Sheema aim for Kyoto scorer Trailblazer

Report: Japan, Sunday

Kyoto: Kyoto Kinen (Grade 2) 1m3f, turf, 4yo+ 

TRAILBLAZER (Yasutoshi Ikee/Yutaka Take) made a winning move on the home turn under his excellent jockey to enter the reckoning for the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.

Fourth in last year's Japan Cup behind Buena Vista, Trailblazer had enough in hand to hold 7-5favourite Dark Shadow by a couple of lengths.

After a successful return to action, Trailblazer's trainer Ikee is looking at the Sheema Classic instead of the Dubai Gold Cup over 2m. 

Third-placed Hiruno D'Amour, tenth in Danedream's Arc, is being considered for a return trip to Europe for the King George and a return to Longchamp.

Also on Sunday

Tokyo: Kyodo News Service Hai (Grade 3) 1m1f, turf, 3yo

A surprise defeat in this Classic trial for hot favourite Deep Brillante, widely expected to prove the best of the great Deep Impact's second crop - thereby ending an amazing streak for the sire whose progeny had won seven consecutive Graded-stakes wins since Deep Brillante won the Nisai Stakes in November.

Sunday's race was won by second favourite Gold Ship (Naosuke Sugai/Hiroyuki Uchida), whose rider only last month returned to the saddle after seven months on the sidelines owing to spinal injuries sustained in a fall last May.

Deep Brillante led but could not hold the late spurt of his rival, who scored by a length and three-quarters.

Gold Ship is a son of Stay Gold who is a three-parts brother to last year's Triple Crown winner Orfevre.