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Satono Reve Captures His First G1 Victory in This Year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Second choice Satono Reve scored his first G1 title in this year’s Takamatsunomiya Kinen in his first start of this season after concluding the previous season with a third in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1, 1,200m). Sired by 2013 Takamatsunomiya Kinen victor Lord Kanaloa, the bay colt registered 3-1-0 out of four starts in his three-year-old debut season and marked another win in his first start of the following season before being sidelined for ten months due to a leg problem. He returned to racing in February last year and marked three consecutive victories including the Hakodate Sprint Stakes (G3, 1,200m) and the Keeneland Cup (G3, 1,200m) before disappointing to seventh in his first G1 challenge in the Sprinters Stakes (1,200m). Trainer Noriyuki Hori claimed his 16th JRA-G1 title following the 2023 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) with Tastiera and third Takamatsunomiya Kinen victory after Kinshasa no Kiseki in 2010 and 2011. Jockey Joao Moreira, who has been riding under short-term license since yesterday, notched his third JRA-G1 title after last year’s Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) with Stellenbosch.

Satono Reve broke smoothly and eased back to around ninth to turn the corners in mid-division. While meeting traffic entering the lane, jockey Joao Moreira steered his mount to the outside to make bid and the son of Lord Kanaloa responded willingly, unleashing an impressive late charge to take the front 100 meters out and hold off the fast-closing Namura Clair in the last 100 meters for his first G1 title.

“The horse gave me a beautiful ride. He behaved very well from the gate, traveled nicely on the bend. I angled him out as we approached the homestretch, and from there he showed that he has an amazing ability,” commented jockey Joao Moreira.

Race favorite Namura Clair settled towards the rear, around fifth from last, entered the lane in mid-division, surged out through a narrow space behind Satono Reve 200 meters out and threatened the winner with the fastest closing speed but was 3/4 length short, resulting in a third consecutive runner-up finish in this race.

Six pick and 2023 Sprinters Stakes champion Mama Cocha traveled wide around ninth after breaking sharply from stall 15, turned the final corner to rally for the lead, briefly took command at the 200-meter pole and, while overtaken by top two finishers in the last 100 meters, managed to hold off the late chargers to secure third place by a neck.

Other Horses:
4th: (12) Toshin Macau—sat around 10th, showed effort inside winner but failed to find another gear
5th: (13) A Shin Fencer—settled around 5th, rallied for lead until 100m out
6th: (1) Mad Cool—broke sharply, eased back to 7th, no match for top finishers’ speed
7th: (6) Lugal—rallied for lead, entered lane in 2nd, took command briefly, weakened in last 100m
8th: (17) Drop of Light—sat wide around 10th, lacked needed kick
9th: (3) Big Caesar—rallied for lead to set pace, remained in contention until 100m out
10th: (8) Kangchenjunga—saved ground around 10th, blocked behind horses, showed some effort
11th: (4) Travesura—hugged rails around 15th, even paced at stretch
12th: (16) Balsam Note—ran wide around 13th, failed to respond
13th: (7) Mozu Meimei—traveled around 5th, outrun in last 200m
14th: (5) Off Trail—trailed in rear, turned wide, needed more
15th: (9) Kitano Express—positioned in 15th, circled wide, showed little
16th: (2) Win Greatest—dashed to front but eased back to around 3rd, used up after 200m pole
17th: (11) Suzu Khalom—ran 2nd from rear, unable to reach contention
18th: (18) Pair Pollux—advanced to 2nd from widest draw, faded after 300m out

THE 55TH TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN (G1)
4-year-olds & up, 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, March 30, 2025          Chukyo Racecourse           11th Race         Post time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 369,900,000 (about US$ 2,357,000 <US$1=¥157>)
4-y-o & up: 58kg (about 128 lbs), 2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares,
1kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2021
Course Record: 1:06.2            Race Record: 1:06.7 [Big Arthur (JPN, by Sakura Bakushin O), 2016]
Safety factor: 18 runners          Going: Good to Firm           Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 16,186,475,300       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 24,026,090,200       Attendance: 26,682

Winner= 12 starts: 8 wins, 1 second & 1 third / Added & stakes money: ¥ 173,864,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 398,460,300

* Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1)

The Takamatsunomiya Kinen, one of two G1 championship events for sprinters held by the JRA together with the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m) in autumn, was formerly named Takamatsunomiya Cup in honor of Prince Takamatsunomiya who presented the trophy to the winner in 1971. The race was shortened from 2,000 meters to 1,200 meters and granted a Japanese G1 status in 1996, then renamed Takamatsunomiya Kinen in 1998. The race, the first of the annual flat turf G1 events, was temporarily shifted to Hanshin Racecourse in 2011 and returned to the newly renovated track at Chukyo the following year with added challenges of an uphill climb and a longer homestretch exceeding 400 meters.
Designated an international race in 2001, the Takamatsunomiya Kinen welcomed its first two foreign participants—Disturbingthepeace (13th) and Echo Eddie (17th)—from the U.S. in 2003 and was part of the Global Sprint Challenge, the international championship series for sprinters, between 2011 and 2017. Aerovelocity (NZ, by Pins) from Hong Kong became the first foreign horse to win the race in 2015, and Blizzard (AUS, by Starcraft) and Victor The Winner (AUS, by Toronado), also from Hong Kong, finished fifth in 2018 and third in 2024, respectively.
Defending champion Mad Cool and 2024 Sprinters Stakes victor Lugal commenced the current season with this race, while 2023 Sprinters Stakes winner Mama Cocha came off her second graded title in the Ocean Stakes (G3, 1,200m, Mar.1), her kick-off start of this season. Others who came off their respective grade-race victories were Big Caesar (Keihan Hai [G3, 1,200m, Nov.24]), Namura Clair (Hanshin Cup [G2, 1,400m, Dec.21]), A Shin Fencer (Silk Road Stakes [G3, 1,200m, Feb.2]) and Kangchenjunga (Hankyu Hai [G3, 1,400m, Feb.22]). This year’s field also included Satono Reve, who finished third in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1, 1,200m, Dec.8), and 2024 Sprinters Stakes runner-up Toshin Macau.