3 minute read

On Sunday at Kyoto Contrail became the 8th and 3rd unbeaten winner of the Japanese Triple Crown.

It was also a great week for Epiphaneia who sired last week's fillies Triple Crown winner Daring Tact and yesterday's very good second Aristoteles, who is also a grandson of Deep Impact's dam Wind In Her Hair.  Even more "togetherness" as Contrail's jockey Fukunaga-san rode Epiphaneia when he won the Kikuka Sho in 2013.

While Contrail won the 3000m contest he was pushed all the way by Aristoteles and had to dig very deep to win, he may be a happier and better horse at the 2400m trip.  He's now favourite for the Arc in 2021 but that is a long way down the track.  Both first and second will probably head now to the Japan Cup and if Daring Tact is there as well it is going to be a race for the ages.

Some of the runners did not get the trip – notably Babbit and possibly Weltreisende – so it will be interesting to see where some of them go as they will all now have to face open company.

While Yahagi-sensei may have been remembering Cox Plate weekend and the success of Lys Gracieux in last year's edition, but he has to be delighted he has another brilliant horse in his stable and to be congratulated on guiding his horse through to this amazing feat.