By Heather Anderson
Last Year's Japanese Derby hero Danon Decile (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) kicked off his redemption tour with a three-quarter length tally in the 2200-metre G2 American Jockey Club Cup at Nakayama on Sunday. He out-footed the stalking-turned-stretch leader Matenro Leo (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), with the closing Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn) (Al Ain {Jpn}) only a nose back in third.
Favoured on Sunday, he soon secured a well-rated perch in seventh as the field sped right-handed into the first turn. Auswahl (Jpn) (Novellist {Ire}) kept a firm advantage through the first 1400 metres, but soon succumbed to Chuck Nate (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) shortly before the 1600-metre mark. Danon Decile was also under a drive 400-metres from home and spun wide off the far turn. He closed resolutely as Matenro Leo took over with Cosmo Kuranda pressing, before gliding on by that duo for the win.
Knocking heads with some of Japan's best last season, the colt won the G3 Keisei Hai, before a win in the G1 Tokyo Yushun. Given a lengthy break, he returned with a sixth-place effort in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) in October. Third in the G1 Arima Kinen (Grand Prix) over this course in December, the chestnut was back to his best on Sunday.
Pedigree Notes
Shadai Stallion Station's Epiphaneia has sired 19 stakes winners, 16 at group level. In addition to today's winner, he has six additional Group 1 scorers, among them the top-notch Efforia (Jpn) and Japanese Fillies Triple Crown winner Daring Tact (Jpn).
The colt, bought for ¥135,000,000 (€824,494) at the JRHA Select Sale as a yearling by Danox Company out of the Shadai Farm draft, is the fourth foal for GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Alcibiades Stakes runner-up Top Decile (Congrats). One of three winners for his dam, his latest half-siblings include the 3-year-old colt Brain True (Jpn) (Isla Bonita {Jpn}), a 2-year-old colt by Maurice (Jpn), and a yearling colt by Hot Rod Charlie. She was covered by Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) last spring. Top Decile was purchased by Shadai Farm for $950,000 carrying eventual winner Top The Bill (Jpn) (American Pharoah) out of the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
Sunday, Nakayama, Japan
AMERICAN JOCKEY CLUB CUP-G2, ¥120,340,000, Nakayama, 1-26, 4yo/up, 2200mT, 2:12.10, fm.
1—DANON DECILE (JPN), 128, c, 4, 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 JRHAJUL). O-Danox Inc.; B-Shadai Farm
(Jpn); T-Shogo Yasuda; J-Keita Tosaki; ¥63,288,000. Lifetime:
G1SW-Jpn, 8-4-0-1, ¥575,774,000. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Matenro Leo (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Heart's Cry (Jpn)–Saratoga
Venus (Jpn), by Brian's Time. O-Chiyono Terada; B-Inoke Farm
(Jpn); ¥25,368,000.
3–Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn), 126, c, 4, Al Ain (Jpn)–Southern Speed
(Aus), by Southern Image. O/B-Big Red Farm (Jpn);
¥16,184,000.
Margins: 3/4, NS, 2HF. Odds: 1.60, 23.30, 6.40.
Also Ran: Boldog Hos (Jpn), Lilac (Jpn), Byzasntine Dream (Jpn), Born This Way (Jpn), Echt (Jpn), Meiner Chrysola (Jpn), Deep Monster (Jpn), Karate (Jpn), Lebensstil (Jpn), Chuck Nate (Jpn), Arata (Jpn), Potager (Jpn), Nishino Revenant (Jpn), Ho O Reality (Jpn), Auswahl (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.
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