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Contrail Rises to the Occasion in Japan Cup

Mark Smith - Sunday November 28

After the champion Deep Impact mare Gran Alegria (JPN) bowed out of racing triumphant in the Group 1 Mile Championship at Hanshin seven days back, Deep Impact’s champion son Contrail followed suit at Tokyo on Sunday with a commanding performance in the $7million Group 1 Japan Cup (2400m).

Here comes Contrai (image PSPS KIZUNA)

In a roughhouse race, Contrail separated himself from the chasing pack in the final 200m to defeat Authority (Orfevre) by two lengths with Shahryar (Deep Impact) a further one and a half lengths back in third.

Grand Glory (Olympic Glory) was the best of the overseas raiders in fifth, with Japan (Galileo) in eighth, and Broome (Australia) eleventh.

Ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga for the unstoppable Yoshito Yahagi, Contrail retires with a record of eight wins, two seconds and a third from 11-starts.

Fresh off winning two races at the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar with Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine, Yahagi was saddled up on Contrail for his emotional retirement ceremony.

The exquisite son of Deep Impact won all three starts at two, culminating in the Group 1 Hopeful Stakes. At three, he won the Triple Crown, Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) as well as the Group II Kobe Shimbun Hai.

Contrail lost his unbeaten record when second to Almond Eye in the 2020 Japan Cup.

The black 4yo stallion met defeat at his first two starts at four.

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After a third in the Group 1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin in April he had to play second best to Efforia in the Group 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo on October 31.

A homebred for North Hill Farm’s Shinji Maeda, Contrail is a son of the perennial champion sire Deep Impact out of the Unbridled's Song mare Rhodochrosite, who was a $385,000 Keeneland September Sale yearling purchase by Koji Maeda, who was placed in four of her seven starts in Japan.

Rhodochrosite is a daughter of the Tiznow mare Folklore who was voted the champion American two-year-old of 2005 following her victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Rhodochrosite has a 2yo brother to Contrail from the final full crop of Deep Impact.

Named Sunset Cloud, he finished fifth when on debut at Tokyo on October 16 before a fourth in an 1800m maiden at Hanshin on November 7.  

Rhodochrosite has a yearling colt by Heart’s Cry but missed to Kizuna last year.

The fourth winner of the Japan Cup for Deep Impact, Contrail retires to Shadai Stallion Station with all interest centered on his fee.

Contrail bowing out a winner (image PSPS-KIZUNA)

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