Son of Breeders' Cup winner Dubai Majesty wins Classic in Japan

Dubai Majesty dazzled on the racetrack to win the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in 2010 and she is dazzling again thanks to the success of her son Al Ain in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) in a race-record time at Nakayama on Sunday.

Though always handy, Al Ain had to thread his way through to challenge in the straight but proved able to reel in better fancied stablemate Persian Knight, a son of Harbinger also trained by Yasutoshi Ikee, to win by a neck.

As almost seems inevitable in top Japanese races, Al Ain is a son of the outstanding Deep Impact. Something of an upset winner, he was following up on his first victory at Graded level three weeks ago having landed the Grade 3 Mainichi Hai.

Bred by Northern Farm, he is out of the Essence Of Dubai mare Dubai Majesty who was trained by Bret Calhoun to win six races, including the Grade 2 America Stakes and two editions of the Grade 3 Colors Stakes. Entering the ring just two days after her Breeders' Cup swansong, she was sold for $1,100,000 to Katsumi Yoshida of Northern Farm at the Fasig-Tipton November Mixed Sale.

This success from the mare's third foal, in the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, makes that begin to look like money well spent.