World Premiere

Despite missing the break and getting bumped by a foe to begin the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), favoured Lovcen delivered regardless stepping up to 2400 metres for the first time. His head victory over fellow tenacious closer Peintre Naif (Kizuna) handed his trainer Haruki Sugiyama his ninth JRA Group 1 win. The World Premiere colt is the 25th to win the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and then the Japanese Derby. The Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) over 3000 metres in October would give Lovcen the opportunity to become...

Last year's G1 Hopeful Stakes hero Lovcen took the G1 Satsuki Sho field pillar-to-post and set a new record of 1:56.50 in the process for the 2000 metres over firm turf on Sunday. The Forest Racing runner brought up a Japanese Guineas double for jockey Kohei Matsuyama, who'd won the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) aboard Star Anise (Drefong) last Sunday. Although the winner was bred in Japan by Northern Farm, there was a distinct European flavour in the pedigrees of the top three finishers. The winner is out...

Whether the Classic picture is any clearer this week than last is debatable but what the last seven days have brought us is some truly impressive performances to savour. And it is hard to pick just one, though it has to be said that Portcullis's Wood Ditton run was visually the most spectacular for all that you could see the colt learning with every stride he took, from being left at the start, to bounding through then clear of his rivals.  His maiden success for the King and Queen played...

Forest Racing's Lovcen maintained his unbeaten record with a three-quarter length win in the 2000-metre G1 Hopeful Stakes at Nakayama on Saturday. The son of World Premiere is the first horse to win the Hopeful in his second start since the race was promoted to Group 1 status in 2017. Sent off at 18-1, the dark bay was part of the early pace discussion but soon dropped back to midfield entering the first turn. The first 1000 metres was covered in 1:01.30 by T O Al Ain (Al Ain), with...