Odds-on favourite Gentildonna, ridden by three-time British champion jockey Ryan Moore, became the first back-to-back winner of the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse yesterday.
The four-year-old filly, winless in her three previous starts, was in third or fourth position until the last corner before breaking off to win the 2,400 metre turf race in a photo finish, bagging US$2.5 million in prizemoney.
She beat another Japanese filly Denim and Ruby, ridden by Japanese jockey Suguru Hamanaka, by a nose. Tosen Jordan of Japan finished third by a neck in the 33rd running of Japan's richest race with a purse of US$5.2 million.
Gentildonna, Japan's reigning horse of the year, clocked 2 minutes 26.1 seconds in a slow race led out by third favourite Eishin Flash, who faded to finish 10th. Second pick Gold Ship slumped to 15th.
There were four foreign entrants with France's Dunaden and Uncoiled fifth and eighth. Two Irish entries, Simenon and Joshua Tree, finished 13th and last in a field of 17 respectively.
Simenon was among the field announced for the Longines Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) on December 8, following in the footsteps of past Vase winners Red Cadeaux (2012), Ouija Board (2005) and Phoenix Reach (2004) who were also unplaced in the Japan Cup, but Hong Kong Jockey Club officials were waiting to confirm last night that the Willie Mullins-trained galloper was still an intended runner.
Officials have approached the connections of 2011 Vase winner Dunaden to take the final position in the event Simenon does not run, but early indications last night were the French raider would stay in Japan to tackle the Arima Kinen in late December.
"I was very lucky to be asked to ride her," Moore said after his first ride on Gentildonna. "She's a very special filly."
Moore, 30, the British flat-racing champion jockey in 2006, 2008 and 2009, said Gentildonna wanted to be "out front a little bit early. She's very tough and fought very well."
Although Gentildonna, last year's triple crown winner, had not won this year, she was "always in the first two or three", Moore said. "She's obviously a very straightforward filly."
Gentildonna has won eight of her 13 starts, with earnings topping 1.1 billion yen (US$11 million).
