Diamond Knot wins a photo-finish Swan Stakes
Diamond Knot wins the Swan Stakes by a nose on Kyoto turf, covering 1,400 metres in 1:19.2.
Diamond Knot won the Grade 2 Swan Stakes at Kyoto on 12 October 2026 under Takeshi Yokoyama for trainer Yuichi Fukunaga. The 1,400-metre race was run on good turf; the winner clocked 1:19.2 in an eighteen-runner field.
Suzu Khalom finished second by a nose under Takashi Fujikake for Kazuya Makita. Off Trail was a further neck away in third under Akira Sugawara for Keiji Yoshimura. All three displayed times were 1:19.2; the photo-finish separated their placings.
1. Diamond Knot
Bricks and Mortar × Endless Knot
Trainer: Yuichi Fukunaga · Jockey: Takeshi Yokoyama · Owner: Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd.
Fourth at both final turns, he benefited from an economical inside passage and held on by a nose. His final 600 metres took 33.8 seconds; position and passage mattered alongside finishing speed.
2. Suzu Khalom
Trainer: Kazuya Makita · Jockey: Takashi Fujikake · Owner: Tatsuro Mori
He entered the straight from sixteenth and covered the final 600 metres in 32.7 seconds, the quickest closing sectional among the first three. His late challenge nearly changed the result, but the line preserved Diamond Knot’s lead.
3. Off Trail
Trainer: Keiji Yoshimura · Jockey: Akira Sugawara · Owner: Godolphin
Held in eleventh before moving wide in the straight, he finished his final 600 metres in 33.2 seconds and took third. A four-month absence and the wide passage provide context beyond the finishing position alone.