Dubai victory lightens disaster-hit Japan

Japanese media Monday celebrated the victory of Victoire Pisa in the Dubai World Cup as giving hope to the disaster-struck country when it became the first local horse to win the world's richest race,

Sports dailies used their full front pages to hail the four-year-old colt's 10-million-dollar feat with fellow Japanese horse Transcend second in Saturday's race in Dubai.

"Japan is strong!!" the Sports Nippon said in a banner headline on the first-ever Japanese victory in the Dubai World Cup.

The Nikkan Sports declared in its headline that Victoire Pisa, which started slow with Italian jockey Mirco Demuro in the saddle but spurted ahead around the final bend to victory, represented "a hope of Japan, the underlying strength of Japan."

Kyodo news agency said the one-two finish "again brought home to Japan the importance of 'tenacity' as it is aiming to rebuild itself."

The victorious colt is due to travel on to Hong Kong to run in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup on May 1. It will also compete in the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris on October 2, a classic in which it finished seventh last year.

"Victoire Pisa, which has lit a ray of hope from Dubai, will travel around the world to continue encouraging Japan," the Sankei Sports said.