OVER 74,000 people were at Kyoto racecourse to witness the spring edition of the biannual Tenno Sho (Emperor’s Cup). Confined to older horses, it is run over the marathon distance of 3,200 metres as opposed to its autumn counter-part which is contested over 2,000 metres.

The build-up to this year’s race revolved around the result of the 2016 Arima Kinen Group 1 when champion three-year-old Satano Diamond, in receipt of a two kilo age allowance, narrowly beat eventual Horse of the Year Kitasan Black in a gripping finish.

Almost to the exclusion of the rest of the field, Satano Diamond and Kitasan Black were sent off essentially as joint-favourites with just one third of a point separating the two. Kitasan Black was sent off as the 5/4 favourite to retain his crown.

A 17-strong field lined up at the two-mile start and outsider Yamakatsu Raiden was sent straight to the lead.

From an outside draw, he set an obviously unsustainable pace and stretched his lead to over 10 lengths at one point. Kitasan Black, under regular partner Yutake Take, was content to sit behind the optimistic pace to lead the remainder of the field. Satano Diamond and Christophe Lemaire raced predominantly in midfield throughout.

AMAZING STAMINA

The field gradually reined in the tearaway leader as they turned into the last bend, when Kitasan Black took over the lead at the three-furlong marker.

Lemaire had made smooth progress to turn into the home straight vying for second place with both he and Cheval Grand looking well poised to mount a telling challenge. However, as in many of his previous races, the resilient Kitasan Black seemed to have endless reserves of stamina at his disposal.

With no other horse able to make significant inroads in to his lead, Yutake Take saluted the crowd as he passed the line with one and a quarter lengths to spare over Cheval Grand.

Satano Diamond stayed on to finish in third, a length and a half behind the winner, with Admire Deus running a career best a further neck behind in fourth. No stranger to filling the placings behind Kitasan Black, Cheval Grand has now been placed in three Group 1s behind the 2016 Champion Horse.

Kitasan Black’s visually impressive performance was only reinforced by the stopwatch, the race time was nine-tenths of a second faster than the course and race records.

The ultra-consistent son of Black Tide, now a five-time Group 1 winner, can genuinely be considered as the unrivalled stayer of his generation. He is undefeated and a three-time top-level winner over a trip of 3,000 metres or farther.

The versatile colt has won group races ranging from nine furlongs to two miles. In a 16-race career, he has won 10 races and has only failed to finish in the top three on just one occasion.

To date, he has amassed career earnings of just under €11,000,000.

TRUE STAYER

Kitasan Black first announced himself to the top echelons of the Japanese staying ranks when winning the 2015 running of the Group 1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) over 3,000 metres. He followed this with a commendable third place in the season-ending Group 1 Arima Kinen (2,500m) where he competed for the first time against Japan’s elite older horses.

In his four-year-old career, Kitasan Black has captured two Group 1 events, Tenno Sho Spring and the Japan Cup. He also went on to be narrowly beaten once again in the Group 1 Arima Kinen.

Now a five-year-old, the Hisashi Shimizu-trained horse made his successful seasonal reappearance in the Group 1 Osaka Hai at the beginning of April.

This race that has been upgraded to Group 1 status for the first time this year. It has been repeatedly mooted by both owner and trainer that the goal for this season, and likely to be last year before retiring to the covering shed, will be a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October.

Kitasan Black is undoubtedly the flag bearer for the Breeders Stallion Station-resident Black Tide. His only other progeny to compete competitively at JRA Group 1 level to date is Meiner Frost, placed third in the 2014 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) behind One And Only.

Black Tide stands for a 2017 covering fee of 2,000,000 yen (€16,500). He was a Group 2 winner as a four-year-old and is by Sunday Silence out of Group 1 winner Wind In Her Hair (Alzao).

However, his success on the track and in the breeding shed have been categorically overshadowed by the exploits of his peerless younger full-brother, reigning champion sire Deep Impact.