commodity on the dirt, raced closest in attendance to the pace, while 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) was pulled out wide to stalk that pair. Traveling like a seasoned main-track horse while racing a few paths off the rail into the turn, Panthalassa skipped along comfortably and hit the quarter pole with a clear advantage over Geoglyph. By this stage, Taiba had hoisted the white flag, and at one point with about a quarter mile to the finish, the top four spots were occupied by the Japanese. Geoglyph boxed on very gamely and dual G1 February S. hero Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) loomed a brief threat between rivals after being steered down the inside 800 metres out by Joao Moreira, but Panthalassa kept finding and was home narrowly best.

Country Grammer (Tonalist) was trapped out about five wide for much of the journey, and he looked to be struggling beneath Frankie Dettori as the field hit the final three furlongs. But in a manner similar to last year's G1 Dubai World Cup, he found his second wind and rattled home down the centre  of the track to set him up beautifully for a return trip to Meydan next month. He was also second to Emblem Road (Quality Road) in last year's race.

“At the top of the straight, I thought, 'Oh god, I'm going to finish sixth' but he just has too much heart,” Dettori said. “He wants a mile and a quarter [2000m]. Super result.”

Cafe Pharoah edged Geoglyph for third, completing a 6-year-old trifecta, while Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) made for a 1-3-4-5 finish for Japan. These winning connections also celebrated the 1351 Turf Sprint with Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}).

“Mr Yahagi said to me to ride my race and I would get a good result,” commented the 47-year-old Yoshida, who was in the saddle for Panthalassa's dead-heat victory in last year's G1 Dubai Turf. “So, I didn't think about the surface. I just rode my race and thought if he adapts to the track, it would be all right. Of course, they were coming for me in the straight, but Panthalassa always found another gear and so I kept riding. It is an unforgettable moment and I am very happy to have ridden the winner.”

Yahagi added: “I really can't believe it. I don't know if it is real at the moment. I think I was correct that my feeling was right that he could handle the dirt. You know this is not easy. Japanese racing tries everything to improve and develop. Japanese horse racing has become more international. Of course, this is the best feeling as the prize-money is the best!”

Yahagi's international conquests are now well-documented, but bear repeating. Having sent out Deep Brillante (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to win the 2012 G1 Tokyo Yushun at home, Yahagi saddled Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to victory in the 2016 Dubai Turf. In 2019, Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) gave the stable a memorable success in the G1 Cox Plate in Melbourne, while in 2021, Real Steel's full-sister Loves Only You (Jpn) won a pair of Group 1s in Hong Kong and was one of two landmark winners for Yahagi and Japan at that year's Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar. At last year's Saudi Cup meeting, he added the G3 Longines Red Sea H. with Stay Foolish (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), who would go on to take the G2 Dubai Gold Cup four weeks later in Dubai, one of three winners on the evening for Yahagi.

Victorious in the G2 Nakayama Kinen last February as a springboard to the Dubai Turf, Panthalassa found Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and–likely–the 11 furlongs of the G1 Takarazuka Kinen a task too tall, finishing 11th in that June 26 test. Outgamed by the flashy Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) in August's G2 Sapporo Kinen over 2000 metres, the bay opened a lead of as many as 15 lengths in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Toyko Oct. 30 and fought on bravely into deep stretch before being reeled in by eventual Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}). A well-bet 24-5 in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup in December, he failed to produce anything close to his best and finished well down the field.

Pedigree Notes:

Panthalassa's Saudi Cup is yet another feather in the cap of the outstanding Lord Kanaloa, who has sired Group 1 winners over sprint trips (Danon Smash {Jpn}, Tagaloa {Aus}), going a mile (Stelvio {Jpn}, Danon Scorpion {Jpn}) and Classic winners (Horse of the Year and Filly Triple Crown heroine Almond Eye {Jpn} and Saturnalia {Jpn}) from just six crops of racing age. Panthalassa is the stallion's first Group 1 winner on dirt.

Panthalassa is one of five winners from eight to the races for his dam, a 50,000gns purchase by the BBA Ireland at Tattersalls October in 2003 who was twice third from seven trips to the races in Japan as a 3-year-old before being retired. Miss Pemberley, whose female family includes the likes of Croco Rouge (Ire) and Alidiva (Ire), has a 2-year-old colt by Kizuna (Jpn) and her last listed produce is a yearling colt by Rey de Oro (Jpn), a Tokyo Yushun-winning son of Lord Kanaloa's late sire King Kamehameha (Jpn).

