Japan: Fierement fresh for repeat attempt in Tenno Sho at Kyoto Racecourse
A year ago, Fierement won the springtime running of the Grade 1 Tenno Sho at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan after a three-month layoff.
Sunday, Fierement, now a 5-year-old, will try to win the same two-mile race after a layoff of more than four months.
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Fierement will be favored in the $2.71 million Tenno Sho in his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Arima Kinen Stakes at 1 9/16 miles at Nakayama Racecourse in December. Last October, Fierement was 12th in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris.
The 2019 spring running of the Tenno Sho is Fierement’s biggest win in a nine-race career that includes four wins. As a 3-year-old in 2018, Fierement won the Grade 1 Kikuka Sho for 3-year-old colts and fillies at 1 7/8 miles.
Sunday’s lengthy race after a layoff does not a concern trainer Takahisa Tezuka.
“He’s become more mature in this past year, and his appearance shows this,” Tezuka told Japan Racing Association publicity. “He’s completely refreshed after last year’s Arima Kinen and he’s just how I think he should be going into this race.
“I’d like to win another Grade 1 with him after a year’s now gone by since his win in last year’s race.”
The Tenno Sho drew a field of 14. Fierement, who is owned by Sunday Racing Co. Ltd. and will be ridden by Christophe Lemaire, drew the outside post. Fierement tends to run from off the pace, so the post position is unlikely to cause a hindrance.
You Can Smile, fifth in the spring running of the 2019 Tenno Sho, and Kiseki, seventh in the Arc last October, are rated as leading contenders. They were first and seventh in the Grade 2 Hanshin Daishoten at 1 7/8 miles on March 22 in their first start this year.
The Tenno Sho is part of a 12-race program at Kyoto. Post time for the Tenno Sho is 2:40 a.m. Eastern on Sunday or 11:40 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.
There is an American connection to the race. Shirvanshah, a 5-year-old horse by top Japanese stallion Deep Impact, is out of Azeri, the 2002 American Horse of the Year. A winner of 4 of 9 starts, Shirvanshah was third in the Grade 2 Kyoto Daishoten last October in his last start and is rated a longshot in Sunday’s race.