Cristian Demuro left Nakayama on Sunday insisting the Arima Kinen victory of Museum Mile is only the beginning – while paying heartfelt tribute to his older brother Mirco, the trailblazer who helped change what was possible for foreign riders in Japan.
Museum Mile’s Arima Kinen win capped a season that had already marked him as one of Japan’s elite three-year-olds, and Demuro rode with the assurance of a jockey convinced the ceiling has not yet been reached.
“He is a super horse,” Demuro said. “Today, I am happy to find him back at the top of his form.”
The race itself unfolded in unexpected fashion. Following an even break, Takeshi Yokoyama and Cosmo Kuranda moved forward aggressively, briefly taking the lead before Mystery Way surged to the front as the field crossed the home straight for the first time. A ripple of surprise passed through the stands when Christophe Lemaire elected to drop defending champion Regaleira to the very rear, heightening the sense of anticipation among the crowd.
Amid that shifting race shape, Museum Mile and Demuro executed their race with calm precision, tracking Danon Decile throughout, just behind midfield, and waiting patiently to strike.
Demuro later explained there had been no riding instructions given by trainer Daisuke Takayanagi.
“There was no plan for the race,” Demuro said. “After I jumped, I looked for the best position and finally saw Danon was in a good position. I followed him, and he brought me until the last corner.”
When the moment came, the response was immediate.
“In the last straight, he gave me a very big acceleration,” Demuro added. “I trusted the trainer who made the machine for today, and we did it.”
He summed up the ride with a motorsport analogy that neatly captured both the patience and the timing involved.
“It’s like in Formula 1 or MotoGP; when you find the best horse in front of you, you try to follow,” Demuro said. “Danon was in a good position, and that brought me the win.”
As Museum Mile powered home, the reaction from the stands was striking. Although this was Demuro’s second consecutive Group 1 victory, the reception was notably warmer and more openly celebratory than the responses seen during dominant runs by Joao Moreira earlier in the spring or Christophe Lemaire in the autumn.
That warmth reflected more than the result itself. The deep respect earned by the Demuro family in Japan – rooted in Mirco Demuro’s decision to commit fully to the country a decade ago – remains palpable and Cristian’s visible bond with his brother continues to resonate with Japanese racing fans.
Amid the celebrations, Demuro was quick to acknowledge that influence.
“Mirco is 13 years older than me, so I see him like a second father,” Cristian said. “Every summer I went to his house in Milano when he was a jockey. I tried to catch everything of him to become a jockey like him.”
That legacy – of ambition, risk, reinvention and an embrace of a foreign culture – hovered quietly in the background as Cristian Demuro celebrated on one of Japan’s grandest stages.
For now, however, the focus remains firmly on Museum Mile’s future.
“He has been growing continuously since this time last year,” Demuro said. “I believe there is still room for further development.” ∎
