First top-level winner for Drefong as Geoglyph captures Japanese 2,000 Guineas

Geoglyph became the first top level winner for Shadai Stallion Station resident Drefong when coming home to win the Japanese 2,000 Guineas (Satsuki Sho) in the hands of Yuichi Fukunaga, leading home a one-two for trainer Tetsuya Kimura in the process.

Sent off the fifth favourite, the Northern Farm-bred three-year-old was positioned in midfield before finishing strongly when getting the better of Equinox by a length, with favourite Do Deuce a length and a quarter back in third place.

Geoglyph was his sire's first Graded winner when landing the Grade 3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes last September, while he was also second in the Kyodo News Hai in February.

Drefong, who stands for a fee of JPY 3,000,000 this year, is also responsible for Listed scorer Desierto and the Group/Graded-placed pair of Kawakita Reverie and Consigliere.

He is the fourth foal out of the King Kamehameha mare Aromatico, who was third in the Shuka Sho and Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Aromatico, who has also produced winners in Copacati and Albilla, is in turn out of a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Inti Raimi and Grade 3 scorer San Valentin.

Fukunaga, who was winning his second Satsuki Sho after the mighty Contrail in 2020, said: "I thought he had a good chance and he ran a excellent race. I wanted to get a good start to take the best position, so after his good break, it became much easier.

"When I thought it was the right time to move, I looked at his stable mate Equinox and moved to the outside before the last turn. He was only the fifth favourite, but I thought if I rode him perfectly he had enough ability to win."

On a potential bid in the Derby, he added: "I think the distance would be a task. He would run well up to a mile and a quarter, but his pedigree showed us the longer distance would be a task."

Equinox's rider Christophe Lemaire said: "After a long break, he ran a good race. The winner could be held up behind the other horses, but I couldn't do that for my horse because of the outside stall. He should have a good chance in the Derby."

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