The Koijoro Hashiguchi-trained Rose Kingdom claimed an upset win in the 2010 Japan Cup on Sunday November 28 at Tokyo Racecourse, the three-year-old colt declared the winner over Buena Vista after a protest in the 30th edition of the richest turf race in the world.
In a controversial Japan Cup result, the punters favourite Bunea Vista charged across the line first three quarters of a length ahead of fourth elect Rose Kingdom, but after a lengthy inquiry the filly was demoted from first place and the honours went to Rose Kingdom.
Roughie Victoire Pisa finished off the trifecta just a nose away in third for an all Japanese top three.
In fact, the Japanese contingent totally dominated the Grade 1 Japan Cup (2400m) this year, taking out the top eight placings with Jaguar Mail, Pelusa, Meisho Beluga, Oken Bruce Lee and Eishin Flash.
France’s Cirrus des Aigle was the best international performer in this year’s Japan Cup, coming in a distant ninth.
Buena Vista’s jockey Christophe Soumillon had the filly wide on the outside with 200 metres left to run, and after repeated whipping the favourite speared to the inside to take the lead.
However, Rose Kingdom was racing on the inside of Buena Vista, and jockey Yutaka Take was forced to pull back.
The overzealous tactics by Soumillon cost Buena Vista, and her thousands of supporters, the win.
Both Bunea Vista and Rose Kingdom are owned by the Sunday Racing Co. Ltd. Club, so the decision to reverse the order of the first two finishers didn’t affect the owners.
Rose Kingdom (King Kamehameha by Rosebud) has now won five of their nine career starts, Sunday’s 250 million Yen in prize money boosting their total earnings to nearly 569 million yen.
The next big event on the international racing calendar is the Hong Kong International Race Day on December 12, featuring the Hong Kong Cup.
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2010 Japan Cup Results
| Place | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Margin | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ROSE KINGDOM (JPN) | Y. Take | K. Hashiguchi | 2:25.2 | 8.8 |
| 2 | BUENA VISTA (JPN) | C. Soumillon | H. Matsuda | DQ&D | 1.9F |
| 3 | VICTOIRE PISA (JPN) | M. Guyon | K. Sumii | Nose | 28.2 |
| 4 | JAGUAR MAIL (JPN) | R. Moore | N. Hori | 3/4 | 20.4 |
| 5 | PELUSA (JPN) | K. Ando | K. Fujisawa | Neck | 8.4 |
| 6 | MEISHO BELUGA (JPN) | K. Ikezoe | K. Ikezoe | 1/2 | 63.1 |
| 7 | OKEN BRUCE LEE (JPN) | C. Lemaire | H. Otonashi | Nose | 15.8 |
| 8 | EISHIN FLASH (JPN) | H. Uchida | H. Fujiwara | 1 1/4 | 12.3 |
| 9 | CIRRUS DES AIGLES (FR) | F. Blondel | C. Barande-Barbe | Nose | 109.3 |
| 10 | JOSHUA TREE (IRE) | C. O’Donoghue | A. O’Brien | 1/2 | 41.2 |
| 11 | DANDINO (BG) | P. Mulrennan | J. Given | 3/4 | 131.2 |
| 12 | SHINGEN (JPN) | S. Fujita | H. Toda | Head | 46.5 |
| 13 | MORES WELLS (GB) | S. Maillot | R. Gibson | 1 1/2 | 99.0 |
| 14 | NAKAYAMA FESTA (JPN) | M. Ebina | Y. Ninomiya | Neck | 7.7 |
| 15 | TIMOS (GER) | O. Peslier | T. Doumen | 1 1/2 | 120.3 |
| 16 | VOILA ICI (IRE) | M. Demuro | V. Caruso | 1 | 67.3 |
| 17 | MARINOUS (FR) | D. Bonilla | F. Head | 7 | 86.6 |
| 18 | FIFTY PROOF (CAN) | J. Stein | I. Black | DS | 89.5 |