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
SAUDI CUP-G1, $20,000,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-25, 4yo/up, 1800m, 1:50.80, ft.
1–PANTHALASSA (JPN), 126, h, 6, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
1st Dam: Miss Pemberley (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire)
2nd Dam: Stitching (Ire), by High Estate (Ire)
3rd Dam: Itching (Ire), by Thatching (Ire)
O-Hiroo Race Co Ltd; B-PANGLOSS Y K, Toshihiro Hirosaki et al; T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Yutaka Yoshida; $10,000,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, MGSW & G1SP-Jpn, 25-7-6-0, $14,418,903. *1/2 to Etendard (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), GSP-Jpn, $770,677; and Dimension (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), MGSP-Jpn, $1,030,766. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
2–Country Grammer, 126, h, 6, Tonalist–Arabian Song, by Forestry. ($60,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $450,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR; $110,000 HRA '21 KEEJAN). O-Zedan Racing Stables, WinStar Farm & Commonwealth Thoroughbreds; B-Scott & Debbie Pierce (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Frankie Dettori; $3,500,000.
3–Cafe Pharoah, 126, h, 6, American Pharoah–Mary's Follies, by More Than Ready. ($475,000 2yo '19 OBSMAR). O-Koichi Nishikawa; B-Paul P Pompa (KY); T-Noriyuki Hori; J-Joao Moreira; $2,000,000.
Margins: 3/4, HF, HD. Odds: 15-1, 7-2, 14-1.
Also Ran: Geoglyph (Jpn), Crown Pride (Jpn), Emblem Road, Jun Light Bolt (Jpn), Taiba, Remorse (Ire), Lagertha Rhyme (Ire), Vin de Garde (Jpn), Sunset Flash (Ire), Scotland Yard.

The post Panthalassa A First Saudi Cup Winner for Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Zedan Racing's Country Grammer (Tonalist) is back for another tour of the Middle East, having missed by a half-length in this event 12 months ago before landing the G1 Dubai World Cup some 600 miles to the east in Dubai. In stark contrast to 2022, the 6-year-old, who will carry the Zedan colors, enters the Saudi Cup with a tightener under his belt, as he proved a convincing winner of the GII San Antonio S. at Santa Anita Dec. 26 when reunited with World Cup-winning rider Frankie Dettori. The retiring Italian will be back in the saddle from stall 10 Saturday.

Trainer Bob Baffert's second runner is Zedan's wholly owned 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner), who will be ridden from gate two by Mike Smith, just to the outside of Japanese speedball Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and inside of last year's G2 UAE Derby hero Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}), who will once again have the services of Australia's Damian Lane. Taiba also last raced Dec. 26, streaking clear late to prove a much-the-best winner of the GI Runhappy Malibu S. He returns to the nine-furlong trip over which he scored in last year's GI Santa Anita Derby and GI Pennsylvania Derby.

The two commonly owned sons of Quality Road were the last two to be allotted their barriers, as the very progressive Scotland Yard drew the four, while defending champion Emblem Road was left with gate eight. Both enter the Cup on the heels of victories, and in the case of Emblem Road, a good-looking success in his first appearance since finishing well-beaten in his turf debut in the G3 Grand Prix de Vichy in July.

Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) passed on a three-peat attempt in the G1 February S. over the weekend in favor of the Saudi Cup and will break from the widest alley in 13 with Joao Moreira at the controls.

