Odds-on favourite Skilfing showed off his talent and prowess in the G2 Aoba Sho on Saturday.

Ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Skilfing stayed a few lengths behind the leaders and conserved stamina. Once Lemaire asked him to go forward, he responded perfectly to catch up to Hearts Concerto, who had drawn away from the rest of the field in the home stretch, catching him just before the finish line. Skilfing ultimately won the race by a half-length in a time of 2:23.9. Skilfing and Hearts Concerto were both awarded an entry spot for the G1 Japanese Derby for their efforts.

After the race, Lemaire reflected: "I did not want to race aggressively. The pace was slow and that made me worried if we could catch up to the pacemakers, but I knew he has got potential. He was amazing after the uphill section of the course." He added: "He is a Group 1-level horse. His growth was a bit slow compared to other horses but he has matured as he has gained more racing experience. He will be in top condition on Derby day."