The next Japanese superstar? Sol Orlens throws down gauntlet to Classic rivals

Sol Oriens showed his stunning ability on Sunday in a stepping-stone race to the Japanese Classics, winning the Group 3 Keisei Hai at Nakayama by two and a half lengths.

Like recently crowed Japanese horse of the year, Equinox, a son of Kitasan Black, Sol Oriens looks a worthy candidate for the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas) over the same course and distance on April 16.

He raced in midfield in the mile-and-a-quarter turf race on Sunday before moving to the front after running very wide on the final turn under Takeshi Yokoyama.

Omega Rich Man was second, while the favourite Seven Magician was a further length and a quarter back in third.

The three-year-old out of the French Group 3-winning Motivator mare Skia, a half-brother to the Group 2 winner Vin De Garde, is now unbeaten in two starts for owner Shadai Racehorse Co Ltd and trainer Takayuki Tezuka.

Yokoyama said: "This horse has quite high ability. When I rode him twice in training, I was careful because he tended to fall to the right during training.

"But he went to the left at the corner here so I am full of regrets and very sorry because I had caused trouble to other horses. From his training, I thought he was a very fast horse but I was worried about today's soft ground because he is still loose, but he made up for it with his raw ability.

"I would like him to grow mentally and physically, but I think he is a good horse to look forward to in the future."

Trainer Tezuka added: "There are many tasks in this horse but I have reaffirmed his ability. After this race, he was not out of breath. I will make him go straight to the Classic. It seems that he will run well over the longer distance."

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