Daiwa Major takes Mile Championship

The 23rd Mile Championship(G1) was won Sunday afternoon in the drizzling Kyoto Racecourse by Daiwa Major(2.3 favorite), who broke from the pack in　mid-stretch having tracked the pace. However, before a neck victory, the 5-year-old Sunday Silence horse had to deny the late challenging Dance in the Mood(6.7 second favorite) with Yutaka Take up. Third, a 1 1/4-length further back, was 8th favorite Symboli Gran(IRE).

Daiwa Major, confidently ridden by Katsumi Ando, chased pace-setting Suteki Shinsukekun(USA) early on, and then the veteran jockey forced the horse to take up the running as the field entered the Kyoto stretch. From there, Ando and Daiwa Major were never behind in the rest of the way.

Yutaka Take brought Dance in the Mood into the middle to run through the crowd, and they became the last horse to challenge, but did not prevail.

Court Materpiece made a slow start and never got into contention, finishing seventh.