Preview & Trifecta - Japan Cup 2017
The Elders Take On The Newbies In A Thrilling Race
The Gr.1 Japan Cup was originally started largely in an effort to help raise the level of Japanese racing are here to try to loosen the iron grip Japanese horses have maintained on the Japan Cup. Not only is the competition formidable as seen from abroad, many at home are reluctant to take on what is often one of the toughest lineups of the year.
2016 Japan Cup winner, Kitasan Black, owned by singer Saburo Kitajima is aiming for his seventh Grade 1 victory and currently tops the lot for earnings with 712 million yen to his name. Although he is only two more starts ahead of his scheduled retirement, his fans are more behind him than ever. The challenge by the 3-year-olds will be strong this year but this six-time Grade 1 winner shows no signs of being ready to relinquish his sovereignty. His biggest on-track competitor is Rey de Oro, a versatile colt with good racing sense. And, being Miho-based, compared to Ritto, it’s only a hop to the racetrack. He’ll be saddled with 55kg and Christophe Lemaire, who currently leads Japan’s jockeys with 173 wins, is in the saddle. This year Satono Crown won the Takarazuka Kinen and beat Kitasan Black in doing so. The tables were turned once again in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), but just barely. With an extra furlong this time out, Satono Crown may pose the biggest threat to Kitasan Black. Mirco Demuro, currently the No. 3 rider in Japan with 156 wins, is expected to have the ride. Demuro has won the last two JRA Grade 1s – the Mile Championship and Queen Elizabeth II Cup – and has not missed the top three placings in a JRA Grade 1 since the Victoria Mile in mid-May.
Cheval Grand missed second place in the Japan Cup last year by a mere neck and had the Copa Republica Argentina as his previous start. This year, with a bit more time between races, he may be able to get closer to the top but unlikely to beat his elders. Rainbow Line showed his ability on the rain-affected track when 3rd to Kitasan Black in the Gr.1 Tenno Sho Autumn last time out. Makahiki is the 4-year-old Deep Impact son, who won the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) last year and went on to win the Grade 2 Prix Niel in France. This will be his first Japan Cup bid and a return to the Tokyo 2,400 meters will likely prove a plus.
Adian O’Brien-trained Idaho claimed his first G1 title in the Hong Kong Vase last December, followed by the G1 Takarazuka Kinen in June. Ran on for 2nd behind Kitasan Black in the Gr.1 Tenno Sho Autumn recently. This international raider is in great form and can handle a firm track too. Another international raider and wild card to watch is Boom Time. Trained by David Hayes, Boom Time claimed his first G1 victory in the Caulfield Cup (2017) but placed 15th in the G1 Melbourne Cup (2017).
No |
Horse Name |
Age |
Origin |
Pedigree |
Trainer |
Owner |
Jockey |
Race Form |
1 |
Cheval Grand |
5 |
JPN |
Heart'S Cry-Halwa Sweet(Machiavellian) |
Yasuo Tomomichi |
Kazuhiro Sasaki |
Hugh Bowman |
10 Starts, 4 Wins |
2 |
Rey De Oro |
3 |
JPN |
King Kamehameha-La Dorada(Symboli Kris S) |
Kazuo Fujisawa |
U.Carrot Farm |
Christophe Lemaire |
6 Starts, 5 Wins |
3 |
Guignol |
5 |
GER |
Cape Cross-Guadalupe(Monsun) |
Jean-Pierre Carvalho |
Stall Ullmann |
Filip Minarik |
14 Starts, 6 Wins |
4 |
Kitasan Black |
5 |
JPN |
Black Tide-Sugar Heart(Sakura Bakushin O) |
Hisashi Shimizu |
Ono Shoji |
Yutaka Take |
18 Starts, 11 Wins |
5 |
Sounds of Earth |
6 |
JPN |
Neo Universe-First Violin(Dixieland Band) |
Kenichi Fujioka |
Teruya Yoshida |
Hironobu Tanabe |
21 Starts, 2 Wins |
6 |
Iquitos |
5 |
GER |
Adlerflug-Irika(Areion) |
Hans-Jurgen Groschel |
Stall Mulligan |
Daniele Porcu |
19 Starts, 6 Wins |
7 |
Decipher |
8 |
JPN |
Deep Impact-Mizna(Dubai Millennium) |
Futoshi Kojima |
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum |
Yuichi Shibayama |
36 Starts, 9 Wins |
8 |
Soul Stirring |
3 |
JPN |
Frankel-Stacelita(Monsun) |
Kazuo Fujisawa |
Shadai Race Horse Co. Ltd. |
Cristian Demuro |
8 Starts, 5 Wins |
9 |
Rainbow Line |
4 |
JPN |
Stay Gold-Regenbogen(French Deputy) |
Hidekazu Asami |
Masahiro Mita |
Yasunari Iwata |
10 Starts, 3 Wins |
10 |
Boom Time |
6 |
AUS |
Flying Spur-Bit Of A Ride(Snippets) |
David Hayes |
David Andrew Hayes |
Cory Parish |
33 Starts, 7 Wins |
11 |
Makahiki |
4 |
JPN |
Deep Impact-Wikiwiki(French Deputy) |
Yasuo Tomomichi |
Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd |
Hiroyuki Uchida |
11 Starts, 5 Wins |
12 |
Satono Crown |
5 |
JPN |
Marju-Jioconda(Rossini) |
Noriyuki Hori |
Satomi Horse Company Co. Ltd. |
Mirco Demuro |
15 Starts, 7 Wins |
13 |
Sciacchetra |
4 |
JPN |
Manhattan Café-Samaaha(Singspiel) |
Katsuhiko Sumii |
Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd. |
Yuichi Fukunaga |
Not Available |
14 |
Idaho |
4 |
IRE |
Galileo-Hveger(Danehill) |
Aidan O'Brien |
Michael Tabor Derrick Smith&Mrs.John Magnier |
Ryan Moore |
15 Starts, 3 Wins |
15 |
One And Only |
6 |
JPN |
Heart's Cry-Virtue(Taiki Shuttle) |
Shinsuke Hashiguchi |
North Hills Co. Ltd. |
Norihiro Yokoyama |
17 Starts, 4 Wins |
16 |
Yamakatsu Ace |
5 |
JPN |
King Kamehameha-Yamakatsu Marilyn(Grass Wonder) |
Kaneo Ikezoe |
Kazuo Yamada |
Kenichi Ikezoe |
14 Starts, 4 Wins |
17 |
Last Impact |
7 |
JPN |
Deep Impact-Superior Pearl(Timber Country) |
Katsuhiko Sumii |
Silk Racing Co. Ltd. |
Keita Tosaki |
29 Starts, 7 Wins |
Trifecta
1) Makahiki
2) Idaho
3) Rey de Oro