Kitasan Black, the champion stayer in Japan, landed the country’s richest race, the Gr1 Japan Cup, making all under Yutake Take.
Kitasan Black – headed for international races
Kitasan Black now has Dubai and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on his agenda next year.
His 80-year-old owner Saburo Kitajima, a famous singer in Japan, serenaded the crowd on the podium during the post-race presentation.
The four-year-old won last year’s Japanese St Leger and the Tenno Sho in May, but a top-level success over middle distances had eluded him until Sunday.
Drawn in stall 1, he never looked anything other than the winner as his jockey controlled the race from the off.
Having secured the lead into the first bend, Take stretched them out in the back straight and then allowed his mount a short respite before the final turn.
As the field fanned out across the track, challenges came and went, the strongest being a late surge from Sounds Of Earth. Kitasan Black was never threatened for more than an instant, however, and crossed the line around two and a half lengths clear, Take saluting the 85,000-strong crowd as he secured a fourth success in the race.
Cheval Grand also came home strongly to nick third. Gold Actor, another of the market principals who had held a good position throughtout, was fourth.
Three European-trained horses had attempted to snap a dominance by the home players that stretches back to Alkaassed 11 years ago.
Erupt looked to hold the strongest chance after finishing sixth last year, but he finished near the back of the field, along with Nightflower.
Grosser Preis von Baden winner Iquitos fared better, finishing seventh, but might have been even higher. Having turned in among the last handful, he ended up on the inside rail that jockeys had spurned all day but nonetheless rattled home.
