The Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) was held over 2000m at Tokyo racecourse today, and 2004 Satsuki Sho victor, Daiwa Major won the race, to win his first Grade 1 in 2 1/2 years, and his first at Tokyo racecourse, after several unsuccessful attempts.
The race was considered an open affair, with Daiwa Major sent out 4th favorite - the favorite for the race being the 5yo mare Sweep Tosho. As expected, 4yo Inti Raimi led the field for the first 1600m, but Daiwa Major had sat behind him in 2nd place during the run, and as the horses entered the straight, it was clear that Inti Raimi was a spent force. The well performed Dance in the Mood ranged up outside Daiwa Major as the horses came down the straight, but jockey Katsumi Ando had a lap full of horse, and held Daiwa Major together before asking him for an effort at around the 300m mark. Dance in the Mood was quickly under pressure and began to drop off.
3yo Sakura Mega Wonder came down the inside of the track, but could make no ground on the leader, and although Sweep Tosho and Tokyo specialist Asakusa Den'en made up ground down the outside, it was clear the leader still had plenty to give. Daiwa Major was still clear with 100m to go, and although Norihiro Yokoyama tried to level up on fellow 5yo Sunday Silence colt Swift Current, and Yutaka Take weaved a passage through the field on fancied (2nd favorite) 3yo Admire Moon, they couldn't catch Daiwa Major in the run to the line.
The final margins were Daiwa Major winning by a 1/2 length to Swift Current, with Admire Moon another 3/4 length away in 3rd place. The internationally performed NAR horse Cosmo Bulk battled away for 4th, and favorite Sweep Tosho came in 5th.
There was drama prior to the race when first Trillion Cut was scratched after smashing through the running rail when coming on the track, and then Company was forced to start from the very outside barrier after playing up in the barriers.
Daiwa Major is owned by Keizo Oshiro, and was bred at Shadai Farm as a son of Sunday Silence out of one of Shadai's best performed mares Scarlet Bouquet. He was ridden by Katsumi Ando, and is trained by Hiroyuki Uehara.
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