Going To Sky too strong

Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) (Group 1)

THE third favourite Going To Sky captured the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), over 3,000 metres (about 15 furlongs) at Kyoto last Sunday, and denied Lovcen a Triple Crown.

Sired by 2020 Triple Crown winner Contrail, the bay colt had a graded win and a fourth in the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) previously, but this victory marked the first Group 1 win for both his sire and trainer Yuki Uehara, who opened his yard in 2023.

It was another top-level win for famed veteran rider Yutaka Take, who won his 87th JRA-Group 1 title, his first since this year’s Takarazuka Kinen aboard Meisho Tabaru, and sixth Kikuka Sho triumph.

Going To Sky broke smoothly and took a ground-saving trip in mid-pack, while King Glory went far clear to set the pace. The frontrunner’s huge lead of nearly 20 lengths in the backstretch gradually dwindled as the field rounded the final bend.

Entering the straight, the Contrail colt was shifted a few paths off the rail, advanced through an opening to take command 100 metres out and surged to the wire, narrowly holding off the runner-up’s late charge to prevail by a nose.

“I’ve ridden this colt several times now, and I’d given a lot of thought to how best to ride him. He settled nicely in a good spot along the rail, and I felt we were in a very good rhythm. I decided to wait and make our move in the stretch. He ran a good race in the Derby, and I felt we had a good chance in the last leg of the Triple Crown,” commented Yutaka Take to media.

Strong favourite Lovcen broke poorly and was forced to sit among the trailing runners, fourth to fifth from the rear. Attempting to make up ground, the colt made rapid headway from the outside before the third corner and, although hitting the stretch in good striking position, the colt could not match the runs of his rivals and faded to 14th.

Outsider Basse Terre travelled near the rear up to the final turn, but with the fastest last three furlongs, the Kitasan Black colt kicked into gear bumping a rival in early stretch, then squeezed through a gap and unleashed a strong drive to the wire to threaten the eventual winner.