Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (Group 1)

THE odds-on favourite Croix Du Nord came right back to his best two-year-old form - that earned him the season’s best two-year-old colt title and a potential middle-distance star - when he shrugged off his defeat in the Satsuki Sho (2000 Guineas) to take the Derby last Sunday.

The son of Kitasan Black marked three wins in as many starts last year, including the Group 1 Hopeful Stakes but had been beaten a length and a half by Museum Mile over the 10-furlong Guineas.

It was a first classic title for both the trainer and jockey, Takashi Saito and jockey Yuichi Kitamura, and the owners Sunday Racing were notching their fifth Derby victory, a record for most Derby titles won.

Croix Du Nord broke smoothly from stall 13, shifted closer to the inside and secured a prominent position around third or fourth behind Satono Shining who was rushed to the front to lead the 18-horse field but gave way to Ho O Atman soon after as pacesetter entering the backstretch.

By the home straight, Ho O Atman had increased his lead from the rest of the field by almost 10 lengths.

The race began in earnest as leader weakened a furlong and a half out. At this point Croix Du Nord came with a powerful run on the outside up the centre of the track to duel with Satono Shining then pulled away from that rival at the furlong pole.

He held off a powerful late bid by Masquerade Ball and Shohei to win by three-quarters of a length.

“I felt it was my responsibility to make Croix Du Nord a Derby winner ever since the colt won the Hopeful Stakes, so my feeling now is that I am relieved to have accomplished by mission.

“The colt felt great today and I was able to come into the race with every confidence so victory itself came as no surprise to me. The break was smooth and after that I was concentrating on keeping him in a comfortable rhythm more so than what position he was sitting in. In the stretch run, he responded really well and, as I’ve said, I had every confidence in the colt and drove him on, believing that he would make it to the wire a winner,” winning rider Yuichi Kitamura told media.

Breeding

Croix Du Nord is out of the British-bred Cape Cross mare Rising Cross who won the Group 3 Park Hill Stakes and was third in the Darley Irish Oaks in a busy 11-race season at three for John Best.

The second, Masquerade Ball, secured a good position in mid-field with the eventual winner running a few lengths in front.

Ryusei Sakai guided the colt further out for a clear run into the stretch where the son of Duramente found a terrific turn of foot to close in on the eventual winner while overtaking both Shohei (Christophe Lemaire) and Satono Shining (Yutaka Take) to secure second place, but the line came just as he was short of reaching the winner.

Shohei saved ground along the rails before shifting out slightly coming into the straight to follow the eventual winner and ran on gamely to overtake Satono Shining in the last strides to secure third place.

The 2000 Guineas winner Museum Mile could only finish sixth this time.