Japanese star Kawada wins for Qatar Racing

Top Japanese jockey Yuga Kawada added an international flavour to Ripon's Great St Wilfrid card on Saturday when victoriously carrying the Qatar Racing colours aboard Off Piste.

Yuga Kawada rides for Pearl Bloodstock's Japanese trainer Mistu Nakauchida in his homeland and Sheikh Fahad was very keen to support him on his working holiday in Britain. Kawada had already ridden a winner for Roger Varian this month, but it was still fantastic to provide him with a winner on his first ever ride at Ripon.

His ride on the hooded Off Piste was an excellent one too, soon settling the two-year-old behind the leaders and getting him to the front without the colt knowing he was in a race, never looking like getting caught from two furlongs out. Off Piste had finished third to Boitron - who would frank the form when winning a Listed race 20 minutes later - on his previous start and appreciated the step up to a mile, in keeping with his pedigree.

Off Piste was bought for only 30,000 guineas at Tattersalls Book 2 Yearling Sale and should have more to off given his pedigree, by French Derby winner Reliable Man and a half-brother to Flat and jumps winner Shufoog.

The win was also a first a first for the combination of Tim Easterby and Qatar Racing, though it wasn't the first time an Easterby had scored in the claret and gold as Emily Easterby - Tim's daughter - had successfully rode Bybrook in an lady amateur rider's handicap at Newbury last October.