JAPANESE racing’s standing on the global stage is already sky-high, but a landmark first victory for the country in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Forever Young might just have taken the proud racing nation to new heights.

Yoshito Yahagi has been bold in campaigning his superstar four-year-old around the globe and earned his sweetest reward yet in going two places better than in the same race last year under regular rider Ryusei Sakai.

The 2024 hero Sierra Leone made a bold bid from off the pace to get within half a length of the 7/2 winner, but the star of this year’s Saudi Cup was in no mood to be denied and came out on top by half a length. Fierceness, sent off the 17/5 favourite, was a further length back in third and didn’t appear to have many obvious excuses.

“We plan to go to Saudi maybe next year. I like to challenge all over the world for big races, and I'd like to win all of them,” said Yahagi. “We'd love to challenge again Dubai World Cup for revenge.”

Winning owner Susumu Fujita was asked where this ranks in his biggest days in racing, and said: “This is my dream. Also, Fierceness and Sierra Leone will be retired, so this is the last chance against these two guys together. It was my dream to beat these two horses, so it's a dream come true.”

Super Speech

Shortly after on the card, Charlie Appleby, William Buick and Godolphin struck in the Breeders’ Cup Mile courtesy of 13/5 favourite Notable Speech. Like Forever Young, he was going two places better than his third in the Mile 12 months ago.

From an Irish perspective, The Lion In Winter ran with credit to be placed in his fourth Group 1 of the year in third, but he had no answer to the winner’s impressive turn of foot - taking advantage of a gorgeous opening down the rail.

Appleby, who noted that Notable Speech may stay in training next year, said: “He's a horse we've always thought highly of. He came here and had a great trip around there and was comfortable the whole way. He was following the right horse and I knew The Lion In Winter would take him into the race from where he was. We were always waiting for the cutaway-that's all it was. He had to get out and get on that fence and ride that rail, but he's the right horse to do with that, you know.

“Last year, he was the highest-profile horse we ever brought here. He is tailor-made for this track and I know he's had to learn how to run it, but the experience around Woodbine was the making of it to come into a race like today. Then Will's ride around there was copybook. If you could ever wrote a script on how to go around there, that was how.”

A Graffard gem

There was also a slice of history in the final race of the week, the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, for Francis Graffard, as Gezora provided the trainer with his first win at the meeting - and a marvellous 13th Group 1/Grade 1 win of the year.

It was a highly likeable display from the mount of Mickael Barzalona, carrying the colours of Peter Brandt’s White Birch Farm, to secure the victory by half a length from She Feels Pretty given she was returning from finishing down the field in the Arc when last seen.

Graffard said of the 91/10 winner: “The Arc was 17 runners, a very strong field, soft ground and a mile and a half. It's a different journey, but she was way too far back in the race and made a move. I was hoping she came out really well and she did. She's a very sweet filly and she tries very hard. She's not complicated, so she helps us do the job.

“Today she proved she's a real champion. She's a classic winner in the Prix de Diane and now a Breeders' Cup winner, which is amazing, and I don't think many fillies have this on their CV.”

He added: “This is a meeting I've always loved and tried to win one, but it's very hard. I saw that again today how hard it is and you really need a horse like Gezora, who has a big heart, travels really strongly and is able to quicken. She's a champion filly and it's fantastic to win a race like that, especially for Mr Brant in his famous colours.”