“He has all the physical attributes to be the champion that he is”

Francis-Henri Graffard's year continued its fierce upward trajectory when Calandagan posted a remarkable performance to narrowly edge out Masquerade Ball in the 45th renewal of the Japan Cup.

There was a sense of confidence behind this year's European contender and definite fear in the eyes of the home contingent as they bid to keep the prestigious prize on home soil for a 21st consecutive season. This was a race that had all the potential to go down in history and boy, it did not disappoint.

The unseating of Admire Terral caused some early drama and despite being harried on either side, Mickael Barzalona found himself slotted behind in what could easily be described as position A, right in the slipstream of his fellow countryman Christophe Lemaire  and Masquerade Ball. Both riders allowed Seiun Hades to do his own thing out in front and in all truth, as the now sixteen-strong field turned for home, they had it between them.

Calandagan looked to be going much the best of the duo with a couple of furlongs to travel but to his credit Masquerade Ball was in no mood to lie down. The pair traded blows all the way up the straight and with the riderless Admire Terral adding further complications, it remained to be seen who would come out on top.

In receipt of 3lb from his rival, Masquerade Ball continued to fight doggedly under an all-action Lemaire, who had been handed a glimmer of hope as he sought a record-equally fifth Japan Cup, but it wasn't to be for the three-year-old as the Aga Khan-owned elder determinedly stuck his nose down where it mattered to become the first European-trained winner in 20 years and the first French scorer since Le Glorieux in 1987. Following a gruelling mile and a half, the wait was finally over but the drama unfortunately was not, as Masquerade Ball's rider Christophe Lemaire unseated shortly after the line as did Keita Tosaki on Danon Decile.

"He broke well from the gates, but he isn't the quickest," said Barzalona. "He has a lot of experience now and was relaxed all the way through. Once we found our position and rhythm he travelled so well. I was happy all the way round and couldn't have been better positioned behind Christophe (Lemaire) on the favourite.

"I knew Christophe's horse would be the horse to bring me into the race. When we hit the straight his horse hit a flat spot and I wasn't sure if he was able to go again, so I had to increase my pace. Masquerade Ball fought with us and even got a head in front at the top of the hill, but Calandagan was the strongest on the day.

"He proved in Europe that he was the best and he's now proven it in Japan. He's the best horse of the year and I'm very proud to be able to ride him."

A breakthrough winner in Group 1 company in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Calandagan hasn't looked back since suffering defeats in the Dubai Sheema Classic and Coronation Cup, plundering Ascot's midsummer highlight with a sparkling King George performance before returning to Berkshire to claim the notable scalp of Ombudsman in last month's Champion Stakes.

"We decided not to run in York or in the Irish Champion Stakes and that was key," said Graffard, who much like his star boy Calandagan, continues to go from strength to strength.

"We weren't too greedy with him over the summer. He travelled over in very good form, and we had planned this for some time. Everything went according to plan, he weighed ten kilos more here than he did in Dubai, so we knew the horse had improved throughout the season.

"He got caught for speed in the early part of the race, but Mickael found a nice lead behind Christophe, and he travelled so well throughout the race. We never had any trouble in running and climbing up the hill, the horse has been really brave, he's a real champion as everybody saw today."

Calandagan's success marked another groundbreaking triumph for the Breeders' Cup and Arc-winning trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, but this was about equine beauty.

"The mechanics of this horse are just unbelievable," added a humble Graffard, who has now won more Group 1 races in a single season than any French trainer in history.

"He has a very big heart, but his action is fantastic, he's able to accelerate for such a long time. He has all the physical attributes to be the champion that he is.

"Every big race is tough, but this one is a big challenge. I felt a lot of pressure today because he was elected the best horse in the world. To put him in this field so far away, I thought it wasn't fair on the horse, but he is a real champion.

"We are going to really enjoy that win today. He is just a fantastic horse."

It remains to be seen where we might see Calandagan next season but a return to defend his crown was by no means ruled out by Princess Zahra Aga Khan, who again paid tribute to her late father following his sad passing back in February this year.

"Of course, I miss my father very much," she said. "It has been a very good year; the best one we've had in a very long time. My father was so heavily involved but in terms of the operation, I think we continue to do what we do.

"Calandagan is a good horse and an improving horse. Both Mickael and Francis have been able to bring him to the right race on the right day. I don't think our operation have ever had a Japan Cup runner before because we haven't had the right horse for the day. Calandagan was built for this race. I wasn't sure we were going to get here in March, but

we did. The enthusiasm in Japan is amazing and as a breeding operation it is fascinating to see the bloodlines that exist in this country.

"We will travel for international races and of course, this is an option for next year. We never know with horses but if we can, we probably will. It is a huge honour to win this race today and it has been a truly amazing experience."

At times it seemed as though Calandagan had a mountain to climb to break Europe's baron spell in the Japan Cup but with Mount Fuji standing tall in the background over Tokyo Racecourse and 77,029 racing enthusiasts watching on, he climbed his way to the summit. In record time as well.

A monstrous performance from a true champion.