Royal 20-1 for Melbourne Cup after winning the Grade 1 Tenno Sho Spring

T O Royal, a 20-1 shot with bet365 for the Flemington showpiece on November 5, secured a maiden Grade 1 triumph in the 2m contest. Yuji Hishida’s mount gained a clear advantage on his rivals when quickening into the home straight and held off any challengers.

Blow The Horn finished second, coming from the rear, while Deep Bond placed in the race for the fourth consecutive year. However, Japanese St Leger winner Durezza weakened and finished 15th.

Reflecting on the victory, T O Royal’s owner Kimiya Kozasa expressed satisfaction with the horse’s performance, praising both the jockey and the prospect of future races, mentioning possible quarantine issues ahead of the Melbourne Cup. The success marked a first top-level win for trainer Inao Okada and Hishida, who expressed immense happiness and gratitude to everyone involved.

Hishida also praised T O Royal’s development and performance, describing the horse as amazing.