By Sam Turner -
Late maturer Blow the Horn ploughed through the Kyoto mud to record a famous first G1 win for trainer Tatsuya Yoshioka and jockey Akira Sugawara in the Takarazuka Kinen.
Having taken nine starts to shed his maiden tag for former handler Ejii Nakano, the five-year-old was switched to Yoshioka when his counterpart retired earlier this season and his fortunes have taken an upturn since.
Having finished runner-up on his second start for new connections in the Tenno Sho (Spring) in April, Blow the Horn was a well-fancied third favourite in the international markets to record a first top-level success in the 2200m feature and the confidence was well founded.
A patient Sugawara had nothing to do with the early gallop, breaking smoothly from stall 12 before settling his mount off the pace as the field shunned the inside rail looking for better ground on a track which was more testing than usual.
As the field entered the uphill climb in the backstretch, the Epiphaneia bay edged forward from the outside, swept into the straight taking the widest route before passing his rivals one by one in the lane before taking the front 100m from home to complete a comfortable two-length victory.
It was a smart tactical manouevre from Sugawara whose challenge wide and late meant Blow the Horn’s powerful late kick was irrestible with his closing sectional time representing the tied fastest three furlongs of the race.
A delighted winning rider, scoring for the first time at the top level since he took out a licence in 2019, explained: “We were able to win the race because the horse ran really hard despite the heavy going.
“Although we were positioned further back than planned and took the widest route, the horse seemed to have plenty of strength left when we turned the fourth corner so I urged him to go at the stretch and he responded with a remarkable turn of speed.”
Dubai Turf fifth Do Deuce, last year’s Arima Kinen winner and sent off market leader, was having his first race for three months and acquitted himself creditably under Yutaka Take as conditions were softer than ideal.
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