Daiwa Major repeats at Kyoto

Daiwa Major successfully defended his Grade 1 Mile Championship title at Kyoto on Sunday as Becrux, the lone American runner in the $1.7 million contest, came home eighth, beaten by 4 3/4 lengths after starting from an unfortunately wide draw.

The victory by Daiwa Major, a 6-year-old son of Sunday Silence, was his fifth at the highest level. In addition to his two Mile Championships the Hiroyuki Uehara trainee won this year's one-mile Yasuda Kinen as well as the 2006 Autumn Tenno Sho and the 2004 Japanese 2000 Guineas, both at 1 1/4 miles.

Well placed by Katsumi Ando wide of and just behind the leaders, the 2.80-1 Daiwa Major took the lead at the quarter pole and held well to defeat Super Hornet by a neck with Suzuka Phoenix a half-length farther back in third. Becrux, ridden by Englishman Ryan Moore, lagged behind early but made up considerable ground late to finish eighth. The winning time on the right-handed mile on firm ground was 1:32.70.

Daiwa Major's win completed a suuccessful week for his dam, Scarlet Bouquet, as his half-sister Daiwa Scarlet had won last week's Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Commemorative Cup in which she, too, was ridden by Katsumi Ando.