'I didn't think his condition was perfect but he still won' - Japan's best two-year-old Croix Du Nord lives up to pedigree

With his parents being Kitasan Black – sire of the best horse in the world last year, Equinox – and the English and Irish Oaks-placed Rising Cross, Croix Du Nord was certainly bred to be a good one. 

It does not always turn out like that, but in this case the youngster is following the script as he underlined his strong claims to be Japan's best two-year-old by making it two wins from as many starts in the Group 2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes on Saturday. 

Bred by Northern Racing, Croix Du Nord is out of the high-class Cape Cross mare Rising Cross, who had a busy and productive three years in Kent with trainer John Best.

Her first significant win came in the 2006 Listed Lupe Stakes at Goodwood, where she dead-heated with Soft Centre. She started at 33-1 for the Oaks next time out, but belied those odds in the colours of the Heading for the Rocks partnership by finishing runner-up to Alexandrova. 

The following month, having been bought by Gary Tanaka, she was third to the same filly in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh. Her career highlight arrived later that season with a victory in the Group 2 Park Hill Stakes at York.

As a four-year-old, Rising Cross was fourth behind Scorpion in the Coronation Cup, while as a five-year-old her adventures continued in North America, where she finished placed at Graded level for Roger Attfield.

Croix Du Nord: the best two-year-old in Japan this yearCredit: Masakazu Takahashi

Now 21 and a long way into her second career as a broodmare in Japan, Rising Cross is also the dam of Earthrise, a daughter of Manhattan Cafe who was placed three times at Group 3 level.

Croix Du Nord, trained by Takashi Saito and ridden by Yuichi Kitamura, was sent off 6-5 favourite at Tokyo on Saturday. After being settled in fourth of the nine runners initially, he quickened up well to beat Satono Shining (Kizuna) by three-quarters of a length. The duo pulled a further length and a half clear of third-placed Red Kingly (Saturnalia). 

The 1m1f contest is one of the most important stepping stones to next year's Classics, having been won by the likes of world champion Equinox and Triple Crown hero Contrail in recent years. 

Top-level honours could well await this Sunday Racing-owned colt, who on Saturday raced at more than 24kg heavier than when winning on his debut at the track in June. 

Kitamura said: "He was heavier and I didn't think his condition was perfect before the race, but he still won, so I really like his potential. Having raced and won like this today, I hope he will show his ability again next time." 

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