Third favourite Desierto, a 5-year-old colt, scored an impressive gate-to-wire victory in the G3 Chunichi Shimbun Hai. After returning to turf racing with a win in the Andromeda Stakes following a two-and-a-half-year hiatus from the surface, Desierto has now secured back-to-back wins, with this marking his first graded stakes triumph.

Breaking swiftly, Desierto took the lead into the first turn and maintained control of the pace under jockey Yasunari Iwata. Setting a steady tempo, Iwata managed to keep the horse composed throughout the backstretch. Turning into the final stretch, Desierto responded well to urging and widened the lead. Despite a strong late charge from the back markers, he maintained a safe margin to claim the victory.

A grateful Iwata reflected on the performance, saying, "I tailored the race to suit my horse, keeping the condition of the turf in mind. I was aware the pace was relatively quick, but there were moments when he wasn't entirely under control. Still, we got the win thanks to the effort of the team who prepared him so well. I truly appreciate their work."

The winning time was 1:58.4. Favorite Lord del Rey finished second, with sixth pick Matenro Leo rounding out the top three.