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http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/sei-ishizaka-keita-tosaki-nakayama-japan-gentildonna-bows-out-with-fitting-win-in-arima-kinen/1797317/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews

Gentildonna (4): claims her seventh top-flight success in the Arima Kinen

 PICTURE: Masakazu Takahashi

Gentildonna bows out with fitting victory

 BY NICHOLAS GODFREY6:49AM 28 DEC 2014 

Report: Japan, Sunday

Nakayama: Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) (Grade 1)1m4½f, turf, 3yo+

WITH a crowd of 115,878 in attendance at Nakayama, Japan's end-of-season grand prix had a fairytale ending as hugely popular racemare Gentildonna (Sei Ishizaka/Keita Tosaki) bowed out in style with her seventh victory at the top level, equalling the national record established by her sire, the great Deep Impact.

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• Race result 

The five-year-old, who made history with back-to-back Japan Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2013, scored by three-quarters of a length over longshot To The World, the mount of William Buick.

Gentildonna had not won since this year's Dubai Sheema Classic, where she beat Cirrus Des Aigles with Ryan Moore in the saddle. Keita Tosaki did the steering in the 59th running of the Arima Kinen, where Gentildonna brought the house down in a Y416 million (£2.22m/€2.84m) contest known in Japan as the people's race.

Tosaki said: "I'm really glad she was able to show her best performance in the last race of her career. I was able to race her just as I had imagined, settling her towards the front and making use of her sustained late run and she responded well."

Keita Tosaki: thrilled with victory

 PICTURE: Masakazu Takahashi

Sent off a 7.7-1 shot, Gentildonna had a favourable draw in gate four and was favoured always in a favourable stalking position on the rail round the tight Nakayama circuit.

As the race developed into a sprint, severely compromising several of her fancied rivals, she got the better of Japan Cup victor Epiphaneia, who had hit the front after turning for home. The mare then held off To The World, who touched off fans' favourite - and 5-2 market leader - Gold Ship for second place.

Just A Way, the world's highest-rated horse, finished strongly for fourth from the rear after being hampered by a wide draw, one place in front of Epiphaneia. Like Gentildonna, Just A Way has now been retired.

After the final race of the day, over 40,000 racegoers stayed on to witness a retirement ceremony for Gentildonna, who also won the fillies' Triple Crown as a three-year-old in 2012, when she was named Japanese Horse of the Year.