Arc de Triomphe hope Duramante wins Nakayama Kinen

Duramente began a season that could end in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with victory in the Nakayama Kinen.

A dual Classic winner at three, the King Kamehameha colt was sidelined with fractures in both forelegs preventing a scheduled trip to Longchamp for last year's Arc.

The 2000 Guineas and Derby winner returned to trainer Noriyuki Hori's stable at the Miho Training Centre last month and made a winning return from nine months off in the Group Two on Sunday.

Sent off as favourite, Duramente kicked clear of the field half-way down the straight and Mirco Demuro's mount had kept enough up his sleeve to repel the late challenge of Ambitious by a neck with Real Steel half a length away in third. 

"He was excited because this was his first race after a long spell on the sidelines but he was fast out the stalls and I gained a good position," Demuro told www.racingpost.com.

"When I drove him to the front, he sort of idled but his class got him through.

"He is so good that he could win anywhere - it would be great to contest some of the top races in the world with him."

Duramente, who won the Derby in a course record time, was a 14/1 chance when ruled out of last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is Sky Bet's 12/1 favourite for this year's renewal which will be held at Chantilly rather than Longchamp.

Duramente may first get to test his international credentials at Meydan where he may contest the Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup Night in March while third home Real Steel could run in the Dubai Turf.