Scents Blood runner-up in G3 Naruo Kinen

Consistent colt Scents Blood filled the runner-up spot in G3 company for a second time as he went down by two lengths to David Barows in the Naruo Kinen at Hanshin, Japan, on Saturday, 6 December.

The Takashi Saito-trained three-year-old, who had finished a half-length second in June’s G3 Radio Nikkei Sho, pressed for the early lead in the nine-furlong contest before settling in fifth on the inside of David Barows.

Scents Blood and David Barows continued to keep close tabs on each other until early in the straight, with Ryusei Sakai electing to kick up the inside rail on the Godolphin colt approaching the final quarter-mile.

Scents Blood reeled in long-time leader Shonan Magma over a furlong from home but was immediately passed on his outside by David Barows, who quickened strongly to win going away.

The only three-year-old in the field, Scents Blood kept on in second to see off the late challenges of Matenro Leo and Grande Venus.