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Race Favorite Maurice Triumphs in the Tenno Sho (Autumn)

Race favorite Maurice, under British jockey Ryan Moore, showcased a magnificent stretch-run to claim this year’s Tenno Sho (Autumn) marking his fifth G1 triumph. All of his other wins at the highest level were at the mile distance and this is his first win in his third attempt at a longer distance than 2,000m. The five-year-old bay now has 10 wins, two seconds and a third in his 17 career-starts and will either aim for the Hong Kong Cup, or else try to defend his title in the Hong Kong Mile. Today’s victory marks trainer Noriyuki Hori’s 10th and Ryan Moore’s sixth JRA-G1 win, and first for both of them since claiming the Mile Championship together with Maurice last year.

The race broke evenly with A Shin Hikari taking the lead from the innermost stall and defending champion Lovely Day hustled up to chase the leader after breaking from the farthest one. Maurice took a three-wide trip in sixth, made headway rounding the final turn, entered the stretch in fourth, drew even with the tiring leaders 300 meters out and charged home crossing the finish line a 1-1/2-length winner.

“He’s a very good horse, he’s strong at a mile and very hard to beat. Today I thought 2,000 meters was probably his best performance. He’s very strong, he’s got a good turn of foot and he was dominant today. He couldn’t have been more impressive. He has a big heart, big lungs and at a mile he could go further so the horse wasn’t too concerned about the distance today,” commented Ryan Moore after the race.

This year’s Dubai Turf champion and seventh pick Real Steel also ran wide a few lengths behind the winner in mid-pack and although was late to make his bid, showed a powerful stretch drive to pick off all of his front runners besides the winner 100 meters out for the runner-up seat.

Sixth choice Staphanos was unhurried near the rear of the field earlier, and after kicking into gear from a second-to-last position at the top of the straight, swooped past most of his opponents, clocked the fastest last three furlong drive, which was a tie with Real Steel, and caught Ambitious in the final strides to finish 1-1/4-lengths behind Real Steel for third.

Fractious from post-parade to gate, second favorite A Shin Hikari set the pace but weakened 400 meters out and fizzled to 12th. “It turned out that we led the field, but he wasn’t in his usual spirit today. He’s a complicating horse and I hope we’ll do better in our next start,” said Yutaka Take.

Other Horses:
4th: (3) Ambitious—settled 3rd from rear, quickened on inner route until 100m out
5th: (5) Logotype—sat in 3rd along rails, ran gamely, weakened in last 100m
6th: (6) Admire Deus—ran behind winner, showed effort at stretch but never threatened winner
7th: (9) Rouge Buck—traveled toward rear, switched to outer route for clear path, improved position
8th: (11) Historical—trailed in rear, turned wide, showed belated charge
9th: (15) Lovely Day—chased leader from widest stall, led briefly 400m out, faded after furlong pole
10th: (7) Satono Noblesse—took economic trip around 8th, checked 300m out, lacked needed kick
11th: (2) Clarente—saved ground in 5th, found little room 400m out, even paced
13th: (10) Comfy—hugged rails in 12th, ran willingly until 300m out, weakened
14th: (4) Satono Crown—raced inside winner, unable to reach contention
15th: (13) Yamakatsu Ace—stalked leaders in 3rd or 4th, fell back after 400m pole

THE 154TH TENNO SHO (AUTUMN) (G1)
3-year-old & up, 2,000 meters (about 10 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, October 30, 2016   Tokyo Racecourse   11th Race   Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 325,000,000 (about US$ 2,708,000 <US$1=¥120>)
3-y-o: 56kg (about 124 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 58kg (about 128 lbs),
2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2013
Safety factor: 18 runners

1. 1.Maurice (JPN), bay, horse, 5-year-old
   Screen Hero / Mejiro Frances (Carnegie)

   Owner: Kazumi Yoshida	Breeder: Togawa Bokujo
   Trainer: Noriyuki Hori	Jockey: Ryan Moore
   17 Starts, 10 Wins
   Added money: ¥ 153,150,000	Career earnings: ¥ 862,371,900
   Principal Race Performances:	’16 Champions Mile (G1, 1,600m)	1st
   	’15 Hong Kong Mile (G1, 1,600m)	1st
   	’15 Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m)	1st
   	’15 Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m)	1st
   	’15 Lord Derby Challenge Trophy (G3, 1,600m)	1st
   	’16 Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m)	2nd

   
   
2. 2.Real Steel (JPN), bay, colt, 4-year-old
   Deep Impact / Loves Only Me (Storm Cat)

   Owner: Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.	Breeder: Northern Farm
   Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi	Jockey: Mirco Demuro

   
   
3. 3.Staphanos (JPN), bay, horse, 5-year-old
   Deep Impact / Kokoshnik (Kurofune)

   Owner: U. Carrot Farm	Breeder: Northern Racing
   Trainer: Hideaki Fujiwara	Jockey: Yuga Kawada

*Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1)

“The Emperor’s Cup” was first held in 1905 to encourage the horse racing sport through annual events that gave the winner the highest honor of being awarded the Imperial prize. Then the Tenno Sho (Autumn) was established in 1937 together with its counterpart, Tenno Sho (Spring), under the name “Teishitsu Goshoten Kyoso” and held biannually in both the Eastern and Western part of Japan. The race was officially renamed the “Tenno Sho” in 1947. Both the spring and autumn races, which secured its status as the most prestigious events for older horses, were run over 3,200 meters in the early years. Later, the autumn version was shortened to 2,000 meters in 1984 so that the spring version could determine the best stayer, while the Tenno Sho (Autumn) would be the main target for middle-distance champions. This also gives the three-year-olds, who find the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m), to be beyond their suitability, an alternative G1 as the ultimate goal for their autumn campaign.
The Tenno Sho (Autumn) entered a new chapter in its long history when opening its doors to foreign contenders as an international race in 2005. British raider Tryster (IRE, G5, by Shamardal) was entered to run and to become the first foreign participant, however, declined later on.
This year’s Tenno Sho (Autumn) served as the first autumn start for 10-length winner of the Prix d’Ispahan (G1, 1,800m), A Shin Hikari, and Dubai Turf (G1, 1,800m) victor Reel Steel, while 2015 Horse of the Year Maurice was entered off a runner-up effort in the August Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m).
Mainichi Okan (G2, 1,800m, Oct. 9) finishers were also among the stellar line-up; winner Rouge Buck became the first filly in 23 years to claim the title; last year’s Tenno Sho (Autumn) runner-up Staphanos and fifth-placed Ambitious finished fifth and second, respectively; in eighth was Yasuda Kinen (G1, 1,600m) champion and three-time G1 winner Logotype. Last year’s champion Lovely Day had come off a close third-place finish in the Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m) held on October 10.
The race record 1:56.1 was set by Tosen Jordan (JPN, by Jungle Pocket) in 2011.