By Sam Turner -
Veteran rider Norihiro Yokoyama rolled back the years to claim a third Japanese Derby (Tokyo Yushun) victory and become the oldest jockey to win the Group 1 feature when steering Danon Delice to a stylish victory.
At 56 years of age, the winning pilot broke Yutaka Take’s record and needed to call on his extensive experience in a modestly run affair when tight for room in the Tokyo straight.
Yokoyama and his willing partner, an 11th hour withdrawal from the Satsuki Sho recently, were locked on the rail for much of the 2400m event and, as the field straightened for home and the tempo quickened, they were temporarily short of a little racing room.
However, the wily Yokoyama bided his time and, as soon as a narrow gap materialized on the rail, he asked his mount to lengthen and optimize their opportunity.
The reaction was virtually instant as Danon Delice took a length or two out of his field and, once the duo were free of their rivals, there was no catching trainer Shogo Yasuda’s three-year-old.
A delighted Yokoyama said: “I thought that the pace would be normal or slow since there were no horses that wanted to set the pace, but as Ecoro Walz took the front, we were able to wait in good position until the straight, and the horse responded strongly from there.”
Referring to the late withdrawal of Danon Delice from the Satsuki Sho due to lameness in his right foreleg, Yokoyama added: “I’m happy to have won the Derby but I’m also glad that my decision to not race him in the Satsuki Sho was not wrong.
“Danon Decile is a horse with great potential, and we knew that he would be a great horse if we took good care of him. I’m really grateful to the horse.”
