THERE are a couple of Group 1 two-year-old races over the last weeks in Japan with the Hopeful Stakes still to come on December 28th.

Last week saw the colts Group 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes run and the winning rider took as many plaudits as the horse.

It was the legendary jockey Yutaka Take first win in the race.

This year’s Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes featured five unbeaten colts but it was Yutaka Take on the Heart’s Cry colt Do Deuce who beat the previously unbeaten favourite, Serifos, in the final 100 metres to win by a half-length.

Danon Scorpion suffered his first defeat despite a strong late run that got him up for third.

Other disappointments were the also unbeaten Dobune who could only manage a seventh-place finish and the also previously unbeaten Geoglyph who finished fifth.

Race favourite Serifos, with Cristian Demuro riding, sat close to the pace while racing keenly. Do Deuce found himself in the middle of the track when they straightened for home. After being slightly hampered, Do Deuce came to rally on the heels of Serifos.

Always looking like he was traveling better than that rival, Do Deuce overhauled a stubborn Serifos inside the final half-furlong to score by a half-length.

“Do Deuce is an honest colt,” Take said. “We were able to run in a good position and in a good rhythm while observing the others. He responded well going into the straight and although the favourite was stubborn and hard to beat, he dug in remarkably all the way to the line.”

“He’s getting stronger by every race,” the jockey added of the Northern Farm-bred colt. “We can look forward to the spring classics next year.”

Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said before the race he does not see distance as an issue going into next year’s classics.

The last three runnings of the Hopeful were won by the top class Danon The Kid, third in last month’s Mile Championship, recently retired 2020 Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail and Saturnalia, winner of the 2019 Japanese 2000 Guineas.

The previous week the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, run over a mile for two-year-old fillies at Hanshin, was won by Circle Of Life. The daughter of Epiphaneia was ridden by Christian Demuro for trainer Sakae Kunieda. She had half a length to spare over Lovely Your Eyes.