Blackstairmountain can only manage ninth in Japan

Blackstairmountain could finish only ninth in Saturday’s Pegasus Jump Stakes at Nakayama racecourse in Japan.

Ruby Walsh made the trip to the Far East to partner Willie Mullins’s charge in the two-mile-one-furlong event, but he was down the field from the off.

The eight-year-old, who was a Grade One winner in 2011, was in the rear for much of the race and only made up ground late in the day, eventually beating just three horses home.

Rikiai Kurofune claimed the prize by four lengths from local favourite Smart Stage, with the Irish-bred Rendir a further eight lengths back in third.