The Saudi Cup-G1, $20,000,000, 4yo/up, 1800m (in post position order)

1–Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn})

2–Taiba (Gun Runner)

3–Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn})

4–Scotland Yard (Quality Road)

5–Sunset Flash (Ire) (Mayson {GB}) (f)

6–Jun Light Bolt (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn})

7–Remorse (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})

8–Emblem Road (Quality Road)

9–Vin de Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})

10–Country Grammer (Tonalist)

11-Lagertha Rhyme (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) (f)

12–Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong)

13–Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah)

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While he may have fallen just short of equaling the great Silent Witness (Aus)'s mark of 17 wins in a row when defeated in the G1 Stewards' Cup and G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup last winter, he has since roared back and enters the three-peat attempt off a fast-finishing score over the pace-advantaged California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in the G2 Jockey Club Mile Nov. 20. The latter, a €150,000 Goffs Orby acquisition for the connections of two-time Hong Kong Cup hero California Memory (Highest Honor {Fr}), was 3-5 to Golden Sixty's even-money in the Jockey Club Mile, and was given every conceivable chance by Zac Purton, only to be run down late. He faces the champ at level weights this time, but is the lone speed and must be caught.

A Japanese contingent headed by Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) and Danon Scorpion (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), winners of the last two runnings of the age-restricted G1 NHK Mile Cup, stand in his way, but the connections of Golden Sixty have every reason to approach the three-peat attempt with supreme confidence.

“He's okay after the last run and, at the moment, I just try to keep him happy,” said trainer Francis Lui. “He's healthy, happy and is character is just the same. To me, I think he is a special horse. You can see every time, he just wants to pass a horse in front of him.”

Stretch those legs GOLDEN SIXTY!

See firsthand the care @Vincenthocy gives his Hong Kong champion before heading out to work… @HKJC_Racing | #HKIR pic.twitter.com/s9vtNHHjfV

— World Horse Racing (@WHR) December 9, 2022

Japan Can Cap Magical Season at Sha Tin

Even by its lofty standards, the 2022 racing season has been a landmark one for Japanese gallopers that have been sent overseas.

It all got started at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh on the last Saturday of February, when Team Japan posted four victories on the G1 Saudi Cup undercard. Four weeks later at sprawling Meydan Racecourse, they somehow managed to top that incredible feat when no fewer than five horses got their pictures taken. It may not have gone swimmingly at places like Royal Ascot and Goodwood over the late spring and summer, and the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe remains the impossible dream–for now, at least–but Japan has realistic chances in three of the four races Sunday afternoon, none more so than the day's most valuable prize, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup.

Panthalassa (Jpn), whose sire Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) was a breathtaking two-time winner of the Sprint, was one of the aforementioned scorers in Dubai, dead-heating with Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Dubai Turf and he figures no worse than the second betting favourite Sunday.

The 5-year-old may have found the 11 furlongs of the G1 Takarazuka Kinen a task too tall in June, but he was exceptionally game in second in his two most recent efforts–both from the front–first behind Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) after a fight in the G2 Sapporo Kinen and when given a bold ride in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), opening up by as many as 15 lengths before just failing to hold off the talented Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}). Panthlassa will look to channel his inner A Shin Hikari (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}, all-the-way winner of the 2015 Cup, but Jack d'Or could be the fly in the ointment if he, too, is asked to roll forward for Yutaka Take. Japan has won the last three Cups and five of the last seven.

Should a contested pace materialize, Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) looks the most likely beneficiary. Purchased for 300,000gns out of the 2019 Tattersalls October Sale by the Hong Kong Jockey Club team led by Mick Kinane and the current pin-up horse for the Hong Kong International Sale, last year's BMW Hong Derby and G1 FWD QE II Cup winner overcame an interrupted preparation with a victory over Tourbillon Diamond (Aus) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) in the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup Nov. 20.

“He's definitely going to be there when whips are cracking,” said jockey James McDonald, who was honored as the Longines World's Best Jockey Friday evening. “It's a very competitive Hong Kong Cup and he has to come up to another level taking on the Japanese but I'm sure he can.”

Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who took the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Mile at cricket-score odds, won this year's G3 Minstrel S. (1400m) and was placed in the G1 Queen Anne S., G1 Prix du Moulin and GI Coolmore Turf Mile. Connections nevertheless opt for the Cup over a trip he has not tackled in over two years.

“He's been running all the time over a mile but we always thought stepping up over a mile and a quarter would improve him more,” trainer Aidan O'Brien said. “He's obviously by Australia and we're very happy with him, we'll see what happens on Sunday.

“He has won over seven furlongs twice as well, so we kept him at a mile after the Breeders' Cup win, but we'd think there's a pretty good chance that [2000m] will be fine.”

