Watch: Calandagan wins epic Japan Cup in record time

Calandagan became the first overseas runner in 20 years to win the Japan Cup in an epic edition of the £5 million showpiece on Sunday morning.

The Cartier Horse of the Year, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and owned by Aga Khan Studs, produced a stirring late finish to repel the challenge of warm favourite Masquerade Balland lower Almond Eye’s track record - ending a drought that stretches back to 2005, when Luca Cumani and Frankie Dettori combined to win the contest with Alkaased.

Calandagan became only the second French-trained winner of the race after Le Glorieux in 1987, earning connections a huge £2.6 million winner’s purse  plus an extra £2.3 million bonus for landing the King George at Ascot earlier in the year.

Mickael Barzalona always looked happy on the four-year-old despite his wide trip, before unleashing Calandagan’s stunning turn of foot down the middle of Tokyo's wide straight.

It looked for a moment like he might get worried out of it by Masquerade Ball in a pulsating battle but Calandagan found extra late on to put his nose in front when it mattered.

Masquerade Ball’s rider Christophe Lemaire was one of two riders to unseat shortly after the line, with Keita Tosaki also unshipped on Danon Decile on his first start since the Juddmonte International.

Calandagan’s season began with defeat in the Coronation Cup, but the four-year-old has gone from strength to strength since, winning four consecutive top-level prizes; the Grand Prix Saint-Cloud, King George, Champion Stakes and now the Japan Cup.

It also completes a quite extraordinary season for Graffard, who has now won more Group One prizes in a single season than any French trainer in history.

He teamed up with Barzalona to win the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Daryz and Gezora in last month’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Internationals won 12 of the first 17 renewals of the Japan Cup through such as  Singspiel, Pilsudski and Falbrav but  the home team have dominated for the past two decades. Calandagan’s journey to Japan involved two plane rides and a journey nearing 24 hours, but he rose to the challenge.

“It was a fabulous race, unbelievable," SAID Nemone Routh, manager for the Aga Khan Studs in France. “I’m told it was not only a record time for the Japan Cup, but apparently it was the fastest mile and a half race ever run. Almond Eye (winner of the Japan Cup in 2018 and 2020) previously held the record for a mile and a half and apparently Calandagan has now lowered that record.

“There are no words really. It’s a big ask coming over here as it’s a 24-hour trip and you are taking them out of their routine, he’s not being trained in the same way and this is where a lot of credit goes to his rider and Francis for being able to train him, even though you’re not in the same training conditions, to be able to perform at this level in his last race of the year. It’s phenomenal really.

“Francis has also broken the record for the number of Group One wins in a calendar year for a French-based trainer. He was level with Andre Fabre with 13 wins and now he’s made it 14 with this win.”

A tilt at the Japan Cup has been in the works for some time, with Routh adding: “We took this race very seriously. We kind of made a bit of a mental note after he won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud as we realised he had qualified for a bonus in this race.

“We wanted to do one big international race with him at the end of the year and we identified this as the race, which is why he didn’t go to York for the Juddmonte International and he didn’t go to the Irish Champion Stakes. We wanted to keep him fresh for the end of the year.

“The race we felt would be the best prep race for him was the Champion Stakes as he can’t run in the Arc (due to being a gelding) and he’s just responded to every call this year. Mickael has so much confidence in him and they’re an amazing team.”

Calandagan will now be given a well earned break before returning in search of more riches in 2026, when connections will also look forward to campaigning their Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Daryz.

“We’ll bring him home. He’s obviously not going for the Hong Kong Vase. He is invited but that’s only a couple of weeks away and we wouldn’t do that to the horse as while he is a phenomenal athlete, he isn’t a big, strong horse and you have to respect him,” Routh continued.

“The Sheema Classic in Dubai probably has to be on the agenda, but we haven’t made any firm plans.

“We’ve got Daryz to put in the equation as well, but I would imagine Calandagan will do a bit more international travelling, whereas Daryz will be kept to European Group Ones.”