Contrail wins Kikuka Sho Triple Crown St Leger in Japan

Contrail in action during the Satsuki Sho at Nakayama Race Course on April 19, 2020.

Photo credit: File | AFP

What you need to know:

  • It was a marvelously exciting St Leger for all those watching an outrageously fabulous thoroughbred.

Contrail (Yuichi Fukunaga 4-7), short-changed Aristoteles (Christophe Lemaire 22-1), in a first-class neck-to-necker, towards the Kikuka Sho Triple Crown St Leger post, in Kyoto, Japan.

Satono Flag (Keita Tosaki 9-1), and, Deep Bond (Ryuji Wada 20-1), were strong placers. Eighteen runners stepped on their peddles for the marathon Group One, over 1 7/8m, but nothing was going to overhaul Contrail's blasting in 3:05:5/10.

Such a magnificent horse, ridden to perfection by Yuichi Fukunaga. Contrail has now joined his father, Deep Imapact, as an undefeated Triple Crowner.

Yoshito Yahagi's, Contrail, settled smoothly mid-field, as Chimera Verite (Fuma Matsuwaka 50-1), set a smartish pace for a large proportion of the race, before tiring to last position.

Owned by Shinji Maeda, Contrail did have a modestly allowed audience of 1,000, which is better than most countries permit. Babbitt (Hiroyuki Ushida 16-1), received some commentary as he barrelled along, passing Chimer Verite, but then faded to tenth.

It was a marvelously exciting St Leger for all those watching an outrageously fabulous thoroughbred.

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Gear Up (James Doyle 3-1), is another for your note books as a Derby prospect, after dispatching Botanik (Mickael Barzalona 4-6), in Sunday's 2,000m Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Mark Johnston's Gear Up, sired by Teofilo, might go for the Dante at York as a Derby prep.

Tiger Tanaka (Jessica Marcialis 5-1), was definitely worth an each-way bet just settling for third behind the Aga Khan's, Makaloun (Christophe Soumillon 3-1).

Lovely race from Gear Up, although he looked a little green, not quite understanding his mission until closing arguments began.

Prior to this, Aidan O'Brien proudly won a fifth Criterium International with Van Gogh (Pierre-Charles Boudot 2-1), putting American Pharoah's son, right into Derby territory.

Have to say that Van Gogh is also a tad immature, not really getting the hang of what he should do when hitting front base. Normandy Bridge never gave up, taking second spot.

Roger Varian's Believe in Love (Mickael Barzalona 2-5), posted a warning to others as she skipped happily away with the Prix Belle de Nuit over 1.6 miles. Love is a word that features in many horse racing names.