Third favourite Toho Jackal,captured the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) over 300m at Kyoto in course record time to register his first G1 win on October 26.

The Special Week colt became the fastest colt to capture the Kikuka Sho title only 149 days since making his debut.

Meanwhile his trainer Kiyoshi Tani captured his first G1 victory 20 years after opening his yard. For jockey Manabu Sakai’s it was his second G1 title following his win in the 2012 Japan Cup Dirt with Nihonpiro Ours.

After breaking smoothly from stall 2, Toho Jackal travelled by the rails towards the front and waited patiently until the last turn, where he was pulled out wide to make his challenge.

Drawing even with the leaders at the top of the final stretch, the chestnut colt slipped out with Sounds of Earth on the inside and duelled with that colt until the 200m, from where he found another gear to accelerate for the title.

“I tried to relax him going into the track and the colt controlled himself well, said winning jockey Sakai.

“I wanted to make use of the ideal draw we had. He responded willingly to my urging and was able to exert his late spurt after waiting within the pack until the right moment.”

Fourth choice Sounds Of Earth hugged the rails behind the winner and displayed a powerful late charge, running the last three furlongs the fastest of the field but was unable to keep up with the winner’s final spurt and finished 1/2 length behind in second.

Seventh pick Gold Actor, travelling outside the winner, slipped out between horses after turning the last corner and ran persistently behind the front two runners but was 3-1/2 lengths short.

Race favourite One And Only travelled in a good striking position but lacked the needed kick in the last stretch to finish a disappointing ninth.