Orfevre (green cap): adds Arima Kinen to Triple Crown honours
PICTURE: Masakazu TakahashiBrilliant Orfevre slays elders in Arima Kinen
Report: Japan, Sunday
Nakayama: Arima Kinen (Grade 1) 1m4½f, turf, 3yo+
JAPANESE Triple Crown hero Orfevre (Yasutoshi Ikee/Kenichi Ikezoe) confirmed his superstar status on Sunday when he beat a top-quality field of older horses in the Arima Kinen.
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Sent off 6-5 favourite, the son of Stay Gold swamped his rivals in the straight to score by three-quarters of a lengthover Eishin Flash, with To The Glory taking third in the 416 million yen (£3.42m) event, known colloquially as the ‘Grand Prix'.
Japan Cup winner Buena Vista could finish only seventh on the final start of a glittering career, one place ahead of Dubai World Cup star Victoire Pisa, who had won the Arima Kinen in 2010.
Orfevre, who will be targeted at next year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, had been the first horse since Deep Impact in 2005 to win the Satsuki Sho (2,000 Guineas), Tokyo Tushun (Derby) and Kikuka Sho (St Leger).
Deep Impact, though, was beaten into second by Heart's Cry in the Arima Kinen, which is the nation's most popular race with the general public, making it a Japanese equivalent of the Kentucky Derby, Grand National or Melbourne Cup.
With a huge crowd of 115,065 at Nakayama cheering every inch of the way, Orfevre was settled towards the rear before being asked to progress on the side of the track before they turned for home.
Earnestly, who had set a dawdling pace, led them into the straight but he was soon submerged beneath a sea of rivals, with Orfevre producing by far the most telling challenge with a brilliant turn of foot five wide as the race turned into a sprint finish.
The three-year-old was completing a fantastic six-timer in 2011, while his trainer Yasutoshi Ikee equalled the record for most Grade 1 successes in a single season with five.
Ikee is now looking at international targets for the winner. "As I've said before, we are aiming for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but we're also examining the possibilities of racing him in Dubai in March," he said, speakingto the Japan Racing Association.
"He was off slow and travelled on the rail, but the jockey was able to steer him out in the backstretch and I knew then that he would get the job done."
Winning rider Kenichi Ikezoe added: "We fell behind a bit at the break and had to race further back on the inside than I had wanted to but I was able to steer him to the outside in the backstretch.
"I moved him forward through the third corner and the colt stretched really well. He's still a young horse - he was born later than the horses of the same age group - but he is growing and getting better day by day."
Buena Vista, the subject of a retirement ceremony after the race, was unable to find any finishing burst after racing close to the slow pace, while Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa fell away after tracking Earnestly in the early stages.
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