By Heather Anderson
Favoured at 6-5 in this step up to stakes company, Croix Du Nord (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) duly delivered in the G2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes on Saturday.
After an even break, he soon ranged up in between horses to sit third behind a freewheeling Satono Shining (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) and second choice Red Kingly (Jpn) (Saturnalia {Jpn}), a few lengths behind. Poised to pounce after 1000 metres in 1:00.90, he inched into second and took dead aim on the pacesetter. Charging up to even terms at the 400-metre pole, he gradually subdued that game rival to win by three-quarters of a length. Red Kingly held on for third, 1 1/2 lengths back.
Pedigree Notes
Shadai Stallion Station's Kitasan Black is the sire of 11 black-type winners with Croix Du Nord his eighth group winner. The two-time Japanese Horse of the Year and six-time Group 1 winner is best known as the father of international superstar Equinox (Jpn) and G1 Satsuki Sho hero Sol Oriens (Jpn).
The 11th foal out of Rising Cross (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) who won the G2 Park Hill Stakes and was placed in both the G1 Oaks and G1 Irish Oaks, Croix Du Nord won a Tokyo newcomers' affair by 2 1/2 lengths when unveiled on June 9. Rising Cross has a yearling full-brother to the winner, and a weanling filly by Satono Diamond (Jpn). Derby winners Morston (Fr) (Ragusa {GB}) and Blakeney (GB) (Hethersett {GB}) are part of this clan.
Saturday, Tokyo, Japan
TOKYO SPORTS HAI NISAI STAKES-G2, ¥72,450,000, Tokyo, 11-16, 2yo, 1800mT, 1:46.80, fm.
1–CROIX DU NORD (JPN), 123, c, 2, by Kitasan Black (Jpn)
1st Dam: Rising Cross (GB) (GSW & G1SP-Eng,
G1SP-Ire, GSP-US, $501,841), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Woodrising (GB), by Nomination (GB)
3rd Dam: Bodham (GB), by Bustino (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Sunday Racing;
B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Takashi Saito; J-Yuichi Kitamura;
¥38,315,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, ¥45,515,000. *1/2 to
Earthrise (Jpn) (Manhattan Café {Jpn}), MGSP-Jpn, $888,680.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Satono Shining (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Kizuna (Jpn)–Sweetie Girl
(Arg), by Star Dabbler. 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK
TYPE. O-Hajime Satomi; B-Shimokobe Farm (Jpn);
¥15,090,000.
3–Red Kingly (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Saturnalia (Jpn)–Red Elsa, by
Smart Strike. 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE.
O-Tokyo Horse Racing; B-Lake Villa Farm (Jpn); ¥9,545,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1HF, NK. Odds: 1.20, 4.70, 1.70.
Also Ran: Feiern Kranz (Jpn), Del Avar, G T Man (Jpn), Precious Day (Jpn), Nishino Tanguy (Jpn), Nishino Histoire (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart & video.
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