Japan Cup produces an unlikely Hero

Screen Hero's upset win triggered an exuberant celebration from Mirco Demuro (Tomoya Moriuchi/Horsephotos.com) Teruya Yoshida's homebred SCREEN HERO (Grass Wonder) had never before raced in Group 1 company, but the four-year-old chestnut rose to the occasion by springing a 41-1 upset in Sunday's $4,639,000 Japan Cup (Jpn-G1). Befitting his name, the attendant circumstances were reminiscent of a blockbuster film plot. Screen Hero had been sidelined for 11 months by a fractured leg and only returned to action in August, but he stole the limelight from the vaunted Japanese classic winners and international shippers in the 28th Japan Cup. Moreover, the trainer who presided over his storybook comeback, Yuichi Shikato, has only been operating his own stable since March. Picking up the mount was Italian jockey Mirco Demuro, holder of a short-term Japan Racing Association license whose best previous Japan Cup finish was a fourth aboard Neo Universe in 2003. "I had always thought that Screen Hero was a gifted horse ever since he was trained by Mr. Susumu Yano before handing him down to me upon his retirement," Shikato said. "He was ridden by a number of different jockeys during his career, but all of them would comment, 'This horse will make it big.' "I believed them and worked out a racing program toward this day," Shikato continued. "He's a horse that would put in a performance depending on the standard of his opponents, so I knew that if he was to face the best field, he would upgrade his performance accordingly, even if it were to be a learning process."

In the early going, Demuro managed to angle Screen Hero across from his

outside post and minimize ground loss as he settled into sixth position. A

rather deliberate pace was set by 112-1 longshot Never Bouchon (Marvelous

Sunday), with 107-1 outsider Cosmo Bulk (Zagreb) poised right on his flank in

second.

The champion filly Vodka (Tanino Gimlet), the 7-2 second choice and one of

three Japanese Derby winners in the field, raced a bit too keenly in third along

the fence. Matsurida Gogh (Sunday Silence) stalked in fourth to her outside,

while just behind Vodka came Meisho Samson (Opera House [GB]), the 2006 Japanese

Derby hero, and Screen Hero. Reserved much farther back was 3-1 favorite Deep

Sky (Agnes Tachyon), the reigning Japanese Derby winner.

At the top of the demanding homestretch at Tokyo Racecourse, Matsurida Gogh

threw down his challenge to Never Bouchon. Vodka made a bid along the inside,

but her effort seemed to ebb away quickly, along with her hopes of becoming the

first female to take the Japan Cup in 19 years.

As Matsurida Gogh struck the front from the tiring Never Bouchon, Vodka found

another gear, and she began to claw her way back into contention in midstretch.

Meanwhile, just when Vodka's renewed energy emboldened her fans, Screen Hero

erupted down the center of the course, and even wider out came the late-running

Deep Sky.

The closers had too much firepower for the battling duo of Vodka and

Matsurida Gogh. Screen Hero and Deep Sky swept past and soon had the finish all

to themselves. Screen Hero had gotten the jump on Deep Sky and held a narrow

advantage, but the favorite had built up tremendous momentum of his own and put

his older rival to a severe test. The unwavering Screen Hero passed with flying

colors, holding on by a determined half-length in a final time of 2:25.5 for

about 1 1/2 miles on firm turf.

"I kept my mark on Matsurida Gogh," Demuro explained, "as I knew that horse

was also in good form and well positioned, and everything worked out as planned.

I thought 'Oh my God!' when I saw the horse closing up from the outside (Deep

Sky), but I know that Screen Hero is a fighter, and I believed in him as he

finished well in his last start."

"When he broke out of the gate smoothly and blended into the flow of the

race, he responded," Shikato said, "although I could not be sure until the very

end as it was a very close race -- holding off three Derby winners. I was

overwhelmed."

Deep Sky crossed the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of Vodka, who

bravely outdueled Matsurida Gogh by a head for third. Oken Bruce Lee (Jungle

Pocket) stayed on strongly to grab fifth, just a neck astern of Matsurida Gogh.

Meisho Samson plugged on for sixth and was trailed by Never Bouchon, Asakusa

Kings (White Muzzle [GB]), English invader Purple Moon (Galileo [Ire]), Toho

Alan (Dance in the Dark), Osumi Grass One (Grass Wonder), Admire Monarch (Dream

Well [Fr]), English raiders Sixties Icon (GB) (Galileo [Ire]) and Papal Bull (Montjeu

[Ire]), Tosen Captain (Jungle Pocket), Daiwa Wild Boar (Agnes Tachyon) and Cosmo

Bulk. American shipper Marsh Side (Gone West) was scratched after developing

fever and a cough.

The jockeys of all three English runners believed that their horses were

compromised by the lack of pace.

"The pace was a bit too slow," said Jamie Spencer, whose Purple Moon fared

the best of the trio. "I was able to position him well but was caught between

horses in the stretch."

"The pace was too slow and we were forced to travel in the rear," Johnny

Murtagh said of his experience aboard Sixties Icon. "I think the (firm) course

was too fast for the horse."

"His start was better than last year but the pace was too slow," summed up

Papal Bull's rider Ryan Moore.

Screen Hero advanced his record to 17-5-5-2 while boosting his earnings to

$3,550,530. He did not prove

himself as a stakes performer until last fall, when he placed behind the

talented Roc de Cambes (Red Ransom) in the Radio Nikkei Sho and R.F. Radio

Nippon Sho St Lite Kinen. Screen Hero returned from his injury-enforced absence

with an August 16 allowance score at Sapporo, his debut for Shikato. He followed

up with two straight seconds in the Sapporo Nikkei Open and in another

allowance, but he broke through with his first stakes victory in the Copa

Republica Argentina at Tokyo last time out.

Bred by Yoshida's Shadai Farm in Japan, Screen Hero is out of the Sunday

Silence mare Running Heroine, herself a full sister to multiple Japanese Grade 3

victress and classic-placed Prime Stage (Sunday Silence). Running Heroine is a

half-sister to Stage Champ (Real Shadai), a Japanese Grade 2 winner and

classic-placed performer. Screen Hero's second dam is two-time Japanese champion older

mare Dyna Actress (Northern Taste), who finished third in the 1987 Japan Cup,

and his third dam is Japanese three-year-old filly champion Model Sport (Model

Fool). He comes from the immediate family of champion Japanese steeplechaser

Maruka Rascal (Grass Wonder).

The Japan Cup is the third of four races in the newly constituted Japan

Autumn International. Little Amapola (Agnes Tachyon) opened the series by

capturing the November 16 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (Jpn-G1), and

Blumenblatt (Admire Vega) took the next leg, the November 23 Mile Championship

(Jpn-G1). The series concludes with next Sunday's Japan Cup Dirt (Jpn-G1).