Contrail Becomes the Third Undefeated Winner of the Japanese Triple Crown

Mark Smith - Sunday October 25

He needed to dig deep in Sunday’s Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) at Kyoto, but it was mission accomplished for the superstar Contrail who became the third undefeated Triple Crown winner in JRA history.

Ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga for trainer Yoshito Yahagi, Contrail hooked with Christophe Lemaire on Aristoteles (Epiphaneia) and the pair set down for a thrilling length of the straight battle.

Every time it looked that Aristoteles had his measure, Contrail found a little more.

Advertisement

The champion son of Deep Impact won by a neck from Aristoteles with another on of Deep Impact,      Satono Flag a further three and a half lengths back in third.

Now undefeated in six career starts, Contrail joins Symboli Rudolf (1984) and his sire Deep Impact (2005) to win the Triple Crown undefeated and the eighth colt to win all three titles, which begins with Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).

Yuichi Fukunaga said the menacing presence of Aristoteles gave his mount little time to relax.

“I can’t say that I was successful in keeping him relaxed during the race with so much pressure from Aristoteles,” he said.

“It turned out to be a tough race for us with Aristoteles looking quite strong and persistent. This race may not have been his best performance, but I kept my faith in Contrail and he certainly showed how strong he is to have maintained his position up to the end of the 3,000-metre trip.”

A homebred for North Hill Farm’s Shinji Maeda, Contrail is a son of the perennial champion sire Deep Impact out of the Unbridled's Song mare Rhodochrosite, who was a $385,000 Keeneland September Sale yearling purchase by Koji Maeda, who was placed in four of her seven starts in Japan.

Rhodochrosite is a daughter of the Tiznow mare Folklore who was honoured as the champion American two-year-old filly of 2005 following her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Rhodochrosite has a yearling colt from the final full crop of Deep Impact and a colt foal by Heart’s Cry.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Top Filly Beats Top Colt in G1 Prix Morny
The Group I Prix Morny (1200m) at Deauville overnight produced a mightly clash between unbeaten Starspangled banner colt Gstaad and unbeaten filly Venetian Sun with the filly prevailing, although Starspangledbanner got some consolation with a new G3 winning 2YO at Goodwood.
Merchant Navy 3YO Primed for Spring Stakes Campaign
Cody Cole is happy to play a waiting game with Landlock before confirming the three-year-old’s main goals for the season.
Hard To Cross swoops to Valley win
Six-year-old gelding Hard To Cross was aided by the three-kilo claim of Rose Hammond as the Kiwi bred landed his first victory of the preparation when landing the Ascend Sales Trophies Handicap (1523m).
Deep Impact's Contrail a Class Above in Japanese Derby
For a fleeting second at around the 300 metre mark in Sunday’s Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), Damian Lane on Salios must have thought he was half a chance of upsetting the favourite Contrail but a couple of backhanders by Yuichi Fukunaga on the exquisite black son of Deep Impact settled the matter in a few strides and he went sailing into the distance to keep his record at a perfect five for
First Southern Hemisphere foals for Paddington
A four-time Group I winner by champion French sire Siyouni, European superstar, PADDINGTON, has had his first Southern Hemisphere foals arrive on the ground at Windsor Park.
Idyllic Prince Stakes - Phanta Leads a Sweet Trifecta for Gingerbread Man
Yarradale Stud's senior stallion Gingerbread Man achieved a rare career high for any sire when the son of Shamardal provided the trifecta in Saturday's Listed Idyllic Prince Stakes over 1300m at Belmont Park.
First Stakes Success For Cafe Millenium
While having just turned 5, former Sydneysider Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt), who now calls Lindsay Park home, broke through for his first black type victory on Saturday, winning the Listed SAJC Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville in impressive fashion.
Bates gets creative at The Valley
Six-year-old gelding The Creator led throughout to claim the Ladbrokes Top 2/3/4 Betting Handicap (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday under a perfect Logan Bates ride.
Contrail Prevails in the Battle of the Titans
The highly anticipated clash between two star three year old colts yet to taste defeat, the Deep Impact colt Contrail and the Heart’s Cry colt Salios, lived up to all expectations in an epic renewal of the Group 1 The Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (2000m) at Nakayama on Sunday.
Inglis Ready2Race Sale Now Online
The strongest collection of sire power ever assembled for an Australian 2YO Sale will be offered at the Inglis Ready2Race Sale, for which the catalogue is now available online.