Company wins the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1)

It took 34 races, but Company finally won the Grade 1 title that had eluded his career.

Eight-year-old Company became the 140th champion of the Tenno Sho (Autumn) on Sunday afternoon at Tokyo Racecourse, the fifth choice winning the 2,000-meter race in a record-tying time of 1 minute, 57.2 seconds.

The holder of that record and defending champion Vodka went off as the outstanding No. 1 choice, but jockey Yutaka Take's 5-year-old came in third almost two lengths behind the winner. Last year's Japan Cup champion Screen Hero took second as the seventh choice in a full field of 18 featuring nine winners of an international or a Japanese Grade 1 race.

Company's best previous finish in a Grade 1 race was third in the 2007 Tenno Sho (Autumn). Sunday's race was his 13th appearance on the Grade 1 stage, and it was his eighth graded victory overall.

"I've been working with Company since he was two, and I've been dreaming of this day for who knows how long," said trainer Hidetaka Otonashi, who won the race for his first time. "His talent was always evident, but we just haven't had the result for one reason or another. We've been through a lot over the six years and it feels nice to be finally rewarded."

Company, under Norihiro Yokoyama, was coming off another win over Vodka in the Oct. 11 Mainichi Okan at 1,800 meters also held at Tokyo. The victory had offered a lot of hope for the Tenno Sho and the jockey said the horse had never felt better.

"I could tell from the moment I was on him at the paddock that he was in the best shape yet," said Yokoyama, who added his first autumn Tenno Sho title to the two victories from the spring version of the Emperor's Cup in 1996 and 2004 aboard Sakura Laurel and Ingrandire, respectively.

"He really had the spring in his step today, but it's a Grade 1 race and there are a lot of other good horses in the group. He got off to a good start from a good barrier which gave us good position."

Asked if Vodka, who was bidding for a record-tying seventh international or Japanese Grade 1 win, was ever a concern, the 41-year-old Yokoyama said, "Never. I didn't worry about the other horses at all. My main concern was getting the most out of my horse, letting him run at a rhythm he likes. Screen Hero made a good target for us during the trip, and I kept as close as I could to him until the time was right.

"I didn't do anything today. All credit goes to the wonderful horse and the folks at the stable, who couldn't have prepared him better. This horse exceeds all of our imagination and as a matter of fact, I think he's getting better even at his age."

Last year's Takarazuka Kinen winner Eishin Deputy was on the lead out of the start as expected, followed by 2008 Satsuki Sho champion Captain Thule and Matsurida Gogh who won the 2007 Arima Kinen. Company left from his No. 3 post staying mid-pack along the railing, in front of Vodka.

Turning for home, Take's mount, boxed inside by the rails, could not find the space to break free while Yokoyama steered Company toward the front without interruption. By the time Vodka finally found the room to hit top speed, Company was in the clear. Otonashi, who also had 2008 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) champion Oken Bruce Lee in the field (he finished fourth), said during the post-race press conference that he was confident of victory all long.

"He was at about 90 percent fitness for the Mainichi Okan," Otonashi said. "He managed to get even better for this race, and the jockey told me how good he felt at the paddock.

"We never cared about Vodka. It was important to get our horse to run his best race, and Yokoyama knows the horse better than anyone. I think the horse has just been unlucky to this point, and it had nothing to do with the jockeys who rode him in the past. Today's result only confirms his quality.

"I had another horse running in this race, so I couldn't say prior to the race who was better. I wanted to say Company was in spectacular shape, but now I can. I was confident all long."

Company, by Miracle Admire out of Brilliant Very, cashed in a first-place check of 132 million yen to take his career earnings to more than 835 million yen. He is 11 of 34, and is set to run in the Mile Championship at Kyoto later this month.

Vodka won last year's race over the since retired Daiwa Scarlet after a photo finish. Only Symboli Kris S has won the Tenno Sho (Autumn) in consecutive years in 2002 and 2003.