Legendary Japanese jockey Yutaka Take added another Japan Cup to his resume with what he described as one of his most special wins aboard Do Deuce.
The five-year-old son of Heart’s Cry came with a swooping run from 800 metres out to round up his rivals and hold off a late challenge from second place dead-heaters Shin Warrior and Durezza in the 2400-metre Group 1.
It wasn’t to be for Auguste Rodin (#オーギュストロダン) on his final start in the Japan Cup!
Do Deuce was the winner of the Tokyo showpiece – a fifth triumph in the race for Yutaka Take!#ジャパンカップ2024 | @netkeiba pic.twitter.com/EblYliZlJr
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 24, 2024
It was 55-year-old Take’s fifth win in his country’s biggest race and he said it was special because of what a great contest it was.
“I’d say that this race today would be ranked number one because there was a very small difference with the horses that were placed second,” Take said.
“I think competition-wise it was very difficult and a very strong race to win. It was tough.”
Do Deuce, the $2.30 betting sites favourite, had just one runner behind him first past the post but sent the crowd into raptures when he started his run round the home turn.
He struck the front before the halfway point of the straight before rallying strongly late to score by a neck in the $10.7 million event.
Goliath, the French-trained, American-owned Group 1 winner, was the best of the internationals in sixth position, two spots clear of the retiring Auguste Rodin.
It was the second Japan Cup success for Yasuo Tomomichi, who has prepared Do Deuce to eight wins from 16 starts and was coming off a victory in the Group 1 Tenno Sho.
He will be retired after his next start, the Group 1 Arima Kinen at Christmas time, and Take is eager to see him win that race for a second year in a row bow out a winner of three big races in succession.
“It has already been decided that he is going to retire at the end of this season, so if we can take it to the third big race, the Arima, that would be great,” Take said.
“There is a feeling that we really want to win with him. We won the Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup and, so, as a matter of course, we will be aiming for the Arima as well.”