Lemon Pop gets perfect ending with G1 Champions Cup defence

Lemon Pop once again showcased the brilliance that has defined his career as he won the G1 Champions Cup for a second time in a thrilling renewal at Chukyo on Sunday, 1 December. 

Having comfortably taken the JRA dirt showpiece 12 months ago, the six-year-old was bidding to become only the second horse after Transcend to capture successive renewals of the nine-furlong contest. 

Quickly into his stride, Lemon Pop dictated from the outset and soon established a three-quarter length advantage over Mitono O. 

Ryusei Sakai increased his lead to a length and a half at the halfway point before kicking on at the top of the home straight. 

Peptide Nile briefly looked set to threaten Lemon Pop with two furlongs to race, although the Godolphin runner found plenty to bound further clear entering the final furlong. 

Wilson Tesoro flashed home in the closing strides, with Lemon Pop holding on gamely for a nose success on his final career appearance for Hiroyasu Tanaka. 

Lemon Pop retires to take up stallion duties at Darley Japan with an outstanding record of 13 wins from 18 starts, with his only unplaced efforts coming abroad in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 

Success in last season’s 2023 Champions Cup rounded off an exceptional campaign that included success in the February Stakes, with the US-bred becoming only the fourth horse to win both G1 dirt races on the JRA in the same year. 

Those victories, in addition to a sensational win in the local G1 Mile Championship Nambu Hai, saw him crowned Champion Dirt Horse in Japan for 2023. 

Lemon Pop has posted two more local G1 wins on the NAR circuit this year, in the Sakitama Hai and a successful defence of the Mile Championship Nambu Hai, making him a strong contender for champion honours again. 

His exploits were honoured with a retirement ceremony following the Champions Cup card at Chukyo, which can be viewed here. 

Harry Sweeney, President of Godolphin in Japan, said: “What a race! What a horse and what a way to go! The banner on our promotional material for his new career as a stallion next year says simply ‘Lemon Pop – Drink Him In!’. And that’s exactly what we should be doing as six-time winning G1 horses like him don’t come along very often. He has been a most consistent horse in Japan and has won 13 of his 16 starts and finished second in the other three. As happened last week in Tokyo with Auguste Rodin, the JRA will have a retirement ceremony for him directly after racing today. He absolutely deserves it. 

“It is always a risky decision to keep a six-year-old colt in training and we are relieved that it has worked out so well. He added three G1 titles to his curriculum vitae this year and will retire to stud as one of the best dirt horses ever to race in the JRA. Kudos to all involved.”