Welcomed by a round of applause from the crowd, the son of a legendary mare took his first brilliant step. Promesa al Mundo (Colt, 2yo), the second foal of 9-time G1 winner Almond Eye and sired by Maurice, justified his overwhelming 1.5 odds with a victorious debut in Race 4 at Niigata Racecourse. Settling mid-pack early, he swung wide into the stretch and unleashed a dazzling turn of foot, clocking the final 3 furlongs in 33.2 seconds to power past the field.

Jockey Christophe Lemaire beamed, saying, "Yes! Just like I thought, Almond Eye's kids are something special." He added, "He's very smart, just like his mother. He was pressed late but still has room to improve, an exciting horse. His running style reminds me of his sire Maurice, and I think a distance of 1600 to 1800 meters suits him well."

Trainer Sakae Kunieda smiled, commenting, "I'm glad he got the win. Now we want to head into the autumn in good shape." From the summer stage at Niigata, the journey to follow in his great mother's footsteps has begun.