JAPAN once again advertised their quality on the world stage, especially in the early part of the flat season, when Strauss won the inaugural running of the Abu Dhabi Gold Cup.

Trained by Ryo Takei, the five-year-old was last seen running in Australia but connections had explained that was to enable jockey Joao Moreira to get to know him ahead of this contest and it paid off.

The ‘Magic Man’, Moreira was in the perfect position throughout and, when a gap appeared just off the rail after the turn into the straight, Strauss quickened up impressively and was able to hold off the late run of James Doyle on Dark Trooper by a length, with Donnacha O’Brien’s Comanche Brave just behind in third and Simon and Ed Crisford’s Quddwah in fourth. Andrew Balding’s Jonquil finished unplaced with Witness Stand withdrawn at the start.

“He’s such a nice horse; he wasn’t able to give the best of himself a month ago, but today he could,” said Moreira.

“In Australia, he didn’t jump out of the gate very quickly but today he did. He was always travelling strongly and, when I pulled him out, he went whoosh. I can’t believe this was going to happen in a place I’ve never ridden before, it’s made me extremely happy.”

Trainer Takei said: “He gets really keen, but today he was boxed in on the rail and Joao did an amazing job. We will take him back to Japan and maybe think about a World Cup race next year. He’s earned a shot at a race at Churchill Downs in May and that is an option.” Ryan Moore was on Comanche Brave and said: “He ran super, I’m very happy with him.”

James Doyle was on the Wathnan-owned runner-up Dark Trooper and said: “The winner is a good horse who had an economical trip. It was definitely a career best and everyone has done a great job with him.”

Jonquil and Colin Keane finished seventh, not finding a lot in the straight. Assistant trainer Anna Lisa Balding felt Jonquil needs further than a mile. She said: “I think coming into it we suspected the trip was a little on the short side, and from the draw we had to make plenty of use of him. We would hope to see him over 10 furlongs in a race on grass.”