Sol Oriens emerges as another star for Kitasan Black in Japanese Guineas

Sol Oriens showed himself to be yet another colt of the highest quality in Sunday's Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) at Nakayama.

Twelve months ago, the story of Equinox was getting under way when he finished a close second in this race to Geoglyph and he soon became a first top-level winner from the maiden crop of Kitasan Black and is now perhaps global racing's premier talent after his victory in Dubai.

Sol Oriens is from Kitasan Black's second crop, getting the Shadai stallion a Classic on the board in remarkable style as he had only one behind him beginning the turn for home, and came very wide under Takeshi Yokoyama. He still had most of the field ahead of him approaching the final furlong yet looked to have plenty more to give as he quickened through and a length and a quarter away from Tastiera.

A Shadai homebred in its yellow striped silks, the colt is impressively bred as he is a sibling of Vin De Garde, who has travelled the world over the last three seasons, twice placing behind Lord North in the Dubai Turf.

Vin De Garde is by the late Deep Impact, the winner in 2005, while Kitasan Black, who was third to Duramente in this race in 2015 before becoming a multiple Grade 1-winning champion, is by Deep Impact's brother, Black Tide.

Sol Oriens, now unbeaten in three starts and already one of five Group or Graded winners delivered by his sire, is out of the Motivator mare Skia, who won a Group 3 in Toulouse for Carlos Laffon-Parias and her owner-breeder Leonidas Marinopoulos. Out of a half-sister to useful pair Arabian Gleam and Kimberella, she was sold to the Yoshida family for €320,000 via Patrick Barbe at Arqana in December 2014 when in foal to Leroidesanimaux.

“I’m thrilled to have been able to show the colt’s strength and win this Grade 1 title," said Yokoyama. "He’s still very green, especially at the turns, with only a short career coming into this race, but as he’s already shown in his previous start, I know first-hand the power and speed which this colt possesses.

"While we had a lot of ground to cover from way behind, I knew that if I could keep him in good rhythm up to the straight, he would be able to show his full potential to win this race."

Trainer Takayuki Tezuka has eyes on completing the five Classics by running the colt in the Tokyo Yushun, the Japanese Derby. 

He said: "I thought he was an amazing horse. I was wondering how Takeshi would ride him from a tough position in stall one, but he rode well. The only thing left to do is to build up, and Tokyo racecourse is a plus [for the Japanese Derby]. I want to work even harder with the stable staff."

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