Kohei Matsuyama secured his second consecutive Group 1 victory by piloting Lovcen to a record-breaking, wire-to-wire win in the Satsuki Sho at Nakayama. Despite an unexpectedly fast pace and losing a shoe, the colt held off Realize Sirius by three-quarters of a length with plans to target the Tokyo Yushun next.
For Matsuyama it was the same gesture as seven days ago. A single index finger held high on his right hand. Last week, he won the Oka Sho with Star Anise at Hanshin, and on Sunday, he claimed the Satsuki Sho at Nakayama aboard Lovcen.
“I did it to celebrate winning the first crown,” he told reporters after Lovcen’s dominant wire-to-wire display.
The meaning of that finger, which has now conquered the first legs of two Classics, remained unchanged this week.
Lovcen defeated Realize Sirius – who had beaten him in his previous race, the G3 Kyodo News Hai – by three quarters of a length to secure his second Group 1 victory. The winning time of 1:56.5 lowered the course record by 0.1 seconds. Furthermore, it was discovered after the race that he had lost a shoe on his right hind leg.
Matsuyama’s tactics seemed decisive but were not pre-planned.
“I had not expected him to be the frontrunner,” stated assistant trainer Shuntaro Sema, speaking on behalf of trainer Haruki Sugiyama, who had traveled to Hong Kong to prepare Giovanni for Sunday’s FWD QEII Cup at Sha Tin.
“But I believe jockey Matsuyama chose the tactic of leading because it was the best position within the flow of the race.”
Matsuyama felt the same. “I didn’t expect to lead at all. I just wanted to follow the flow of today’s race and focus on a clean start. I wasn’t planning to take the lead, but it ended up that way based on the positioning of the other horses.”
Sema felt the overall pace was “a bit fast”, but the horse’s momentum did not fade through the third and fourth bends.
“From there, rather than feeling anxious, I was watching until the final straight while looking forward to seeing what kind of closing speed he would show from here.”
Meanwhile, Matsuyama was not aware of the high pace.
“It didn’t feel that fast while we were running. The horse was moving with such good footwork and running so comfortably that it didn’t feel forced.”
Turning the fourth corner, there was a moment where Realize Sirius drew alongside him.
“When we turned into the straight from the fourth corner, the second-place horse almost caught up. However, Lovcen is very tough, so I just kept riding, praying for him to hold on until the end.”
And at the moment he pulled away with one last push, Sema, who was watching over him, felt a sense of conviction.
“Seeing him win by giving one last push to pull away despite leading at that pace made me think that he is indeed strong and has great ability.”
For the Haruki Sugiyama stable, it was also a long-awaited colts classic title and the relief was evident in Sema’s voice.
“I feel like we finally won, and the feeling of relief is the strongest,” he said.
Where will Matsuyama’s finger point next?
The answer is already decided. “Since we were allowed to win the first leg of the classics, I think the goal will naturally be the Derby,” Sema said.
With his sire World Premiere – who won the Kikuka Sho (3000m) and Tenno Sho (Spring) (3200m) – in mind, he continued, “In terms of pedigree, his ancestors have won over long distances, so I hope this horse will adapt and show strong racing again next time.”
Matsuyama’s assessment followed the same direction. “A 2000m course with four corners is his best condition right now. I think he can handle a slightly longer distance as well.”
However, he also showed an attitude of caution regarding the aftermath of the record-breaking finish.
“For now, I just hope he’s okay after running such a fast record time. We’ll take care of him and hopefully head to the Derby in good health.”
His trust in the horse’s versatility was also evident in Matsuyama’s words. “We led today, but he showed he could come from behind in the Hopeful Stakes. Since he can adapt to any style, I want to prioritize the rhythm and my contact with him. He still has plenty of room to grow.”
When Matsuyama’s finger, having conquered the first two legs of the Classics in a single week, points toward the sky next, the place should be Fuchu, Tokyo, and the Tokyo Yushun on May 31. ∎
