Second favourite Urban Chic powered through in the final stretch to claim his first G1 victory in the Kikuka Sho, finishing in a time of 3:04.1. Redentor, the fourth favourite, finished second, and seventh favourite Admire Terra took third. The victory marked trainer Ryo Takei's maiden G1 win. Japanese Derby winner and race favourite Danon Decile finished sixth.

The race saw Ecoro Walz burst out early, and the lead changed hands multiple times until the second lap. Urban Chic, who stayed off the pace in the middle of the pack, unleashed a strong finish in the home straight to capture the final leg of the Japanese Classic series.

Christophe Lemaire, who won the Shuka Sho with Cervinia the previous week, secured back-to-back G1 victories. This was also his second consecutive Kikuka Sho win, following his victory with Durezza last year. "Urban Chic was a bit slow out of the gate, as usual, so I didn't change his running style. With the 3000 meters being a long distance, the plan was to keep our own rhythm and gradually improve our position on the second lap. He really fought hard," Lemaire said, reflecting on the dominant 2.5-length win.

Urban Chic had finished fourth in the Satsuki Sho and 11th in the Japanese Derby, falling short in the spring. However, with Lemaire aboard for the first time, he secured his first graded stakes win in the St Lite Kinen, and now, a G1 title. Lemaire added, "He has great potential. He has matured and grown stronger since the autumn, and I believe he will continue to perform well in future G1 races."