Francisco Leandro to ride M’s Begin in the Tokyo Yushun, the Japanese Derby

The Brazilian jockey will face another major challenge in the Land of the Rising Sun, taking part in one of the most important races on the Japanese racing calendar

Francisco Leandro has plenty of reasons to be smiling these days / GENTILEZA NETKEIBA

TOKYO, Japan (Special to Turf Diario).- The Japanese adventure of Francisco Leandro continues gaining momentum and has just added another chapter of enormous significance. The Brazilian jockey has been confirmed to ride M’s Begin in the upcoming Tokyo Yushun–Japanese Derby (G1), the most important race for 3-year-olds in Japan and one of the world’s most prestigious events, scheduled for Sunday, May 31, at Tokyo Racecourse.

The news, officially announced May 19 by trainer Yasuo Tomomichi, further confirms the excellent reputation the South American rider is steadily building within the ultra-competitive Japan Racing Association (JRA), where he is gradually carving out a place among the international names attempting to succeed in the strongest racing circuit on the planet.

For Gonçalves, it will mark his second appearance in a JRA Group 1, coming only days after his debut at the highest Japanese level in the Victoria Mile (G1), where he guided Ma Puce (Mind Your Biscuits) to a ninth-place finish while nevertheless leaving a favorable impression against elite opposition.

Now the challenge becomes even greater.

The Tokyo Yushun represents the ultimate goal for any Japanese colt and a race capable of transforming both racing careers and future stallion destinies. The mere presence of Francisco Leandro’s name among the listed jockeys speaks volumes about the moment he is currently enjoying.

M’s Begin heads toward the major assignment seeking to rebound after finishing seventh in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, an effort that fell somewhat short of prior expectations. Still, the son of Kitasan Black had shown considerable ability earlier in the season, particularly when runner-up in the Kisaragi Sho (G3), one of the traditional prep races for the Classic generation.

Connections around the colt remain optimistic.

Tomomichi explained that Gonçalves will be aboard Thursday for the horse’s final serious work leading up to the Derby and made it clear that the colt has progressed positively since his latest outing.

“The horse tightened up physically after his previous race and has been improving very nicely,” the trainer commented, adding another measure of optimism ahead of the enormous challenge.

For Gonçalves, each new opportunity now seems to arrive accompanied by further confirmation of his growing status.

Only a few months ago, the idea of seeing him riding regularly in Japan already felt like important news. Now, however, his name is becoming associated with Group 1 races and one of the most iconic events in international racing.

The rider is also scheduled to compete again this week at Niigata, where he has several mounts booked.