Tenno Sho (Spring) (Group 1)

THE winner of last weekend’s Group 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) obeyed those old race riding instructions, go out in front and keep improving your position.

That is what the second favourite Titleholder and his rider Kazuo Yokoyama did and victory was never in doubt over the 16-furlong distance.

Breaking sharply from a wide stall, Titleholder took command. The four-year-old son of Duramente continued to lead, widening the gap between the rest of the field by more than five lengths at one point.

He was the latest winner of the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) to go on to win the Tenno Sho (Spring).

Titleholder concluded his three-year-old season with a fifth in the Group 1 Arima Kinen and came off a win in his only start this year.

This win marked trainer Toru Kurita’s second JRA Group 1 win following last year’s Kikuka Sho success with this horse.

Jockey Kazuo Yokoyama was winning his first Group 1 in a race also won by his grandfather Tomio and father Norihiro.

While slowing down the pace at the backstretch, the bay colt produced an impressive turn of speed that marked the fastest last three furlongs to cross the line with an impressive seven-length margin.

He had more dangers from the riderless Silver Sonic than his opposition in the latter stages.

“I felt that he was in good form when I rode him in the post,” Kazuo Yokoyam said. We were able to slow down the pace in the backstretch to conserve his stamina and I was not worried about the horses behind us in the last stretch.

“I’m happy that I was able to win this race with Titleholder. I think he will get stronger and stronger going forward.”

Favourite

Favourite and last year’s runner-up Deep Bond, who won the Prix Foy at ParisLongchamp last season, broke well from the wide stall to race around fourth place.

The son of Kizuna made a bid to enter the straight in third, and his late charge overtook T O Royal 100 metres out to take second again.

T O Royal closed the gap between the leader to one and a half lengths at one stage but surrendered the runner-up spot in the final furlong, holding off the rest of the field by three and a half lengths.

It will be interesting to see what races the front running stayer is targeted at in the autumn if he comes to Europe.