There's no\ room for another defeat. Danon Mont Blanc, the half-brother of last year's Triple Tiara winner Liberty Island, aims for his first victory in the 3-year-old maiden race (Race 4) at Kokura on Saturday, with connections expecting the colt to get off the mark.

Danon Mont Blanc is by Lord Kanaloa out of Yankee Rose, whose sire is All American. His dam, Yankee Rose, was a distinguished mare with two G1 wins in Australia. His half-sister, Liberty Island, won the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in 2021, and last year claimed the Oka Sho, Japanese Oaks, and Shuka Sho. Purchased as a weanling for 370 million yen (excluding tax) at the 2021 Select Sale, he is trained by Mitsumasa Nakauchida, the same trainer as his esteemed sister.

He debuted in a maiden race this March, where he was supported as the second favourite among experienced runners but finished ninth, 1.1 seconds behind the winner, after failing to show much progress from the middle pack. Now, after about four months, he returns for his second race, hoping to show significant improvement. With Yuga Kawada continuing as his jockey, the pressure is on to secure a result, especially with the end of the maiden races approaching. "Showing promise" will not suffice, they need a win in this race.