Fourth favourite Sunrise Earth (4yo colt) secured his first graded stakes victory in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten, earning an automatic berth in the G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) on May 4 at Kyoto Racecourse. Makoto Velikij, the 7th favourite, finished second, while Blow the Horn, the 5th favourite, claimed third. The trifecta paid a substantial 87,640 JPY. Race favourite Shonan la Punta, ridden by Yutaka Take, finished in fourth.

In this prestigious G2 contest featuring 11 runners, Sunrise Earth initially took the lead. He briefly ceded the front to Makoto Velikij but unleashed a powerful acceleration in the stretch to win by an impressive six-length margin.

Jockey Kenichi Ikezoe reflected, "There weren't many front-runners in the field, so I expected to naturally take a forward position. He's still a bit immature and was looking around after taking the lead, but once Makoto Velikij moved up on the backstretch, he focused and ran well."

Last year, Sunrise Earth competed in the Classics, finishing 12th in the Satsuki Sho and 4th in the Japanese Derby. Now, as a four-year-old, he has taken a significant step forward with this breakthrough victory. "I was always confident in his stamina, so the distance wasn't a concern. This was his third start of the year, and he's improving with each race. It was a big challenge stepping up in class, but he delivered, and I'm excited for what's next."