The handicaps for the 48th running of the Niigata Daishoten (G3, 2,000m turf at Niigata Racecourse, scheduled for May 16) were released by the Japan Racing Association on May 11.
Sugar Kun (5-year-old colt, trained by Hisashi Shimizu at Ritto, sire: Duramente), a half-brother to Kitasan Black, will carry 58kg in his first race in nearly two years. The colt, who previously raced at 57kg in all five starts at age three, now takes on a heavier impost. After finishing seventh in the 2024 Japanese Derby, he was sidelined due to a left fore superficial flexor tendonitis and has been on a long recovery. Riding again with Yutaka Take, the pair has drawn significant attention.
Duladores (7-year-old gelding, trained by Keisuke Miyata at Miho, sire: Duramente) will also shoulder 58kg. After four consecutive second-place finishes in graded stakes, he was fifth last time in the Kinko Sho. Notably, he previously won the Enoshima Stakes in June 2023 under this same weight, with Christophe Lemaire aboard.
Grandia (7-year-old gelding, trained by Takamitsu Nakatsuka at Ritto, sire: Harbinger), who was third by 0.2 seconds in the Osaka Jo Stakes, will carry 57kg.
Angola Black (5-year-old mare, trained by Tomohito Ozeki at Miho, sire: Kizuna), who finished 13th in the Nakayama Himba Stakes last out—her first time off the board in nine career starts—is assigned 56kg. Yamamin Bouclier (4-year-old colt, trained by Mikio Matsunaga at Ritto, sire: Kitasan Black), returning from a Saudi Arabia campaign, also gets 56kg.
For reference, Sturve (7-year-old gelding, trained by Noriyuki Hori at Miho, sire: King Kamehameha), a two-time G2 winner including the 2024 Meguro Kinen, will be the topweight at 59kg.
The full field has 16 entries, with Fukuno Blue Lake (4-year-old colt, trained by Masahiro Takeuchi at Miho, sire: Win Bright) currently on the elimination list.
The finalized weights (in kilograms) are as follows:
– Angola Black: 56
– Gaia Mente: 56
– Grandia: 57
– Grand Cullinan: 54
– Safira: 56
– Sugar Kun: 58
– Sturve: 59
– Shihanada: 56
– Sekitobai East: 56
– Taiki Rafter: 52
– Duladores: 58
– Tosen Ryo: 56
– Ballet Master: 55
– Fukuno Blue Lake: 53
– Wholeness: 55
– Yamamin Bouclier: 56
– Rheinbeck: 56
