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Third Time Lucky For Gold Ship

3 minute read

It was third time lucky when Gold Ship made up for two previous losses in the 151st running of the Tenno Sho Spring at Kyoto on Sunday.

Gold Ship
Gold Ship Picture: Japan Racing Association

Ridden by Norihiro YUokoyama for trainer Naosuke Sugai, Gold Ship put it all together to atone for his defeats as an odds-on favourite behind Fenomeno two years ago when fifth and another loss behind when seventh that that same horse last year.

A noted bad barrier horse, Gold Ship was refusing to load and had to be blindfolded into the gate

He was then ridden from the rear by Yokoyama after a customary slow start before he moved up stylishly down the back straight to sit just off the leaders.

He got to the leader Curren Mirotic inside the final furlong and had plenty left as Fame Game surged late to grab second from the tiring pacemaker.

“I just concentrated on following the pace and was careful not to turn him off,”Yokoyama said.

"In the straight he really showed his stamina and perseverance. He's often said to be unsuited to Kyoto but I think it's just that he needs a skilled rider to guide him."

Gold Ship has now won six G1 titles during his career and is racing better than ever, having claimed a third consecutive victory in the Hanshin Daishoten in March.

His next target is to become the first horse in JRA history to claim three consecutive G1 victories in the coming Takarazuka Kinen in June.

Naosuke Sugai reached a milestone of 10 JRA G1 victories with the win while jockey Yokoyama won his 24th G1 title.

Race favourite Kizuna sat well behind and trailed in last after following the winner towards the front group along the backstretch.

Racing and Sports

Kyoto

Sunday, 03rd May 2015

11

TENNO SHO(SPRING) (G1)

Age: 4yo and up Type: OPEN
JPY ¥291,160,000
3200m TURF FIRM
11
JPY ¥291,160,000
3200m FIRM

TENNO SHO(SPRING) (G1)

Age: 4yo and up Type: OPEN

Installed as second favorite despite two unsuccessful Tennno Sho (Spring) starts in 2013 and 2014 in which he finished fifth and seventh, respectfully, Gold Ship responded by claiming his sixth career G1 title. His victory, which followed his third consecutive victory in the Hanshin Daishoten last March, raises high hopes towards his next target in becoming the first horse in JRA history to claim three consecutive G1 victories (flat racing) in the coming Takarazuka Kinen in June. Trainer Naosuke Sugai reached a milestone of 10 JRA-G1 victories with the win while jockey Norihiro Yokoyama won his 24th title—the latest being in last year’s Takarazuka Kinen for both. Slow into the pace after refusing to load and having to be blindfolded into the gate, the Stay Gold entire trailed well off the pace set by Courir Kaiser. The field that had formed a long line got closer as the field passed the first 1,000 meters at a moderate pace and the leader eased the pace even more for a breather. Veteran jockey Norihiro Yokoyama, who had partnered Gold Ship for most of the 2014 season after the gray’s flop in his second Tenno Sho (Spring) including their victory in the Takarazuka Kinen, rode him for the first time since their unsuccessful overseas challenge in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and was careful to take his time to set his difficult mount into the mood as he urged the talented stayer to make an early move along the outside. Already among the front group going downhill past the third corner and taking a smart turn into the center lane for home and in full gear, Gold Ship moved up alongside Curren Mirotic who had taken command turning for home and looked poised to win until being hooked in the last 50 meters, then held off Fame Game who came charging along the outside for a neck victory. “I was thinking of going front if he started well which obviously was not the case. From there on I just concentrated on following the pace and careful not to turn him off. In the straight, he really showed his stamina and perseverance. He’s often said to be unsuited to Kyoto Racecourse but I think it’s just that he’s not a handy type of horse and needs a skilled rider to guide him,” commented Norihiro Yokoyama。 Fame Game was rated between horses in mid-field, was caught behind rivals as the field increased speed before the third corner and met traffic again turning for home, having to angle out for a clear path. He showed a powerful turn of foot to just miss by a neck. Curren Mirotic chased the leader in second or third along the rails for most of the trip, overtook the tired leader 600 meters out and into the homestretch, and ran on gamely up until the last strides for third. Race favorite Kizuna sat well behind and trailed in last after being taken over by Gold Ship soon after the first 1,000 meter-call. Followed the eventual winner towards the front group along the backstretch but failed to improve after reaching mid-pack while turning wide for home.

FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 1. GOLD SHIP (JPN) 6yo H
STAY GOLD (JPN) - POINT FLAG (JPN)
N YOKOYAMA
N SUGAI
$5.6
58kg
Kobayashi Eiichi Holdings LLC.
2nd 14. FAME GAME (JPN) 5yo G
HEART'S CRY (JPN) - HALL OF FAME (JPN)
H KITAMURA
Y MUNAKATA
$23.6
58kg
Sunday Racing Co. Ltd.
3rd 2. CURREN MIROTIC (JPN) 7yo G
HEART'S CRY (JPN) - STAR MIE (USA)
M EBINA
O HIRATA
$31.5
58kg
Takashi Suzuki
4th 4. LAST IMPACT (JPN) 5yo H
DEEP IMPACT (JPN) - SUPERIOR PEARL (JPN)
YUGA KAWADA
H MATSUDA
$13.5
58kg
5th 3. NEO BLACK DIA (JPN) 7yo H
ZENNO ROB ROY (JPN) - ORANGE PARADISE (JPN)
S AKIYAMA
Y SHIKATO
$192.8
58kg
6th 6. HOKKO BRAVE (JPN) 7yo H
MARVELOUS SUNDAY (JPN) - HOKKO MEMORY (JPN)
H MIYUKI
YASUTOSHI MATSUNAGA
$32.6
58kg
7th 13. KIZUNA (JPN) 5yo H
DEEP IMPACT (JPN) - CATEQUIL (CAN)
YUTAKA TAKE
SHUICHI SASAKI
$4.3
58kg
8th 10. LOVELY DAY (JPN) 5yo H
KING KAMEHAMEHA (JPN) - POPCORN JAZZ (JPN)
CHRISTOPHE LEMAIRE
Y IKEE
$25.9
58kg
9th 15. SOUNDS OF EARTH (JPN) 4yo H
NEO UNIVERSE (JPN) - FIRST VIOLIN (USA)
H UCHIDA
K FUJIOKA
$7.2
58kg
10th 12. DENIM AND RUBY (JPN) 5yo M
DEEP IMPACT (JPN) - VENENCIADOR (JPN)
S HAMANAKA
KATSUHIKO SUMII
$27.3
56kg
11th 11. HULA BRIDE (JPN) 6yo M
GOLD ALLURE (JPN) - HIKARU CARINA (JPN)
MANABU SAKAI
K KIHARA
$110.2
56kg
12th 16. WIN VARIATION (JPN) 7yo H
HEART'S CRY (JPN) - SUPER BALLERINA (CAN)
Y FUKUNAGA
MIKIO MATSUNAGA
$16.8
58kg
13th 7. TOSEN ARNICA (JPN) 5yo M
MEISHO SAMSON (JPN) - CECILE BLUES (JPN)
K IKEZOE
TETSUYA KIMURA
$204.8
56kg
14th 5. TAMAMO BEST PLAY (JPN) 5yo H
FUJI KISEKI (JPN) - HOT PLAY (JPN)
AKIHIDE TSUMURA
K MINAI
$142.2
58kg
15th 17. ADMIRE DEUS (JPN) 4yo H
ADMIRE DON (JPN) - ROYAL CARD (JPN)
Y IWATA
M HASHIDA
$6.4
58kg
16th 9. COURIR KAISER (JPN) 6yo H
KING HALO (JPN) - SMILE CONTEST (JPN)
HIRONOBU TANABE
I AIZAWA
$56.2
58kg
17th 8. SUZUKA DEVIOUS (JPN) 4yo H
KING KAMEHAMEHA (JPN) - SUZUKA LAURENT (JPN)
Y FUJIOKA
M HASHIDA
$60
58kg

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