Croix du Nord (Kitasan Black) claimed the fourth Group 1 success of his career when clinging on by the barest of margins to win Sunday's Tenno Sho (Spring) at Kyoto, justifying short odds but not without giving his supporters a huge scare as longshot Wurttemberg (Kitasan Black) rattled home to force a photo finish.
Racing beyond 2,400 metres for the first time in his career, Croix du Nord raced enthusiastically for Yuichi Kitamura in the early stages of this 3,200-metre showpiece, before settling into his rhythm with only five ahead of him as the freewheeling Mystery Way (Just a Way) led the 15 runners past the stands for the first time.
Moving up to take closer order as Mystery Way came back to the field on the home turn, Croix du Nord quickened decisively when first asked for his effort inside the final 400 metres, soon establishing a clear lead before the alarm bells started to sound close home. Appearing to tire faced with his first marathon test, he was joined in the final strides by Wurttemberg, with a long wait then ensuing before the result of the photo finish was called.
“I really didn't know whether we had won or not, and it was a long time waiting for the final results, but I feel relieved that we were the winner,” said Kitamura after Croix du Nord was eventually declared the winner by a nose, with the first two coming home just half a length ahead of Admire Terra (Rey de Oro) in third. It was the same distance then back to Aqua Vernal (Epiphaneia) as he claimed fourth in a bunched finish.
“The plan was to have him relaxed going downhill in the first lap, but the colt got a little keen,” Kitamura added. “All in all, he proved himself to be a terrific colt with all-round capabilities and power.”
Kitamura, who has ridden Croix du Nord in each of his 10 career starts, was registering his first victory in the Tenno Sho (Spring), likewise trainer Takashi Saito, whose stable star is now a seven-time winner.
Croix du Nord was crowned Japan's champion two-year-old colt of 2024 following an unbeaten three-race campaign, culminating with his breakthrough top-level success in the Hopeful Stakes. At three, he enjoyed his finest hour when winning the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), before heading to France where he followed a narrow defeat of Daryz (Sea The Stars) in the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange with a down-the-field effort in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He ended last season with a fourth-place finish in the G1 Japan Cup.
Having returned as a four-year-old with victory in the G1 Osaka Hai, Croix du Nord joined some illustrious company on Sunday when following up to complete the Osaka Hai/Tenno Sho (Spring) double. Indeed, the only other horse to have won those top-level races in consecutive starts is Croix du Nord's sire, Kitasan Black, who was responsible for the one-two here, nine years after claiming his second Tenno Sho (Spring) title.
Pedigree Notes
Croix du Nord is the 11th foal out of the G2 Park Hill Stakes heroine Rising Cross (Cape Cross), who was also placed in both the Oaks and Irish Oaks. Her other black-type performer is the Manhattan Café mare Earthrise, who placed in the G3 Flower Cup, G3 Aichi Hai and G3 Mermaid Stakes. Although the immediate family is light on black-type, the fourth dam is a half-sister to the Derby-winning sires Morston and Blakeney.
【Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1), 3200m, Kyoto, JRA】
Croix du Nord won the Tenno Sho (Spring) !#JRA #horseracing #TennoShoSpring #CroixduNord pic.twitter.com/uZa6CuRiRj
— HorseRacingInJapan (@HorseRacing_JPN) May 3, 2026
Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
TENNO SHO (SPRING)-G1, ¥574,560,000, Kyoto, 5-3, 4yo/up, 3200mT, 3:13.70, fm.
1–CROIX DU NORD (JPN), 128, c, 4, by Kitasan Black (Jpn)
1st Dam: Rising Cross (GB) (GSW & G1SP-Eng,
G1SP-Ire, GSP-USA, $501,841), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Woodrising (GB), by Nomination (GB)
3rd Dam: Bodham (GB), by Bustino (GB)
O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Takashi Saito; J-Yuichi
Kitamura; ¥303,192,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-Jpn,
GSW-Fr, 10-7-1-0, ¥1,270,903,102. *1/2 to Earthrise (Jpn)
(Manhattan Cafe {Jpn}), MGSP-Jpn, $888,680. Werk Nick
Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wurttemberg (Jpn), 128, h, 6, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Maruka
Aichan (Jpn), by French Deputy. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE.
O-Teruya Yoshida; B-Shadai Farm; ¥120,912,000.
3–Admire Terra (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Rey de Oro (Jpn)–Admire
Miyabi (Jpn), by Heart's Cry (Jpn). O-Junko Kondo; B-Northern
Farm; ¥75,456,000.
Margins: NS, HF, HF. Odds: 0.80, 207.40, 2.00.
Also Ran: Aua Vernal (Jpn), Redentor (Jpn), Tagano Dude (Jpn), Shin Emperor (Fr), Mystery Way (Jpn), Vermicelles (Jpn), Meiner Campana (Jpn), Sunrise Soleil (Jpn), Keiai Sandera (Jpn), Precious Day (Jpn), Vermicelles (Jpn), Echt (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.
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