“He's quite a big horse and weighs approximately 500 kilograms, but he is light on his feet and has a very smooth action,” explained winning trainer Ryuji Okubo. When he races in Japan, he usually comes from behind because there is more rhythm to the races there. We wanted to make the running today to make sure he was in the optimum rhythm and the jockey [Cristian Demuro] managed that perfectly well. He had not raced for over four months, so I imagine there is plenty of room for improvement and he will most definitely come on for the run.”

Looking ahead to future options and with a chance to shine where the aforementioned trio stuttered, the trainer added, “We will give him an easy time next week and we will then have two weeks to build him up to the Arc. He'll be a vastly improved horse by then and we'll be very proud to run him in that race. I'll be staying in France for the next three weeks to oversee his preparations.”

Deep Bond is the third, and best, of five foals and as many runners to date out of the multiple winner Zephyranthes (Jpn) (King Halo {Jpn}), herself kin to the dam of MG1SW Japanese champion sprinter Laurel Guerreiro (Jpn) (King Halo {Jpn}), G3 Kisaragi Sho runner-up Rikisan Max (Jpn) (King Halo {Jpn}) and G3 Kyoto Sho Fantasy S. placegetter Amazing Moon (Jpn) (Admire Moon {Jpn}). The latter, in turn, produced G3 Radio Nikkei Sho third North Bridge (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}). The February-foaled dark bay shares his third dam Mogami Point (Jpn) (Maruzensky {Jpn}) with Listed Marguerite S. runner-up Ojono Kiseki (Jpn) (Kinshas No Kiseki {Aus}). Deep Bond is a half-brother to the once placed 3-year-old colt Drummondii (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn) and the winning 2-year-old colt Sparta Leonidas (Jpn) (Henny Hughes).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX FOY-G2, €130,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-12, 4yo/up, 12fT, 2:31.82, gd.
1–DEEP BOND (JPN), 128, c, 4, by Kizuna (Jpn)
1st Dam: Zephyranthes (Jpn), by King Halo (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Mogami Hime (Jpn), by Cacoethes
3rd Dam: Mogami Point (Jpn), by Maruzensky (Jpn)
O-Shinji Maeda; B-Bokujo Murata (JPN); T-Ryuji Okubo; J-Cristian Demuro. €74,100. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Jpn, 13-4-2-1, €2,010,074. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. ClicSk for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Broome (Ire), 127, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Sweepstake (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (€120,000 RNA Ylg '17 GOFOR; 150,000gns Ylg '17 TATDEY). O-Masaaki Matsushima, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €28,600.
3–Iresine (Fr), 128, g, 4, Manduro (Ger)–Inanga (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). (€6,000 Ylg '18 AROCT). O-Bertrand Milliere, Ecurie Jean-Paul Gauvin, Christian Goutelle & Jean-Pierre Gauvin; B-Pierre Soyaux & Marie-Louise van Dedem (FR); T-Jean-Pierre Gauvin. €13,650.
Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, 3HF. Odds: 8.50, 2.30, 5.60.
Also Ran: Skalleti (Fr), Sublimis (Ire), Opasan (Ire). Scratched: Wonderful Tonight (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga and trained by Yoshito Yahagi, Contrail was all out to beat Aristoteles and Christophe Lemaire by a neck in the final leg of a series that began April 19 with the 1 1/4-mile Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and continued one month later with the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), contested at 1 1/2 miles. All three races are on turf.

Another son of Deep Impact, Satono Flag, finished third of the 18 runners, all but one of which – Godolphin's Irish-bred Turkish Palace (14th place) – were bred in Japan.

Contrail is Japan's eighth Triple Crown winner and the first to be sired by a previous Triple Crown winner. Deep Impact won his crown in 2005. The third horse to exit the series undefeated was Symboli Rudolf in 1984.

Contrail broke smoothly and settled between horses in mid-pack as Chimera Verite set a moderate pace. Fukunaga allowed Contrail to gradually move toward the front and took the lead after entering the stretch. But he could not shake Aristoteles, a 22-1 longshot, who raced alongside Contrail the length of the stretch, falling just a neck short at the finish.

“This may not have been his best performance, but I kept my faith in Contrail and he certainly showed how strong he is to have maintained his position up to the end of the 3,000-meter trip,” Fukunaga said.

Final time was 3:05.5 on firm turf, well off the course and race record of 3:01.0 set by Toho Jackal in 2014.

