2025 Kikuka Sho: Group 1 Review
Venue: Kyoto Racecourse
Distance: 3000m
Value: ¥434,000,000 (US$2,840,844)
Energico capped his rapid rise to the top of the three-year-old ranks, winning the G1 Kikuka Sho (3000m) – the Japanese St Leger – for jockey Christophe Lemaire, trainer Mizuki Takayanagi and sire Duramente.
The late Duramente may have won two of the three legs of the Japanese Triple Crown – the Satsuki Sho and the Tokyo Yushun – but his chance to complete the treble in the Kikuka Sho was cruelled by injury.
In a stallion career sadly restricted to only five crops, he has produced the winner on three occasions – Titleholder (2021), Durezza (2023) and now Energico.
Sent out as the 3.8 favourite, Energico took the prize by two lengths over second favourite Eri King.
The Winner
Energico won his first three starts, including the Saintpaulia Sho (1800m) in February – a race also won by Duramente. His first preparation culminated in the G2 TV Tokyo Hai Aoba Sho (2400m) in April, but Takayanagi decided he needed further time to grow and mature and he was instead put away.
He returned with a second against the older horses in the G3 Niigata Kinen (2000m) in August before making his Group 1 debut in spectacular style in the Kikuka Sho.
The Jockey
Christophe Lemaire’s victory was his fifth in the race and third Kikuka Sho in a row. He joined Yutaka Take as the most successful rider in Kikuka Sho history and the first to win three in a row.
It was also his second Group 1 win in a week after Embroidery took the Shuka Sho last weekend, also in the Silk Racing colours.
He will rely on another three-year-old, Tokyo Yushun runner-up Masquerade Ball, to try and make it Group 1 wins across three consecutive weekends in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) next Sunday.
The Trainer
Energico became Mizuki Takayanagi’s third Group 1 winner – and all three wins at the highest level have come in classics.
Takayanagi prepared Stars On Earth to complete the Oka Sho-Yushun Himba double in 2022.
It also completed a remarkable double after his younger brother Daisuke won the Satsuki Sho in April with Museum Mile, meaning the Takayanagi family won two of the three legs of the Japanese Triple Crown.
The trainer has shown that he is prepared to travel his horses before, taking Stars On Earth to the Dubai Sheema Classic and Toshin Macau to the Hong Kong Sprint last year. Will Energico become his next runner abroad?
The Beaten Brigade
Eri King, the first foal out of top Australian mare Youngstar, endured a wide run under Yuga Kawada and took a long time to wind up around the tighter Kyoto track. However, he flashed home from near last to run second.
Excite Bio outran his odds at his first attempt at Group 1 level, sticking on for third. The Teiichi Konno-trained Excite Bio won the G3 Radio Nikkei Sho (1800m) at Fukushima in June and just held third from the fast-finishing Goltzschtal.
Mirage Knight (sixth) and Coachella Valley (seventh) both made late ground from near the rear, while My Universe (13th) and Shohei (14th) were well supported but weakened out after racing handily through the middle stages.
The Quotes
Christophe Lemaire (jockey, Energico, 1st): “I can’t believe I’ve won the Kikuka Sho three years in a row. It’s a long-distance Group 1 and a very difficult race to win, but every year I’ve been fortunate to ride a very strong horse.
“This year, I was on a horse with great stamina, so we were able to win with a smooth run. Energico showed an excellent turn of foot. He’s not the best at jumping from the barrier, so I decided to ride him from the back today. Over this long distance, there’s time to wait, so I settled him at the rear on the first circuit. Down the back stretch, I was in a good position behind Yutaka Take’s horse.
“I gradually improved my position, and in the end, he kept on strongly with a long, sustained run. I live in Kyoto, so winning a Group 1 here is something very special to me. To win Group 1 races two weeks in a row is quite an amazing feeling even for myself.”
Yuga Kawada (jockey, Eri King, 2nd):
“He came to the track in excellent condition. He gave his all and ran really well, but there was just one stronger rival in front of him.”
Kiwamu Ogino (jockey, Excite Bio, 3rd): “He was quite nervous for him, but in the race he took the initiative and showed his strength. If he can settle a bit more mentally, I think he’ll improve even further.”
Ryusei Sakai (jockey, Goltzschtal, 4th): “He was in good condition and settled well. It was his first time facing top-class competition and I wanted to make a move earlier, but I couldn’t move when I wanted to. Even so, he finished close up.”
Kohei Matsuyama (jockey, Giovanni, 8th): “He missed the jump and couldn’t get into a good rhythm. I wasn’t able to secure a good position in the race.”
Mirai Iwata (jockey, Shohei, 14th): “Actually, 3000m is too long for him. I had trouble getting him to relax. It’s not his ideal distance.”
The Future
Could Energico and Eri King parlay their strong efforts on shifty ground into to a French campaign?
Japanese horses have notoriously struggled on wet tracks when tackling the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but perhaps the rain-affected going at Kyoto – officially good but softened by heavy rain pre-race – may prove a perfect trial for next year’s Arc.
Energico also boasts the smaller frame that has proven so effective at Longchamp, so perhaps he could be the right type of horse to attempt the Paris feature next year.
Before then December’s G1 Arima Kinen is likely to come into focus. ∎