Hong Kong Hard To Go Past in Sprint

If the Japanese have been a problem too tough to solve in the Cup, the home team has nearly totally dominated the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint. In the 23 renewals of the race dating back to 1999, on just six occasions have foreign horses launched a successful raid and only once in the last 11 years with Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2020.

Last year's Hong Kong champion sprinter Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) was badly hampered by the spill in last year's Sprint won by Sky Field (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}), but recovered to close the season with a successful defence of his crown in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize. The 6-year-old returned as the 135-pound topweight in the G2 Premier Bowl H. Oct. 23 and gave the progressive Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) 11 pounds and a one-length beating. The latter turned the tables last time in the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Sprint, but Wellington was found to be lame thereafter and has since been passed fit to run. Ryan Moore subs in on Wellington for the injured Alexis Badel.

“I have strong feelings for Alexis Badel,” Gibson said. “It's a very big day for him to miss. He's got a very good relationship with Wellington. He understands the horse very well, so my thoughts are with him but obviously delighted to call on Ryan's expertise and experience for the big one.”

Moore was aboard Danon Smash from the 14 hole two years ago.

The 2022 Japanese challenge is spearheaded by the winners of the nation's two Group 1 sprints. Naran Huleg (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) rallied furiously to just take out the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in the spring, while Gendarme (Kitten's Joy) belied odds of nearly 20-1 from close range in the G1 Sprinters' S. Oct. 2.

Singapore adds a bit more international flavour to the meeting and is represented by Lim's Kosciuszko (Aus) (Kermadec {NZ}), winner of 11 from 14 at home, including the country's signature sprint test, the Lion City Cup in August, and he was versatile enough to win a Singapore Derby (1800m) prior to that effort.

What a stunning photoby @ashbrennanphoto of our mouse #kosi
We absolutely love this https://t.co/d59HLWJ5mB

— (@meagherracingsg) December 9, 2022

Vase Sets The Table

The G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase for the middle-distance set has attracted a two-time champion and an interesting collection of European shippers to face a somewhat suspect group of locals.

Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) doesn't make too many trips to the races and seems to save his best for Sha Tin. The 4-5 favourite when accounting for Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) last December, having won the Vase for the first time two years prior, the 7-year-old was eighth to Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March and was a fair sixth to Jack d'Or in the Sapporo Kinen. He will benefit from the extra 400 metres and has the services of Joao Moreira, who also rides Lei Papale (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the Cup and Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in the Sprint in what is expected to be his final day in the saddle in Hong Kong.

Of the Euros, Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) owns the single most important piece of recent form, having run second to Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf Nov. 5. A likely pacesetter from the inside gate, the 3-year-old is one of two for Aidan O'Brien, who also saddles the well-traveled Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}).

“We were delighted with him in the Breeders' Cup, he ran a very good race and had progressed from his previous run at Ascot,” O'Brien said of Stone Age. “We've been happy with everything we've seen from him since then. It had been on my mind to go to Hong Kong since after the Breeders' Cup, we thought the track, trip and ground should all suit him fine, we're all looking forward to it.”

Making his first visit to Hong Kong, Broome was an impressive winner of the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot, and has since made fruitless appearances back at Ascot, Saratoga, Leopardstown, ParisLongchamp and Keeneland, where he was five lengths' sixth in the Breeders' Cup.

“We had it in our heads that we might go to the [G1 Longines] Japan Cup, it just came maybe a week or two too early and that's why we waited. We were delighted to have the opportunity to come to Hong Kong with him. He's in good form and is a very good natured, very sound horse,” explained O'Brien, who has won the Vase twice with Highland Reel (Ire) and most recently with Mogul (GB) two years ago.

Mendocino (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) upset last year's Arc winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden in September, but did not get through the deep ground in Paris when 12th in the Arc. The chestnut can go better on a sounder surface this weekend, provided he is on his best behaviour.

Bubble Gift (Fr) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is winless from five this season, but has run with credit, including a close third to future Arc heroine Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Trainer Mikel Delzangles won the 2011 Vase with Dunaden (Fr). Botanik (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) represents Godolphin France and Andre Fabre and owns a victory over Saudi and Dubai winner Stay Foolish (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) in the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville this past August.

THE PICKS:

Cup—Panthalassa will be winging it, but I expect Jack d'Or to keep him honest enough. That should give Romantic Warrior a fair shot at them late.

