The visitors were once again humbled by the locals in the 44th running of Sunday’s Group 1 Longines Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo Racecourse.
Before a huge crowd of devoted fans, the legendary Yutaka Take came from last on the favourite Do Deuce (Heart's Cry) to gradually wear down the dead-heaters, Shin Emperor (FR) (Siyouni) and Durezza (Duramente) by a neck.
It was a record fifth Japan Cup for the 55yo Take and a first for trainer Yasuo Tomomichi.
The best of the visitors was Goliath (GER), who was 6th; the retiring Auguste Rodin (IRE) was 8th; and Fantastic Moon (GER) was 11th.
Fourth behind Equinox (JPN) in the feature twelve months ago, Do Deuce earned a fifth win at the elite level.
The son of Heart’s Cry won the Asahi Hai Futurity at two in 2021, the Tokyo Yushun in 2022, the Arima Kinen in 2023 and preceded his Japan Cup triumph with a convincing win in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
It was the third Japan Cup for Heart’s Cry after Suave Richard and Cheval Grand. The son of Sunday Silence died in 2023.
Do Deuce is the best of six winners from seven to race for the Grade II Gallant Bloom Hcp winner Dust And Diamonds who was runner-up in Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint before selling to $900,000 by Borges Torrealba Holdings at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale, and was subsequently sold to Katsumi Yoshida for $1,000,000, in foal to Pioneerof the Nile at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale.
Dust and Diamonds is the dam of a 2-year-old colt by Real Steel that was purchased for a sale-topping 94.6 million yen as a foal at the 2022 Northern Farm Mixed Sale.
Dust And Diamonds had a filly by Silver State in 2023, and her colt by Contrail sold for 286 million yen at the Northern Farm Sale in October.
