Fierement shows tenacity in spring Tenno Sho victory

Fierement won for the first time against older horses in Sunday’s spring running of the Grade 1 Tenno Sho at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan, his first win since the Grade 1 Japanese St. Leger last October against 3-year-olds.

Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Fierement had no difficulty with the marathon two-mile distance of the $2.598 million Tenno Sho, the springtime championship for stayers in Japan. Fierement, the 9-5 favorite in a field of 13, ran toward the rear of the field for the first mile and moved closer to the front with six furlongs remaining.

Lemaire had Fierement in front with three furlongs remaining and dueled with Glory Vase before winning by a neck. Glory Vase (10-1) finished six lengths clear of third-place finisher Perform a Promise, a 30-1 chance.

“It was a tough race to win, but Fierement really showed his strength when we were challenged,” Lemaire said. “He was able to relax early on, which is important in a long-distance race like this.

“He wanted to go in the last two corners, so I let him go. Although the ground got slippery under him at the last [turn], he was able to regain his balance and increase his speed at the straight. He’s improving with every race, and certainly proved he’s Grade 1 quality with this win.”

Vosges, who set the early pace, was pulled up with a tendon injury, the Japan Racing Association said in a statement.

Fierement, a colt by Deep Impact, has won 4 of 6 starts for Sunday Racing Co., Ltd, and trainer Takahisa Tezuka.

The Tenno Sho was the third Grade 1 win in the last month for Lemaire, who won the Japanese 1000 Guineas on Gran Alegria on April 7 and the 2000 Guineas a week later on Saturnalia.