Mile–Not trying to beat Golden Sixty, especially from a favourable draw. Schnell Meister for second?

Sprint—Naran Huleg will be completely under the radar and probably shouldn't be. Rattled home in both of Japan's Group 1 sprints, good for a smashing win and a third.

Vase–Trying Mendocino, who was all heart to beat the Arc winner at Iffezheim and even has a close second to Alpinista going back. Must handle the quicker ground, but rates a chance. Glory Vase clearly the one to beat at his favourite track.

We're all set for Sunday's (11 Dec) @LONGINES #HKIR at Sha Tin!

Golden Sixty
Romantic Warrior
Wellington
Jack d'Or
Panthalassa
Bubble Gift
Mendocino
Stone Age
+ more…
x4 Group 1s
HK$110 million#競馬 | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/SNpPsUUnfL

— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) December 8, 2022

The post Hong Kong’s ‘Golden’ Boy On the Verge of More History appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Winner under a five-pound penalty of the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Mile when making his seasonal debut three weeks ago, the 7-year-old has won 22 of his 25 starts to date for record Hong Kong earnings of over HK$116 million. With his chief rival California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) expected to make the running from gate two and with a pair of get-back runners in Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) and 2021 runner-up More Than This (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) drawn one and three, respectively, Vincent Ho should be able to pick his spot and let Golden Sixty do the talking late.

“I got what I wanted,” trainer Francis Lui told South China Morning Post. “He can sit midfield and stay out of trouble. [Golden Sixty] is ready.”

On an afternoon where some HK$110 million is on offer, the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup over the metric mile and a quarter is the day's richest at HK$34 million, not to mention the most interesting from a tactical standpoint. Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is one of four in the race for Japan and landed the eight hole, with trainer Yoshito Yahagi assuring that the dead-heat winner of this year's G1 Dubai Turf will not be difficult to find.

“I don't care about the barrier draw because I know one thing–he will go to the front,” the colourful Yahagi, conditioner of last year's Cup heroine Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), told the Post.

You know the hat… it's Yoshito Yahagi! @netkeiba | #競馬 | #HKIR | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/F5SYwyiUwN

— HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) December 8, 2022

His compatriot Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), whose sire won both a Hong Kong Mile (2015) and Hong Kong Cup (2016), could make things at least a bit tricky, as he may be ridden for speed by Yutaka Take from his low draw in two. The once-beaten Hong Kong rising star Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and James McDonald leave from barrier seven in what is clearly his toughest task to date.

For obvious reasons, double-digit alleys are not preferred in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, and gate 10 is not ideal for reigning champion sprinter Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}), though trainer Richard Gibson was taking it in his stride.

“Wellington, I'm pretty relaxed. He'll be finishing off from that draw, and that's maybe his forte. We're short of options. I haven't even spoken to Ryan [Moore], but at first glance, that's what we'll be doing,” he told SCMP.

Ryan Moore, who subs for the injured Alexis Badel, won the 2020 Sprint from the riverside draw aboard Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Conversely, the up-and-coming Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) saw his already-strong hand fortified when landing a cosy slot in three.

Half of the field of 10 signed on for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase has shipped in from Europe, led by recent GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Half of an Aidan O'Brien-trained duo, the 3-year-old breaks from the inside stall and he should find himself in a race that is often times run at a crawl. Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) carries Yutaka Take from gate six, while Mendocino (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}, gate 7) and Bubble Gift (Fr) (Nathaniel {Ire}, gate 6) and Godolphin's Botanik (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}, gate 5) have earned their right to tackle the race. Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) tries to make some history of his own as he goes for a third Vase in four years and second in a row and carries Joao Moreira from the four.

Great photo of Coolmore's “Broome”in Hong Kong ahead of the 2022 Hong Kong Vase @HKJC_Racing photo by @ashbrennanphoto pic.twitter.com/NDTMVx8uGj

— Tom Magnier (@TomMagnier) December 8, 2022

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It was a third Tenno Sho in four years for the Silk Racing partnership, whose Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) won it in 2019 and 2020.

