Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (Group 1)

THE favourite Lovcen snatched a dramatic last stride victory in this year’s 18-runner Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) at Tyoko last Sunday.

He had won the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April in record time and became the 25th colt to notch both spring classics after Contrail in 2020.

The World Premiere (Deep Impact) colt, out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, had also won the Group 1 Hopeful Stakes as a two-year-old.

Trainer Haruki Sugiyama and jockey Kohei Matsuyama celebrated their first Derby title. The colt races for Forest Racing and was bred by Northern Farm.

Lovcen missed a step when breaking from the second farthest outside stall.

The colt, who claimed the Satsuki Sho in gate-to-wire style, was forced to settle in a wide position in mid-field this time, while Meisho Hachiko went to the front to seize the lead, and tailed closely by second-favourite and the Satsuki Sho runner-up, Realize Sirius.

Fourth-favourite Peintre Naif sat in mid-division, a length and a half in front of the eventual winner, as the field cruised down the backstretch into which Realize Sirius took over the lead early, dictating a moderate pace.

After heading the field into the straight, the Poetic Flare colt soon gave way a furlong and a half out to Basse Terre, who attempted to pull away while Peintre Naif (Christophe Lemaire) advanced with Lovcen at his heels, and the latter finished fastest.

As Basse Terre was caught in the final strides, Peintre Naif could not hold off the tenacious Lovcen, who really stretched out for his rider and lunged for the line as he poked his head in front at the wire.

True strength

“I still can’t believe I’m now a ‘Derby Jockey’. It was surreal coming back to the stands and being greeted by the enormous cheering crowd - I couldn’t hold back the tears. To be honest, I did feel the pressure, as odds-on favourite and the hopes of notching two-thirds of the Triple Crown, but I believed in the colt and he gave his best and showed his true strength today.

“We weren’t able to sit in the most ideal position due to the wide draw but, as in the Hopeful Stakes, Lovcen showed an incredible turn of foot, which proves his strength and versatility. He still has potential and we have a lot to look forward to,” jockey Kohei Matsuyama said to media afterwards.

Outsider Basse Terre ran a fine race, held back early, trailing in the rear, but made some rapid headway in the backstretch to chase the pace by the final turn, then rallied to lead again 300 metres out.

The son of Kitasan Black was denied in the final strides by the fast-closing Lovcen and Peintre Naif, while he was able to narrowly hold off Going To Sky by a nose for third place.