Contrail, who is now 7-for-7, paid 110 yen on a 100 yen bet for the win. Owned by Shinji Maeda and bred by North Hills Co. Ltd., he was produced from the Kentucky-bred Unbridled's Song mare Rhodochrosite, who was bred by the Robert and Beverly Lewis Trust and sold for $385,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The Lewises bred and raced Rhodochrosite's dam, the Tiznow filly Folklore, Eclipse Award winner as outstanding 2-year-old filly in 2005 when she won the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

While on-track attendance was limited to just over 1,000 people, wagering on the Kikuka Sho day program from Kyoto totaled $286.9 million, a 27.3% increase from 2019 when a Triple Crown was not on the line. Wagering on the Kikuka Sho race itself was $202.8 million, up 30% from 2019.

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In marked contrast to his earlier wins, Contrail was tested all the way to the line, with recent allowance winner, the SP Aristoteles (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), relishing the trip, but managed to fend off that foe and hold on by a neck. It was 3 1/2 lengths back to Group 2 winner Satono Flag (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), while GSW Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) was fourth, another neck behind.

Only eventual seventh-place finisher and 9-1 shot Weltreisende (Jpn) (Dream Journey {Jpn}) was also under 10-1 odds in the field of 18, and Contrail was 1-10 to complete the triple. Chimera Verite (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) was hard sent from the bell, and Contrail perched in seventh with Aristoteles, under Christophe Lemaire, sitting directly to his outside a half-length back. Positions were largely unchanged throughout the early stages, but Contrail turned in well off the fence with 600 metres to travel, Aristoteles still closely shadowing him. Chimera Verite folded entering the straight and Babbitt (Jpn) (Nakayama Festa {Jpn}) picked up the baton, but Contrail was already within a few lengths of the leaders poised to pounce, still harried by Aristoteles.

That duo drew even with the vanguard 300 metres out and quickly distanced themselves. Although Aristoteles, under a brilliant ride by Lemaire, came within a short neck of Contrail a few strides from the wire, the dark bay repelled his challenge and refused to let his rival pass. The official margin was a neck. Satono Flag came from far back to take third, just in front of the stalking Deep Bond.

“I can’t say that I was successful in keeping him relaxed during the race with so much pressure from Aristoteles,” said winning jockey Yuichi Fukunaga. “It turned out to be a tough race for us with Aristoteles looking quite strong and persistent, and this race may not have been his best performance, but I kept my faith in Contrail and he certainly showed how strong he is to have maintained his position up to the end of the 3000-meter trip.”

Named the 2019 Japanese Champion Juvenile Colt after going three-for-three last term with wins in the G3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai S.-in a record time of 1:44.50 for 1800 metres-and in that December’s G1 Hopeful S., Contrail was not seen in action until a bloodless victory in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) this April. He easily made it two Classics in a row with a three-length win in the 2400m G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in May and rattled off a two-length victory in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai, a prep for this race, on Sept. 27.
Pedigree Notes
One of 47 Group 1 winners for his sire, Contrail is also Deep Impact’s third Japanese St Leger hero after Fierement (Jpn) (2018), and Satono Diamond (Jpn) (2016). They are the first father-son pair to take the three Classics in Japan. Placed four times as a juvenile in Japan after selling to Koji Maeda for $385,000 at Keeneland September in 2011, Rhodochrosite foaled two winners from two runners prior to Contrail. Barren in 2018, the daughter of American champion juvenile filly and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile heroine Folklore (Tiznow) has a yearling colt from the second-to-last crop of Deep Impact and a Heart’s Cry (Jpn) colt foal born on Mar. 26. Folklore is a half-sister to SW & GSP Divided Attention (A.P. Indy), as well as the GSP Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality). Delightful Quality, in turn, is the dam of GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity hero Essential Quality (Tapit).

Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
KIKUKA SHO (JAPANESE ST. LEGER)-G1, ¥267,040,000 (US$2,550,789/£1,955,624/€2,150,288), Kyoto, 10-25, 3yo, c/f, 3000mT, 3:05.50, fm.
1–CONTRAIL (JPN), 126, c, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Rhodochrosite, by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Folklore, by Tiznow
                3rd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
JAPANESE TRIPLE CROWN WINNER. O-Shinji Maeda; B-North
Hills (Jpn); T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Yuichi Fukunaga. ¥147,328,000.
Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-Jpn, 7-7-0-0. ¥675,186,000 Werk Nick Rating:
   A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Aristoteles (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Blue Diamond
(Jpn), by Deep Impact (Jpn) O-Hideko Kondo; B-Northern Farm
(Jpn); ¥55,808,000.
3–Satono Flag (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Balada Sale
(Arg), by Not For Sale (Arg). (¥165,000,000 Wlg ’17 JRHAJUL).
O-Satomi Horse Company; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
¥33,904,000.
Margins: NK, 3HF, NK. Odds: 0.10, 22.00, 33.90.
Also Ran: Deep Bond (Jpn), Black Hole (Jpn), Robertson Quay (Jpn), Weltreisende (Jpn), Valcos (Jpn), Galore Creek (Jpn), Babbitt (Jpn), Man of Spirit (Jpn), Satono Impresa (Jpn), Diamant Minoru (Jpn), Turkish Palace (Ire), Danon Gloire (Jpn), L’Excellence (Jpn), Bitterender (Jpn), Chimera Verite (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Away in good order, pilot Yuichi Fukunaga eased Contrail back to sit in midfield while well covered up in the early stages. Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) showed the way through a half in :47.40 and a mile in 1:36.30 with positions largely unchanged. Nearing the final bend the heavy favourite had a wall of horses to navigate. A gap opened at the head of the lane and Contrail dashed through, taking over 250 metres from home before winning under hands and heels without ever being asked a serious question. Weltreisende (Jpn) (Dream Journey {Jpn}) closed from out of the clouds to take second, two lengths adrift, while Robertson Quay (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was third a neck off of the runner-up.

Never tried under 1800 metres, Contrail won his debut at that trip at Hanshin in September of last year, before setting a new record in Tokyo’s G3 Tokyo Sports Hia Nisai S. on Nov. 16, covering the distance in a blazing 1:44.50. Tested at Group 1 level in the 2000-metre Hopeful S., he maintained his unbeaten record at Nakayama on Dec. 28 and was named Japan’s 2019 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt. This term, he picked up where he left off, adding the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April and the May 31 2400-metre Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).

Pedigree Notes
The near-black colt is one of two Group 1 winners for his late sire out of Unbridled’s Song mares, the other being Danon Platina (Jpn), while Group 2 winner Red Bel Jour (Jpn) struck in the G2 Kyoto Daily Hai Nisai. Placed four times as a juvenile in Japan after selling to Koji Maeda for $385,000 at Keeneland September in 2011, Rhodochrosite foaled two winners from two runners prior to Contrail. Barren in 2018, she has a yearling colt from the second-to-last crop of Deep Impact and a Heart’s Cry (Jpn) colt foal born on Mar. 26. Her dam, the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Matron S. heroine Folklore (Tiznow) was named the 2005 Eclipse Award Champion Juvenile Filly.

Sunday, Chukyo, Japan
KOBE SHIMBUN HAI-G2, ¥105,300,000 (US$997,673/£783,013/€857,539), Chukyo, 9-27, 3yo, c/f, 2200mT, 2:12.50, fm.
1–CONTRAIL (JPN), 123, c, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Rhodochrosite, by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Folklore, by Tiznow
                3rd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
O-Shinji Maeda; B-North Hills (Jpn); T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Yuichi
Fukunaga. ¥55,260,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-Jpn,
MG1SW-Jpn, 6-6-0-0. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Weltreisende (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Dream Journey (Jpn)–
Mandela (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger). O-Sunday Racing;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥22,360,000.
3–Robertson Quay (Jpn), 123, c, 3, Rulership (Jpn)–Tokai
Megami (Jpn), by Sunday Silence. (¥10,000,000 Wlg ’17
JRHAJUL). O-Kazutaka Hosaka; B-Nagahama Farm (Jpn);
¥14,180,000.
Margins: 2, NK, 1. Odds: 0.10, 19.30, 111.70.
Also Ran: Deep Bond (Jpn), Turkish Palace (Ire), Endymion (Jpn), L’Excellence (Jpn), Iron Barows (Jpn), Man of Spirit (Jpn), Deep King (Jpn), Bitterender (Jpn), Panthalassa (Jpn), Shimbo (Jpn), Irogotoshi (Jpn), Meisho Bosatsu (Jpn), Falconia (Jpn), Grande Mare (Jpn), My Rhapsody (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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