Jantar Mantar: The Undisputed King of the Japanese Mile

The son of Palace Malice steamrolled the Mile Championship (G1) and became the first horse in history to win all four male-open G1 races at a mile in Japan

Jantar Mantar and a formidable record among milers / JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION

KYOTO, Japan (Special for Turf Diario) – If there was any doubt about who rules the Japanese mile scene, Jantar Mantar erased it in emphatic fashion. The Shadai Racehorse flagbearer delivered a dominant display in the Mile Championship (G1), not only defeating a field packed with quality, but doing so in record time, sealing a level of superiority rarely seen in the division.

With Yuga Kawada in the saddle and breaking from the awkward gate 15, Jantar Mantar showed the composure of a truly superior horse. Settling third behind a modest front-runner, he traveled smoothly throughout before beginning to close the gap effortlessly around Kyoto’s far bend—without his rider having to move a muscle. Straightening for home, he quickened up the incline and drew clear to score by 1 3/4 lengths, stopping the clock in 1:31.6, the fastest time ever recorded for the race.

The historical significance puts his campaign into perspective: he became the first horse ever to capture all four male-open one-mile G1 races in Japan—the Asahi Hai Futurity, NHK Mile Cup, Yasuda Kinen, and now the Mile Championship—a feat that speaks volumes both about his raw talent and his remarkable consistency.

Behind him, Gaia Force (Kitasan Black) was a brave runner-up despite encountering traffic problems inside the final 300 meters, while the outsider Water Licht (Drefong) sprang a surprise by snatching a well-earned third. British raider Docklands (Massaat), once again undone by his lack of early speed and forced to come from well back, never featured and finished ninth.

The victory came after a steadily improving return in the Fuji Stakes (G2), where he had finished second to Gaia Force. This time, however, was altogether different: pure class, the kind that decides races long before the gates open.

“Today he proved he is a true champion,” said Kawada. “The prep race was perfect and he came in sharp and confident. In the stretch I already knew no one was coming with enough power.”

Trainer Tomokazu Takano emphasized the scale of the achievement:

“To win all the male-open mile G1 races is simply incredible. It’s ability, work and maturity coming together.”

Looking ahead, there remains an unfinished chapter: redemption in Hong Kong, where he flopped in last year’s Hong Kong Mile (G1). With Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) likely aimed at the Hong Kong Cup this time, Sha Tin’s mile could be a more favorable stage for the Japanese champion.

For now, Jantar Mantar doesn’t just reign in Japan.He is beginning to carve his place among the very best milers in the world.