Oaks/Derby double for Lemaire with Rey De Oro win

Report: Japan, Sunday

Tokyo: Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (Grade 1) 1m4f | turf | 3yo

French jockey Christophe Lemaire became the first rider for 42 years to complete the Japanese Oaks/Derby double when he partnered second favourite Rey De Oro (Kazuo Fujisawa) to victory in the Tokyo Yushun.

In front of a crowd of 123,779 at Tokyo racecourse, the 4.3-1 chance held off Suave Richard by three-quarters of a length with market leader Admirable running on late to take third place in Japan's premier Classic, worth a total of 432 million yen – more than £3m at current exchange rates.

Rey De Oro, who finished fifth in the Satsuki Sho (2,000 Guineas) in April, turned around the form with the four horses who had finished in front of him that day. Guineas winner Al Ain was fifth here.

The triumph completed a notable double for both Lemaire and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa, who had teamed up a week previously with Frankel's daughter Soul Stirring to win the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) at the same venue.

Indeed, Lemaire could hardly be enjoying a hotter streak as he was winning a Grade 1 event for the third week in a row after also landing the Victoria Mile earlier in the month on Admire Lead.

Lemaire, who now has 13 Grade 1 victories to his name on the JRA circuit, is the fifth jockey in history to win the Japanese Oaks and Derby in the same season.

He was seen to good effect, too, making a bold move to circle the field on the back straight as Rey De Oro was marooned towards the rear well adrift of a slow pace.

Christophe Lemaire address the crowd from the winner's podium after completing a Japanese Oaks/Derby double with Rey De Oro's Tokyo Yushun successCredit: Masakazu Takahashi

The manoeuvre made all the difference, as the son of King Kamehameha – who won the Yushun himself in 2004 – got first run in the straight and was then able to thwart those who attempted to run his down from off the pace. Among them was the favourite Admirable, who had the fastest closing split – but it was too late.

"We had no specific tactics but we were forced to travel towards the rear after a slow start and the pace was slow, so I decided to move forward in the backstretch," explained the jockey. "He was very relaxed and was responding well in the home stretch, so I thought we would win in the last 100 metres."

Tokyo Yushun full result