Contrail signed off his racing career with a famous victory in the Japan Cup at Tokyo on Sunday, with Aidan O’Brien’s two runners both well beaten.
It was confirmed the Yoshito Yahagi-trained four-year-old will stand at Shadai Stallion Station following Sunday’s result, and he further enhanced his reputation with a dazzling two-length success in his country’s biggest race.
Yuichi Fukunaga kept the son of Deep Impact in a handy position throughout and his mount delivered a rapid burst of speed when asked in the home straight, swooping past Authority in the final furlong.
This was a fifth success at Grade 1 level for Contrail and an improvement on his second in the Japan Cup to the great Almond Eye last season. He had struggled since then, being a beaten favourite on his only two starts this campaign.
Yahagi said: “I have mixed feelings of relief and lonesomeness. It worried me a bit since the pace was slow and he wasn’t in that good a position, but we had tuned him up to perfection and the colt gave us all he had in the straight.
“I have to admit I was under a lot of pressure during the two years he was at my stable, but I think it has helped me in becoming more mature and I can’t thank him enough.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful to win the Arc with an offspring of his
someday?”
Winning jockey Fukunaga added: “He had issues before his debut, so there were always concerns about his form, but I am so proud of how he proved himself today – I’m overwhelmed.
“He broke well and everything went just perfectly. He has given me every jockey’s dream and I am utterly grateful. He shone a bright light over a gloomy year due to the pandemic last season.
“I’m relieved that we can send him off to his next career with this victory.”
Japan, also set to be retired, finished eighth for O’Brien and three places ahead of stablemate Broome.
Grand Glory, the only other European challenger, finished a creditable fifth for Gianluca Bietolini and Cristian Demuro.
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fonte : RacingPost
Tokyo (JPN)28 Nov 2021, Japan Cup (Grade 1) (3yo+) (Turf)
| POS. |
HORSE / SP
|
JOCKEY
TRAINER
|
AGE | WGT | OR | TS | RPR | MR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 (2)
|
2.
Contrail (JPN) 3/5F
|
4 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
2 (7)2
|
7.
Authority (JPN) 61/10
|
4 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
3 (4)1½[3½]
|
4.
Shahryar (JPN) 27/10
|
3 | 89 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
4 (12)¾[4¼]
|
12.
Sanrei Pocket (JPN) 70/1
|
6 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
5 (6)¾[5]
|
6.
Grand Glory 56/1
|
5 | 89 t | – | – | – | – | |||
|
6 (14)nk[5¼]
|
14.
Uberleben (JPN) 245/10
|
3 | 85 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
7 (11)½[5¾]
|
11.
Shadow Diva (JPN) 75/1
|
5 | 89 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
8 (18)nk[6]
|
18.
Japan 58/1
|
5 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
| Towards rear of midfield, some headway and shaken up over 2f out, soon angled out, kept on final 2f, never on terms with leaders | ||||||||||
|
9 (9)1[7]
|
9.
Aristoteles (JPN) 195/10
|
4 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
10 (5)1[8]
|
5.
Kiseki (JPN) 36/1
|
7 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
11 (3)½[8½]
|
3.
Broome (IRE) 28/1
|
5 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
| Dwelt start, in rear of midfield, pushed along from over 3f out, ridden over 2f out, kept on same pace, never a factor | ||||||||||
|
12 (16)1[9½]
|
16.
You Can Smile (JPN) 239/1
|
6 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
13 (13)1½[11]
|
13.
Mozu Bello (JPN) 274/1
|
5 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
14 (15)nk[11½]
|
15.
Makahiki (JPN) 76/1
|
8 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
15 (10)3[14½]
|
10.
Lord My Way (JPN) 400/1
|
5 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
16 (1)nk[14¾]
|
1.
Muito Obrigado (JPN) 258/1
|
7 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
17 (8)hd[15]
|
8.
Windjammer (JPN) 320/1
|
4 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
|
18 (17)nk[15¼]
|
17.
Wagnerian (JPN) 94/1
|
6 | 90 | – | – | – | – | |||
- 18 ran Winning time: 2m 24.70s Total SP: 129%
- 1st owner: Shinji Maeda (Contrail) 1st breeder: North Hills Co Ltd
- 2nd owner: Silk Racing Co Ltd (Authority)
- 3rd owner: Sunday Racing Co Ltd (Shahryar)
