Japan Cup (Group 1)

CALANDAGAN became the first foreign-trained horse to win the Japan Cup since Alkaased in 2005 and the second French-trained horse since Le Glorieux in 1987, when he battled bravely to get the better of favourite Masquerade Ball and win by a head at Toyko last Sunday.

The time was also a new track record of 2m20.3secs - beating that set by Almond Eye in the 2018 Japan Cup.

The four-year-old Gleneagles gelding extended his winning streak to four for the season following the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in June, the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July and the Champion Stakes in October.

He has now career earnings of £6,259,990, with an added bonus here of $3 million dollars from his Ascot win.

In front of packed stands, Admire Terra unseated his jockey after the break as Seiun Hades was rushed to the front to set a fast pace.

Calandagan travelled fifth from the rear, a couple of lengths behind Masquerade Ball and with Danon Decile.

Entering the straight, the French gelding came with Masquerade Ball, picking off other rivals with their runs up the outside. They went in a head-to-head duel leading to a photo finish in the last 150m, as the riderless Admire Terra ran alongside.

The world’s highest-rated horse got the best of the duel to beat the three-year-old favourite for a head victory.

Jockey Mickael Barzalona said afterwards: “We were a bit roughed up by the horses coming from the outside and was tight in the beginning, but once we found our position and we found our rhythm, he travelled all the way very well.

“Chris (Lemaire), of course, actually was very close to us and he even got probably a head in front of me when we got to the top of the hill, but Calandagan was the strongest.

“Calandagan had a perfect season and proved in Europe that he was the best and then coming here, proved he was the best again in Japan.”

Delighted

Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who had finished sixth with Goliath last year, and was winning his 14th Grade 1 of the season, said to media afterwards: “He was in very good form coming to this race. We were delighted with my staff here, how the horse travelled and he was weighing 10kg more than before Dubai, so we knew the horse had improved through the season.

“We were a little bit worried with the speed in the early parts of the race, but Mickael found a good lead behind Christophe Lemaire, and he travelled the whole way behind the right horse in the race, so that gave me a lot of confidence.

“The mechanic of this horse is just unbelievable. And obviously, he has a very big heart. His action is fantastic - he is able to accelerate for a long period and keep that acceleration for a long time - so I think he has a physical attribute to be the champion he is.”

Fantastic year

Princess Zahra said of the achievement: “It’s, I think, the best year we’ve had in a very long time. And of course, I miss my father very much and he was involved, but in terms of the operation, I think we continue to do what we need to do, and with the new training policies, thanks to Francis and in collaboration with Mickael, we’ve had a fantastic year.

“Calandagan is a good horse, he’s trained and has improved throughout the year.”

Calandagan, as Francis said to me at the beginning of the year, was the horse for this race and he had planned this for a very long time. I wasn’t sure in March that we were going to get here.

“Calandagan is the perfect horse to travel for international races, and next year’s Japan Cup is an option. And it’s been a great honour to win this race today and to be here. It’s been truly an amazing experience.”

Rest of the field

Race favourite Masquerade Ball broke smoothly and raced off the rails outside rivals, further back than mid-division around ninth to 10th behind leader Seiun Hades for jockey Christophe Lemaire.

As the field closed in on the pacesetter, who had been almost 10 lengths up to the third corner, Masquerade Ball was shifted to the outside while joined by Calandagan on his outside to charge up the hill from two furlongs out, but the winner just outfinished the Duramente colt in what was a record time.

Third-favourite Danon Decile was positioned between rivals around 11th with both the two top finishers in close eye sight but was pinched back at the furlong pole and was late in picking up speed and unable to reach the first two, but came past Croix Du Nord for third place.