Redentor Prevails in Tenno Sho Thriller

[Wandering Eyes]

Last year's G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) runner-up Redentor made the breakthrough at the top level with a hard-fought victory in Sunday's Tenno Sho (Spring) at Kyoto, producing a gutsy performance to justify favouritism in the hands of Damian Lane.

Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, of Equinox fame, Redentor raced in a share of sixth position as the 15 runners went by the winning post for the first time in this 3,200-metre contest, with longshot Jean Kazuma taking the field along at just a modest gallop. Angled to the outside on the home turn, Redentor then responded willingly to Lane's urgings in the manner of a thorough stayer, hitting the front with a furlong to run and finding plenty when challenged by Byzantine Dream to get the verdict by a head. Shonan La Punta was three lengths further back in third, two lengths ahead of Redentor's chief market rival, Sunrise Earth, in fourth.

Both Kimura and Lane were celebrating their first success in the Tenno Sho, with the winning rider predicting more to come from Redentor. The son of Rulership had gained his maiden black-type win in February's G3 Diamond Stakes at Tokyo.

“I'm very privileged to ride in this special race and win it,” said Lane. “I wanted to get the horse in a good position and good rhythm and get him to relax because he can get a little keen in the races. He was travelling very strongly at the third corner and I had to be patient and wait and get him to the outside to give him a clear run. I think he's still relatively young in the mind and immature, and he's learning all the time, which means that he can continue to race at the top level over the next couple of years.”

 

【Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1), 3200m, Kyoto, JRA】

Redentor won the Tenno Sho (Spring) !#JRA #horseracing #TennoShoSpring #Redentor pic.twitter.com/A3fhGc1D59

— HorseRacingInJapan (@HorseRacing_JPN) May 4, 2025

 

Pedigree Notes

Redentor is one of two winners from as many runners out of the Stay Gold mare Corcovado, who enjoyed her career highlight as a three-year-old when finishing third in the Listed Sweet Pea Stakes at Tokyo. His second dam is the multiple Listed winner Ancient Hill, while his third dam, Aztec Hill, is the most accomplished member of the family as the winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes and GII Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.

 

Sunday, Kyoto, Japan
TENNO SHO (SPRING)-G1, ¥574,500,000, Kyoto, 5-4, 4yo/up, 3200mT, 3:14.00, fm.
1–REDENTOR (JPN), 128, c, 4, by Rulership (Jpn)
      1st Dam: Corcovado (Jpn) (SP-Jpn, $839,219), by Stay Gold (Jpn)
      2nd Dam: Ancient Hill (Jpn), by End Sweep
      3rd Dam: Aztec Hill, by Proud Truth
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn);
T-Tetsuya Kimura; J-Damian Lane; ¥303,150,000. Lifetime
Record: 9-6-2-0, ¥486,101,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Byzantine Dream (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Japoni
Chara (Jpn), by Jungle Pocket (Jpn). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE.
O-Kazumi Yoshida; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥120,900,000
3–Shonan La Punta (Jpn), 129 c, 4, Kizuna (Jpn)–Furia Azteca
(Arg), by Zensational. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (¥94,000,000
Ylg '22 JRHJUL). O-Tetsuhide Kunimoto; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn);
¥75,450,000.
Margins: HD, 3, 2. Odds: 3.10, 11.60, 9.70.
Also Ran: Sunrise Earth (Jpn), Meiner Emperor (Jpn), Justin Palace (Jpn), Chevalier Rose (Jpn), Blow The Horn (Jpn), Warp Speed (Jpn), Pradaria (Jpn), Hayatenofukunosuke (Jpn), Win Erfolg (Jpn), Limit Buster (Jpn), Jean Kazuma (Jpn), Arata (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video.

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