September 27, 2024

Christophe has now won three consecutive major races with Ascoli Piceno, Urban Chic, and Rabenstiel. "Rabenstiel had just come back from a break, and although he went a little fast during the race, he looked refreshed. Thinking about the future, I put a wall in front of him and concentrated on keeping him under control. There was a horse on the outside at the fourth corner, so it was at the very last moment that I managed to break away in the straight, but I'm glad we were able to win. It was a really good step race for us heading into the next Tenno Sho, Autumn," he recalled.

He also won the open race, the Canna Stakes, with Ecologique. I'm sure many people were surprised by the way this horse ran. After a slightly slow start, he quickly took the lead and overtook the other horses with his superior speed. "This horse has good balance when he's running and runs seriously. He doesn't start quickly, but once he gets up to top speed, he can maintain that. In the future, the challenge will be to increase the distance. There are not many short distance races for two- and three-year-olds in Japan, so it might be interesting to send him to America or somewhere similar," says Mr. Ito, speaking about the horse's future.

This week marks the start of the fall's G1 season, the Sprinters Stakes. We asked him about his memories of the race. "Gran Alegria's race was particularly memorable. She was coming off a break, and with the Mile Champion Stakes in mind, I carefully maintained a rhythm throughout the race. At 1200 meters, she struggled to keep up with the pace and was trailing, but she quickly overtook the other horses at the end, winning by a landslide two lengths. Equinox and Almond Eye were at their best at middle distances, but Gran Alegria was one of the best horses I've ridden at distances of a mile or less," he said, praising the great horse. Regarding his pairing with Vento Voce, he said, "This is the horse I won major stakes races with in the Ocean Stakes and the Keeneland Cup. It's been a while since her last race, but when she races at her own pace, she really shines at the end." He shared his outlook for the weekend.

On a more personal note, Christophe invited me to enjoy French cuisine at Ryoriya Stephan Pantel. The deliciousness of the food was further enhanced by the wine pairing. "I've known Chef Stephan for over 10 years, and his signature dish, 'Nara-marinated Foie Gras,' is always delicious," he said, revealing that this is his favorite French restaurant in Kyoto. Afterward, we joined him at the bar, where we relaxed and listened to nostalgic tunes from the 1990s. "Eating refined, delicious food, listening to music, and having a good time is what motivates me at the races," he said. Christophe shared his approach to spending the week, and I was inspired by his commitment to not only racing, but also his time off.