By Brian Sheerin
Japanese Derby winner Danon Decile (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) announced himself on the world stage with a perfectly-timed slingshot manoeuvre to run out an impressive winner of the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic for trainer Shogo Yasuda and jockey Keita Tosaki. The race is a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf for the first time this year.
A mid-race move from William Buick saw defending champion Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) take over the sedate early pace set by what had been billed as the leading Japanese contender in Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).
And it looked as though Rebel's Romance, who was bidding to become the first horse to win back-to-back Sheema Classics, might actually have stolen a march on his rivals as he turned into the straight and took a length or two out of the field.
But Tosaki was wise to what was going on up front. He sent Danon Decile after Rebel's Romance and took over the lead inside the furlong marker and was always doing enough in front to hold the fast-finishing heavy favourite Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) [5-4 fav] in second. Durezza (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) got up for third in the dying strides to deny Rebel's Romance a podium finish.
“He's a very, very good horse,” said Tosaki, a three-time champion jockey in Japan. “There was huge pressure on me so it's fantastic to win this race. For the people watching at home in Japan so late, I am so happy, thank you so much.”
Tosaki added, “He was excited before the race but he settled when he got into the stall. He ran a great race, travelled really well on the bridle. I expected him to run a similar race to the Tokyo Yushun [Japanese Derby] and he did it. I knew the field was very strong but I thought Danon Decile was competitive. I am delighted we proved his ability here in Dubai.”
Meanwhile, Francis Graffard, trainer of Calandagan, was focusing on the positives following the race.
“He was slow out of the stalls and he takes so much time to get into his rhythm,” Graffard said. “Mickael said during the race he was happy they weren't going faster because he needed to get going. I don't have any excuses. In the straight we were following the winner and he had the first kick. He came really fast at the end. It was a very good start of the season for him. The plan is to go to Epsom for the Coronation Cup with him, but we'll see how he comes back from Dubai. It's a very good run and Mickael will know him more for the future, too.”
Pedigree Notes
Danon Decile was bred by Shadai Farm and is one of the top performers by the brilliant Japan St Leger and Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia (Jpn). A Japanese Derby winner himself, Danon Decile is the fourth foal out of the American-bred mare Top Decile (Congrats) and a half-brother to Japanese winners Top The Bill (Jpn) (American Pharoah) and Statistics (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). Top Decile was twice placed at Grade I level in America and was a $950,000 purchase by Shadai Farm at the Keeneland November Sale in 2017.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
LONGINES DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC-G1, $6,000,000, Meydan, 4-5, 3yo/up, 12f 11yT, 2:27.05, gd.
1–DANON DECILE (JPN), 126, c, 4, by Epiphaneia (Jpn)
1st Dam: Top Decile (MGISP-US, $491,744), by Congrats
2nd Dam: Sequoia Queen, by Forestry
3rd Dam: Barefoot Dyana, by Dynaformer
(¥135,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHJUL). O-Danox Inc.; B-Shadai Farm
(JPN); T-Shogo Yasuda; J-Keita Tosaki; $3,480,000. Lifetime
Record: Ch. 3yo Colt-Jpn, G1SW-Jpn, 9-5-0-1, $7,178,900,000.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Calandagan (Ire), 126, g, 4, Gleneagles (Ire)–Calayana (Fr), by
Sinndar (Ire). O/B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (IRE); T-Francis-
Henri Graffard. $1,200,000.
3–Durezza (Jpn), 127, h, 5, Duramente (Jpn)–More Than Sacred
(Aus), by More Than Ready. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm;
T-Tomohito Ozeki. $600,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 3/4, NK.
Also Ran: Rebel's Romance (Ire), Giavellotto (Ire), Cervinia (Jpn), Shin Emperor (Fr), Deira Mile (Ire), Calif (Ger).
Click for the ERA chart & video.
runners in a league of their own!
simply sublime in the @Longines Dubai Sheema Classic ⭐️#DWC25 | @emirates pic.twitter.com/CQEs8DRbsE
— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) April 5, 2025
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
