New Zealand jumper Rand made his rivals look second rate as he smashed the track record in the 34million yen ($670,000) Pegasus Jump Stakes at Nakayama in Japan.
In a performance reminiscent of his New Zealand displays last winter, Rand settled back early in Saturday's race but cruised into contention from the 1000 metres and raced away to an easy win.
Rand ran the 3350m journey in 3:42 which bettered the previous track record best by three seconds. He collected 18million yen ($350,000).
Manawatu trainer Mark Oulaghan said there was a lot of speed early but Rand was able to gradually pick them up.
"He jumped really well and he finished the race off really strong," he said.
Oulaghan believes only bad luck can now prevent Rand taking out his major goal, the world's richest jumps race, the 152 million yen ($3 million) Nakayama Grand Jump (4250m) on April 14.
"The extra distance shouldn't be worry and he will be meeting much the same field again," he said.
"There is an American horse [Campanile] coming and last year's winner [Gokai] may run again though he is apparently under an injury cloud."
With the European horses prevented from flying to Japan by the foot-and-mouth outbreak, Rand and the Australian representative Marlborough were the only overseas horses to contest Saturday's race.
Marlborough failed to flatter on the firm ground and finished 12th of the 14 runners.
Oulaghan said Rand had really thrived during the week leading up to Saturday's race.
"He was a little bit light when he got here but he has done really well in the last week.
"I was confident that I had the horse pretty well but we just didn't know much about the opposition."
Rand, unbeaten in five hurdle starts last winter, was having his first jumping start for Auckland-based Irishman Eamon Cleary, who purchased the horse last August.
Cleary is expected to travel to Japan to see the horse race at his next start.
Manawatu rider Eddie Lamb said he stuck to the same game plan as he had adopted when riding the horse in New Zealand.
"I've always said he was the best horse I have ridden and I rode him as if he was the best horse in the field," Lamb said.
"He certainly lived up to my expectations."
Lamb said Rand had jumped well throughout and never really gave him any worries.
- NZPA
Racing: Rand outjumps rivals to set Nakayama record
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