by Mike Curry

Fine Grain edged Kinshasa no Kiseki after an exciting duel through the final 100 meters to win the $1,805,000 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Jpn-G1) on Sunday at Chukyo.

Shadai Farm’s homebred Fine Grain rallied from off the pace to challenge Kinshasa no Kiseki in the stretch and gradually wore down the foe to prevail by a neck. He completed 1,200 meters (5.97 furlongs) in 1:07.10 to land his first career Group 1 victory.

The winning time eclipsed the previous stakes record of 1:07.40 set by Flower Park in 1996.

Runner-up Kinshasa no Kiseki was 1 1/4 lengths clear of last year’s winner and 2.90-to-1 favorite Suzuka Phoenix.

A five-year-old Fuji Kiseki horse, Fine Grain improved to three wins in as many starts this year for trainer Hiroyuki Nagahama. He entered off a 1 1/4-length win in the Silk Road Stakes (Jpn-G3) on February 10 at Kyoto.

Sent off as the fourth choice in the 18-horse field, Fine Grain was rated in seventh by jockey Hideaki Miyuki as Laurel Guerreiro went to the lead with steady pressure applied by M O Winner and Fusaichi Richard. Kinshasa no Kiseki was rated in fourth by jockey Yasunari Iwata.

Fusaichi Richard overtook fading Laurel Guerreiro at the top of the stretch, but Kinshasa no Kiseki gradually powered to the lead. Fine Grain closed gamely to join Kinshasa no Kiseki and edged away in the closing strides.

Fine Grain is out of the winning Polish Precedent mare Mill Grain, a full sister to 1995 Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks (Ire-G1) winner Pure Grain (GB).

Mike Curry is Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor