Japan Cup: No joy for O'Brien as Contrail bows out in style

Contrail bowed out in style on Sunday with a smooth victory in the 41st running of the Grade One Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse.

Last year’s Japanese Triple Crown winner was ridden handy by Yuichi Fukunaga before he produced a brilliant burst of speed in the home straight, with runner-up Authority two lengths adrift at the line.

Aidan O’Brien’s contenders were unable to land a blow, with Japan finishing eighth, and Broome trailing in eleventh under Ryan Moore, while French mare Grand Glory fared best of the three European challengers in fifth under Cristian Demuro.

“All I have now is mixed feelings of relief and lonesomeness," Contrail's trainer Yoshito Yahagi told Japan Racing afterwards.

"In the colt’s latest start (Tenno Sho(Autumn)), he broke poorly so I told him, while he was walking in the paddock earlier, to stay calm at the start. It worried me a bit since the pace was slow and he wasn’t in that good a position, but we had tuned him up to perfection and the colt gave us all he had in the straight. I have to admit I was under a lot of pressure during the two years he was at my stable, but I think it has helped me in becoming more mature,and I can’t thank him enough.

"Wouldn’t it be wonderful to win the Arc with an offspring of his someday?”

Winning-jockey Fukunaga said: “The colt had issues before his debut, so there were always concerns about his form, but I am so proud of how he proved himself today—I’m overwhelmed. All I did today was believe in him. He broke well and everything went just perfectly.

"He has given me every jockey’s dream and I am utterly grateful. The colt shone a bright light over a gloomy year due to the pandemic last season. I’m relieved that we can send him off to his next career with this victory."

Japan broke sharply from his outside draw but was eased back to midfield behind Grand Glory. The son of Galileo attempted to make his bid, and was level with Contrail turning for home, but was unable to cause a serious threat.

“The track may have been a bit too fast for this horse,” Patrick Keating, Aidan O’Brien’s travelling head lad, told Japan Racing. “He was able to secure a good spot but wasn’t able to keep up with the pace.”

Broome, on the other hand, was slowly away and crept into contention in the backstretch but failed to pick up when the pace quickened.

“He missed his break and that cost him,” said Keating. “He missed his break. The pace was slow, but he wasn’t able to pick up speed in the end,” added Ryan Moore.

Contrail, a colt by the late Deep Impact, had failed to get his head in front after winning the Japanese St Leger in October 2020 where he became Japanese racing's third undefeated Triple Crown winner, and was no match for Almond Eye when second in last year's Japan Cup.

His handler confirmed before the race that his four-year-old will follow in the footsteps of his sire when he embarks on a career at Shadai Stallion Station next year, and he retires with seven victories, five of those being Grade One contests, from ten starts next to his name.