Yahagi eyes more international riches with Bathrat Leon

Deirdre made history for Japan at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in 2019, when the daughter of the 2009 Gordon Stakes winner Harbinger stormed home under Oisin Murphy to take the Qatar Nassau Stakes for trainer Mitsuru Hashida.

"Today's victory is important for Japan because it showed that it is not just possible to come here and compete, but that it is also possible to win," said Hashida's Yoshimura after the filly's famous victory. 

Japanese runners have since shone on the international scene, underlined by an historic double at the Breeders’ Cup in November, four winners at February’s Saudi Cup meeting and a five-timer on Dubai World Cup Night.

Trainer Yoshito Yahagi led the way with six winners across the three meetings, which followed the revered handler’s 2020 Japanese Triple Crown success with Contrail and his mare Lys Gracieux’s win in Australia’s Cox Plate in 2019.

"I went to the Qatar Goodwood Festival many years ago, before I started to run my stable, and I was very impressed with the meeting and with the racecourse," Yahagi told the Racing Post last month. 

"Goodwood is my favourite racecourse in Europe and I understand the Sussex Stakes is a very prestigious race, which shapes the championship of European milers, so it is a great honour for me to have a runner there."

Bathrat Leon was an unconsidered 66/1 chance for the Godolphin Mile on his first outside of Japan, with his biggest success at home coming on turf in the G2 New Zealand Trophy at Nakayama in April of last year.

Yahagi added, in reference to the four-year-old’s dam Bathrat Amal, who is half-sister to 2008 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Serious Attitude.

Having travelled over from Japan on June 23, Bathrat Leon will be based in Newmarket with stable-mate King Hermes, who is set to run in the July Cup.