Birdie Birdie

Yasuo Ikee (trainer)
"We took it right to the winning horse in the Japan Cup Dirt, made our move before he did and that was the difference in the end. He has every chance of winning this race given his potential, his bloodlines. He's that kind of a horse."

Satoshi Okubo (assistant trainer)
"We haven't figured out what his best distance is yet. He's really starting to fill out, putting on good weight. He looks like your classic Brian's Time dirt runner. He's got that kind of build. He responded really well today, especially over the last furlong."

Cosmo Phantom

Toru Miya (trainer)
"We managed to get him in good shape for a big race. His action was good even though his time wasn't particularly fast today. We're expecting a good race from him this weekend. Physically, he's outstanding at the moment. At the very least he's as good as he was for his last start. Whether he can race on the lead on dirt remains to be seen, but he'll definitely be toward the front."

Courier Passion

Ikuo Aizawa (trainer)
"He might be a little bit on the heavy side, but you somewhat expect that from a horse at this point in the season. He's been working long so we think he'll be fit enough. He's got a good shot as long as he's in the right position and the pace suits him."

Daishin Orange

Yuga Kawada
"He had a good workout by his standards. He was sharp ahead of his last race when he won, and he was just as good – if not better – today. I've put in a lot of time with this horse and we've been through a lot together. He really means a lot to me."

Yasushi Shono (trainer)
"We're challengers here. We're hoping he can build on his previous performance in the Heian Stakes. He's gotten really strong physically. He's finally looking like he's come into his own."

Daisho Jet

Hiroyuko Oneda (trainer)
"He worked a lot faster than I expected. He continues to be in good condition, he'll be at around the same weight he was for the Negishi Stakes. He's a big horse so Tokyo will work to his favor because of all the space. We're just going to get him to stick to his race and hopefully, we end up turning some heads."

Danon Come On

Umberto Rispoli
"It's an honor to be riding in this race in my first year here, not to mention that the horse has a chance to win. I know how big a Grade 1 race is, and it definitely adds to my motivation racing in front of a crowd as big as Tokyo's. I know from riding at Tokyo a couple of week ago that I can't move too early on a straight as long as this. I won't make the same mistake twice. Hopefully, it will be a fast race. He's a very easy ride and he was sharp in the workout today. I got the impression he is well prepared. He seems to let up when he gets out in front so I'll have to watch for that. The work today has given me confidence."

Furioso　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　photo: © NAR

Mirco Demuro
"I rode him in the Kawasaki Kinen last year, but we settled for second then. I remember him being a good speed horse. He won a Grade 1 title at this year's Kawasaki Kinen which is incredible. I've been told the horse is raring to go. The mile at Tokyo might be a little short for him. And he's never started on turf like he will do this weekend, so it won't be easy. I don't know how I will ride him yet. I personally like the 1,600 meters on dirt at Tokyo. I've won on these conditions before, and I find it to be very fair from a riding point of view."

Masayuki Kawashima (trainer)
"If he's finishing in 36 seconds then he's in good form, even considering how nice the track was today. His footwork was excellent. When I used to ride, the 1,200 meters at Funabashi was all on turf up until the second turn. Speaking from my own experience, I don't think the horse will be too troubled by it. It'll be either our horse or Transcend who will set the pace. Mirco will decide how we run; it'll be his decision. Up until now, we never truly had the opportunity to win a big race. We have a huge chance here. I decided on entering him because he's improved dramatically since late last season, staying in great form. When the jockey gives him the green light, he takes off beautifully. Mirco told me he was desperate to ride him so I agreed. Over a meal on the 14th, I told him the start would be the key. We've been up against some pretty tough horses so far, but none of them are around this time. We're sitting on a golden opportunity here and we have to make the most of it."

Live Concert

Toshiaki Shirai (trainer)
"He's been picking it up from two weeks ago, and he moved well again in the workout today. I know it won't be easy because it's Grade 1, but he's got the pedigree to be successful on dirt so we're hoping he'll flourish here. Yuichi (Fukunaga) said his movement was outstanding."

Machikanenihombare

Anthony Crastus
"He's not a very aggressive horse so we let Red Shooter, his workout partner, go. He only gives the bare minimum in training. I wasn't asked to chase him so I'm not concerned with him finishing behind. But he responded well and looks like he's in good condition. I didn't get the impression he was a particularly difficult horse to ride. I want to take a Grade 1 title back home to France. "

Kazuo Fujisawa (trainer)
"He's had to deal with problems to his hoof during the winter in the past, but he's been fine this year. It looks like the surface will be cushy, which will be to his advantage."

Meisho Tametomo

Hiroshi Takeda (trainer)
"He's relaxed, and he's finally matured physically. We'll be going up against some strong competition, and he's never raced at Tokyo before. But we're praying that the pace will be to his liking because he comes on late. He's been real solid after his last start."

Oro Meister

Yutaka Yoshida
"He trained hard against another horse last week so I was under orders to not work him too fast. His breathing was good and we're right where we want to be. I want to make sure he gets off to a good start, keep him calm and get in good position. The conditions of the race are ideal for us, and I'm more excited than I am nervous."

Yokichi Okubo (trainer)
"He was intense today. I'd give him at least 95 out of a 100. He worked hard last week and the week before so he just went through the motions today. He was a little out of shape when he first came back to the stable, but he looks fit now. There are a lot of unproven horses with bright futures in this year's field. Everyone's got a chance here – including ours."

Power Struggle

Yukihiro Kato (trainer)
"We weren't aggressive enough last time. That race didn't take much out of him so we decided to throw our hat into the ring here. The terms of the race aren't bad for us and physically, he's in great condition right now."

Sei Crimson

Hideaki Miyuki
"I thought he could have had a better race two starts ago at Nakayama, but things will be different at Tokyo. At Tokyo, his acceleration will be at a different level. He explodes there."

Toshiyuki Hattori (trainer)
"The course was in bad condition but he was flying out there. We worked on his finishing a week ago and after today, we have him right where he needs to be. The preparation has gone like clockwork. He turned in a good performance in his last start. He's matured, mentally, after a little time off and he's starting to come into his own. If he can stay loose during the race, the distance will not be an issue for him. The potential of this horse is really something. And it's my job to get the most out of it. I have no worries."

Silk Mobius

Masazo Ryoke (trainer)
"No surprises. He's improving. He knows a race is coming up. The mile is a good distance for him."

Transcend

Takayuki Yasuda (trainer)
"He just breezed today because he worked fast last week. His time a week ago was incredible. I was reassured by his form then. We need to bounce back here. He started the season last year with this race, and he wasn't in it mentally. He put together a few wins after the February Stakes so it was all about preparation. And right now, he's in very good shape. He seems to run better when we space out his races longer. We've accepted the invite to the Godolphin Mile, but to be perfectly honest, we want to run in the Dubai World Cup. But for that to happen, we're first going to have to win this weekend."

Victory Tetsuni

Kenichi Hirano (assistant trainer)
"We weren't able to time him today, but I would say he clocked around 53 seconds. The rider told me he hasn't been in better shape this year. We think he's starting to peak just at the right time. There's no question we're going up against a tough group of horses. But you can always count on him to finish strong so we're hoping the frontrunners will end up canceling each other out. That's the kind of pace we're looking for."