Croix du Nord: Japanese Derby Champion Sets Sights on Paris and the Arc
- Archie Brookes
- Sep 10
- 6 min read
Prix du Prince d'Orange (G3), 2000m, 3yo+ - Longchamp, Sunday 14 September 2025
Croix du Nord, Japan’s leading three-year-old colt and the 2025 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner, will make his European debut this Sunday in the Prix du Prince d’Orange (G3, 2000m) at Longchamp. This race will serve as his only continental prep before the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 5, where he carries the burden of national ambition: to achieve what no Japanese horse has yet done - win the Arc.
From Classic Success to International Campaign
Trained by Takashi Saito for the powerful Sunday Racing syndicate, Croix du Nord (“Northern Cross”) has justified the immense expectations surrounding him since his debut. As a two-year-old in 2024, he won all three starts, including the G2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes and the G1 Hopeful Stakes, earning the JRA Award for Best Two-Year-Old Colt. His performances marked him as the standout of his generation and established his credentials as a Classic contender.
He opened his three-year-old season in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas), where he suffered his first and only defeat, finishing second to Museum Mile in a record-fast edition after encountering traffic in the stretch.
The setback was quickly forgotten when, six weeks later, he delivered a commanding performance in the Tokyo Yushun, stopping the clock at 2:23.7 for 2400 meters. The Derby win confirmed his stamina and tactical speed, qualities essential for international competition.
For both trainer Saito and jockey Yuichi Kitamura, it was a first Derby triumph, celebrated in emotional scenes that underscored the partnership’s significance.
His Derby success immediately elevated his global profile. European bookmakers cut his Arc odds, acknowledging that he possessed the attributes to compete at the highest level. On June 27, Sunday Racing confirmed their intentions: Croix du Nord would target the Arc, with the Prix du Prince d’Orange chosen as his preparatory race. This unorthodox path-eschewing the traditional Prix Niel - suggests a carefully calibrated plan to allow additional recovery and acclimation before tackling Europe’s premier race.
Watch the Tokyo Yushun replay to relive Croix du Nord’s decisive Derby victory
Training Regimen and Travel Logistics
Following a restorative summer at Northern Farm Shigaraki, Croix du Nord returned to training at Ritto on August 7. Saito managed his conditioning meticulously, progressively building workload in Japan’s summer heat.
On August 14, he posted a sharp workout, running a final furlong in 10.8 seconds on the woodchip track, an effort that reassured connections of his readiness. Saito emphasised that every step of the schedule was designed by “working backwards” from Arc day to ensure peak condition in early October.
The colt shipped from Narita on August 29 alongside Byzantine Dream and arrived in France the following day after a layover in Germany. He is now based at Chantilly under the watch of Satoshi Kobayashi, a Japanese trainer with a French licence. Assistant trainer Tatsunori Mamiya confirmed that the horse travelled without incident, ate and drank normally, and settled well - an encouraging sign, as international travel has sometimes unsettled Japanese runners in Europe.
The Prince d’Orange as a Test Case
The Prix du Prince d’Orange, inaugurated in 1882, has historically served as a platform for emerging horses, though its role as an Arc prep has diminished in recent decades. Reverting in 2025 to an open-age format after decades as a three-year-old-only race, the event over 2000 meters presents a stiff examination for Croix du Nord.
The anticipated presence of high-profile older geldings such as Calandagan and Goliath will not materialise, as both have been withdrawn from consideration. Their absence significantly lightens the competitive landscape, making the race an easier assignment for Croix du Nord compared to initial expectations.
British trainer Karl Burke is expected to field Liberty Lane and Bolster, the former an improving handicap winner and the latter a horse who thrives on soft going.
France contributes Daring Prince, a capable but not top-tier three-year-old, while veteran campaigners such as Certain Lad add further depth.
This cosmopolitan mix ensures that Croix du Nord faces a meaningful test, one that will reveal how he adapts to European race dynamics, distance variations, and surface conditions.
Human Connections: Trainer and Jockey
Saito, at 42, represents a new wave of Japanese trainers unafraid to target international prizes. His prior Arc experience with Chrono Genesis, who finished seventh in 2021 on unfavourable ground, has informed his approach.
With Croix du Nord, a colt he has overseen since his debut, Saito now has a horse of genuine world-class calibre.
"The Arc is the race Japan has not yet won, but with this horse, we must try."
Jockey Yuichi Kitamura embodies perseverance and resilience. After sustaining life-threatening injuries in a 2021 fall, his career trajectory was uncertain. His bond with Croix du Nord has revitalised his standing, culminating in their Derby win.
Kitamura views the Arc not only as a professional challenge but also as the culmination of a personal journey of recovery and trust in his equine partner. His retention for both the trial and the Arc, rather than being replaced by a European rider, reflects the faith of connections in their established partnership.
Pedigree Considerations
Croix du Nord’s bloodlines epitomise the fusion of Japanese and European breeding strategies. He is by Kitasan Black, Japan’s 2016 Horse of the Year and now a leading sire, responsible for producing Equinox, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of the modern era.
His dam, Rising Cross, was a high-class British runner who placed in the Epsom and Irish Oaks before being imported by Northern Farm to reinforce stamina lines. Despite her small frame, she demonstrated exceptional durability, and her mating with Kitasan Black has produced her most accomplished offspring. His female line further traces to Derby winners Blakeney and Morston, underscoring a pedigree steeped in Classic endurance.
Physically, Croix du Nord is a medium-framed, athletic colt whose dark bay coat and balanced conformation mark him as well-suited for middle and staying distances. His name, a deliberate French reference chosen by Sunday Racing, reflects both Northern Farm’s location and a long-term vision of international competition.
Broader Significance
For Japan, the Arc is not merely another race - it is the ultimate proving ground. Since El Condor Pasa’s runner-up finish in 1999, Japan’s near-misses with Deep Impact, Orfevre, and others have created what commentators call the “Arc curse.”
Each attempt has galvanised fan interest and intensified national determination. A Japanese Derby winner succeeding in the Arc would be unprecedented, as even Deep Impact, Kizuna, Makahiki, and Do Deuce fell short. Croix du Nord therefore represents not just potential, but a symbolic opportunity to validate decades of investment in breeding, training, and global engagement.
Victory would elevate Saito and Kitamura to historic stature, crown Sunday Racing and Northern Farm’s long-term strategy, and provide Japanese racing with its most significant international triumph. For supporters traveling to Paris, success would resonate far beyond sport, becoming a cultural milestone.
Looking Ahead
This Sunday’s Prix du Prince d’Orange will be watched closely, but the withdrawal of Calandagan and Goliath makes the assignment far less daunting. What was shaping up as a trial against proven Group 1 champions now looks more like an opportunity for Croix du Nord to secure a confidence-building win against a manageable field.
A decisive victory would not only enhance his Arc credentials but also reassure connections that he has acclimated well to France. Even if the performance is workmanlike rather than spectacular, it should still suffice to keep him on track for October 5.
Ultimately, Croix du Nord’s campaign illustrates the globalisation of Thoroughbred racing. A colt bred in Hokkaido, from European and Japanese bloodlines, trained with scientific precision, and ridden by a resilient local jockey, will now seek to conquer France’s most prestigious race.
"I hope the name Croix du Nord becomes known far and wide." - Yuichi Kitamura
On September 14, the Northern Cross begins his Parisian trial. On October 5, the racing world will discover whether he can succeed where so many before him have fallen short, and finally deliver Japan its first Arc de Triomphe.
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