'Diamond' Aims to Make the Cut in Osaka Hai

Satono Diamond | Horsephotos

The 2016 G1 Japanese St. Leger hero Satono Diamond (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) makes his second start of the season in the G1 Osaka Hai over 2000 metres at Hanshin on Sunday. One of four in the race for trainer Yasutoshi Ikee in addition to 2017 G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas winner Al Ain (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Nov. 19 G1 Mile Championship victor Persian Knight (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) and MGSW Satono Noblesse (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the 5-year-old ran third in the G2 Kinko Sho to 2017 G1 Japanese Derby second Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and Satono Noblesse in his seasonal bow at Chukyo on Mar. 11. After his Classic win in October of 2016, Satono Diamond won the G1 Arima Kinen that December at Nakayama and followed up in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten last March. Third in the G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) a month later, he was unplaced in Chantilly's G2 Prix Foy and in the Oct. 1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

“His breathing was good after the Kinko Sho and much better than it had been in France,” Ikee said, of the horse who was diagnosed with laryngeal hemiplegia, also known as roaring. “He also was ok mentally, which I'd been concerned about. Things are looking much brighter.”

The quartet face stiff competition in the form of Nov. 26 G1 Japan Cup scorer Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), whose owner Kazuhiro Sasuki's Vivlos (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) ran second in the G1 Dubai Turf on Dubai World Cup night. He rolled a pair of threes–in the G2 Kyoto Daishoten behind Smart Layer (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) on Oct. 9 and in Christmas Eve's G1 Arima Kinen–on either side of his Japan Cup win.

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