Ryan Moore shines aboard Vela Azul to lift Japan Cup

Ryan Moore was at his brilliant best as he defied traffic problems aboard Vela Azul to win the Japan Cup for a second time in Tokyo.

The 7-2 third-favourite found himself in an impossible position with two furlongs to run, but Moore conjured up a bit of magic aboard the five-year-old to weave his way to the front. And his mount was more than up for the challenge once finding daylight storming clear of the Cristian Demuro-ridden favourite Shahryar in the closing stages.

Moore, who also landed the prize aboard Gentildonna in 2013, was riding for first-time Japan Cup winner Kunihiko Watanabe in the mile-and-a-half showpiece, with Vela Azul rising rapidly through the ranks for Watanabe since switched to turf.

Arriving here on the back of a Grade Two success at Hanshin, he proved equal to the test of Japan’s richest race.

“The pace was rather slow, but my horse has a good late charge and I trusted him to make a good run,” said the winning trainer. “He was in good condition coming into this race, but he exceeded our expectation.

“He is a five-year-old, but he gets better and better and still has room for improvement. The reason for racing him on dirt early in his career was because he had leg issues (fractures) as a young colt and in order to race him with less risk he was raced on dirt.

“However, I did think he had an aptitude to race well on turf and it was only a matter of timing as to when to shift to turf racing,”

Moore added: “I was very lucky to ride a talented horse. The pace was very steady for the Japan Cup. The horse never had much room, but when he did he quickened up very well so he was very impressive today.

“The horse in front was having to wait and I was having to wait (too), and when he found a bit of room he quickened up very well.”

Fellow British rider Tom Marquand finished fourth aboard Daring Tact, while French-trained duo Grand Glory and Onesto fared best of the small group of European raiders, finishing sixth and seventh respectively.