Victory for Heart's Cry in Nakayama (G1)

In front of 162,000 fans who packed into Nakayama racecourse in Tokyo expecting to see the 2005 Triple Crown winner Deep Impact win the 50th running of the Group 1 Arima Kinen, Heart's Cry and jockey Christophe Lemaire spoilt the party by hitting the lead in the straight and holding off the favourite's challenge.

With Heart's Cry's traditional pattern of racing being to start slowly and finish strongly, the fans were expecting to see him out the back of the field with Deep Impact, but after starting well, Lemaire took the 3rd favourite towards to the front to the field, and gave him a perfect transit throughout the race.

Heart's Cry was perfectly positioned by Lemaire, in contrast to Deep Impact, who jockey Yutaka Take positioned at the rear of the field. As the field approached the halfway mark of the 2500m race, Take began to make his move on Deep Impact, and the crowd began to roar. Approaching the final turn, Deep Impact was approaching the leaders 6 or 7 wide, and the crowd wound up for his much anticipated victory. In front of Deep Impact, Lemaire was also making his move on Heart's Cry, and as the field entered the straight, Heart's Cry rounded up the leading group.

It was the first Group 1 win for Heart's Cry, who had always been ridden from well back in the field, and although he had been placed in some of Japan's biggest races, including a close 2nd in November's Japan Cup and the Japanese Derby, he chose Japan's biggest race – the Arima Kinen, to break through for his inaugural Group 1 victory. It was also the first Group 1 win in Japan for French jockey Lemaire. He too had finished close up in several major Japanese Group 1 races, but had never broken through for victory.

Results (25.12.05)

2500 metres, 3 years & above. Prizemoney : ¥180 000 000.

1. HEART’S CRY (Jpn), 4 years, male
Sunday Silence – Irish Dance (Tony Bin)
Proprietor : Shadai Racehorse
Breeder : Shadai Farm
Trainer : Kojiro Hashiguchi

2. DEEP IMPACT (Jpn), 3 years, male
Sunday Silence – Wind In Her Hair (Alzao)

3. LINCOLN (Jpn), 5 years
Sunday Silence – Grace Admire (Tony Bin)