Off at a generous 21-1, Panthalassa bounced well from his low gate, but had some surprising early company in the form of North Bridge (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), and that may have had a material impact on the race, as a keyed-up Panthalassa rumbled right along through early fractions of :23.5 and :46 for the opening 800 metres. Equinox, making his first start since just missing in the G1 Tokyo Yushun at this track in late May, settled kindly behind midfield and was content to allow the front-runner to do his thing, with no apparent panic from Christophe Lemaire.

Panthalassa led by the better part of 15 lengths as the Tenno Sho field hit the turn and carried that sort of advantage off the final corner, daring the market leaders to catch him if they could. Equinox was steered off the heels of Potager (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) at the 450m and began to progress, but still had around eight lengths to find entering the final furlong. Despite racing on his incorrect leg, Equinox gathered up Panthalassa late on, who gamely held for second ahead of Danon Beluga (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). Equinox covered his final 600 metres in :32.7, a tenth of a second quicker than Danon Beluga. Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) was a further neck back in fourth, while 2021 Derby hero and this year's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was fifth in a useful prep for the G1 Longines Japan Cup Nov. 27.

“I'm happy that we were able to catch Panthalassa,” said Lemaire, winning his third Tenno Sho in four years and his 42nd Group 1 on the JRA circuit. “I saw him way in front of us after turning into the straight, the huge gap did worry me a bit, but my colt gave his best and displayed an incredible turn of foot. If he comes out of this race safe and well, he has every chance to do well in the Japan Cup or the Arima Kinen. This was his first Group 1 win but definitely not his last.”

Pedigree Notes:

Equinox is one of 54 winners to date for his second-crop sire and is his first top-level scorer. Kitasan Black, now responsible for three group winners following the victory of Ravel (Jpn) in Saturday's G3 Artemis S., is a son of Deep Impact's full-brother Black Tide (Jpn) and put together one of the great careers in recent memory.

Third to the late Duramente (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) in the 2015 G1 Satsuki Sho, Kitasan Black won that year's G1 Kikuka Sho (3000m) before adding his first G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) over two miles the following May. Named Horse of the Year after closing his 4-year-old season with a score in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m), he added the G1 Osaka Hai (2000m), a successful defence of his title in the Tenno Sho (Spring) in his next appearance and this race nearly five years to the day of Equinox's win. Run in heavy ground in 2017, Kitasan Black clocked 2:08.3. He retired as a dual Horse of the Year following success in the G1 Arima Kinen with 12 wins–seven at Group 1 level–from 20 starts for earnings of $16.5 million.

Out of Silk Racing colourbearer Chateau Blanche, Equinox is a half-brother to the operation's Group 3 winner Weiss Meteor, a 2-year-old colt by Just a Way (Jpn) and a yearling filly by Kizuna (Jpn). She did not produce a foal in 2022. Equinox is the second Group 1 winner out of a daughter of Dancing Brave son King Halo (Jpn), joining Sprinters' S. hero Pixie Knight (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}).

WATCH: Equinox catches Panthalassa in the Tenno Sho

Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
TENNO SHO (AUTUMN)-G1, ¥384,500,000, Tokyo, 10-30, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 1:57.5, fm.
1–EQUINOX (JPN), 123, c, 3, by Kitasan Black (Jpn)
1st Dam: Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (GSW-Jpn, $1,096,970), by King Halo (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Blancherie (Jpn), by Tony Bin (Ire)
3rd Dam: Maison Blanche (Jpn), by Alleged
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuya Kimura; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥203,150,000. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0, ¥403,242,000. *1/2 to Weiss Meteor (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $820,531. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Panthalassa (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Miss Pemberley (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). O-Hiroo Race; B-Hidenori Kimura; ¥80,900,000.
3–Danon Beluga (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Coasted, by Tizway. (¥160,000,000 wnlg '19 JRHAJUL). O-Danox Inc; B-Northern Farm; ¥50,450,000.
Margins: 1, NK, HF. Odds: 1.60, 21.80, 6.30.
Also Ran: Jack d'Or (Jpn), Shahryar (Jpn), Karate (Jpn), Maria Elena (Jpn), Uberleben (Jpn), Geoglyph (Jpn), Ablaze (Jpn), North Bridge (Jpn), Cadenas (Jpn), Potager (Jpn), Red Galant (Jpn), Babbitt (Jpn). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Click for the JRA chart.

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