Ambitious

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
“Before his last race, the Nakayama Kinen, I had planned to give him three fast workouts. However, the first of those three was slower than I had planned for and I think he went in to the last race at about 80 percent. There was that and also the fact that the pace was slow. Still, it wasn’t anything to lose sleep over. We’ve trained him specifically with this race in mind and last week he worked in tandem with Mikki Rocket. But the last furlong up the hill was a bit slow. I had thought he may lag a bit. The jockey, who is riding in the race for the first time, rode this week and I expect improvement.”

Keiichiro Yasuda, assistant trainer
“It was a fast track in the Kinko Sho but he couldn’t gain ground. He tried in the end but his attempt didn’t make much difference. He’s the type that responds very well to a sharpener. He’s had three starts so far this year and since the weather has warmed up a bit, he has really improved. His weight hasn’t changed but he has gained muscle and is much stronger. We clocked him in the 54-second range up the hill on March 24 and his movement was pretty good. With the competition we have, I can’t make any claims but, looking at his run in the Kyoto Kinen, I think he can put up a good fight if the going isn’t that bad. But even if there is a downpour and if others are struggling, that may help him.”

Decipher

Futoshi Kojima, trainer
“In the Mile Championship, the race before the Challenge Cup, he encountered some serious interference just before the finish line and I think he wasn’t quite over that for last race. He also was running under quite a bit of weight and it wasn’t his usual kind of race. I had brought him back to the stable early as I was also eyeing a trip to Australia, but I didn’t think he was ready and then gave him more time off. We changed our sights to the Osaka Hai and he returned to the training center on March 1. His fast work on March 23 saw him back in his usual form. The most important thing is that he now looks back in top shape. He’s had a number of disappointing races since fall, but if he can run his race and give it what he has, I am looking forward to it even with this strong field. I’ve got my hopes up again.”

Kitasan Black

Hisashi Shimizu, trainer
“Naturally, he was going to be marked in the Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix). It’s frustrating to have lost but he really gave it his all and it was a great race. He’s coming off a layoff but he hasn’t lost tone. He worked last week with two other horses and was more or less just romping along. He still had a lot in reserve. He looks much better compared to previous times he was returning from time off. In fact he looks so good, I wish he could race immediately. He can handle a lot of different distances. Last year he easily went to the front in this race so the 2,000 meters is no problem. This being the inaugural running as a G1, it would be great to win. And him being last year’s Horse of the Year, we can’t have him do anything embarrassing. His work this week looked good. I just had the rider push him at the finish and his time was almost exactly what I had expected. He’s filled out, gotten more breadth to him.”

Yutaka Take, jockey
“I’m really looking forward to the race. We were together in this race last year and he did so well after that, won big and became the Horse of the Year. He has matured a lot and is a lot stronger too. Naturally, I’d like to win the first running of the Osaka Hai as a G1.”

Mitsugu Kon, trainer
“The Kinko Sho, his last race, was his first time running to the left. He hung on doggedly to the end and if he’d been close to another horse in the final drive I think the winner’s margin would have been much less. He is a bit of a late bloomer but slowly he’s catching up. Recently, even if the race doesn’t unfold to his liking, he’s able to still put in a solid effort. I think he’ll still be able to do well despite the change in course. He was tired after the Kokura race in February, so for the next race he may have been a little bit off his game. This time out he is in better shape. He’s been raced predominately in the 2,000-meter range and I’m looking forward to seeing how well he can do up against a G1 frontrunner.”

Makahiki

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“He made a good run from behind in the Kyoto Kinen, and normally he’d have had a little bit more to give in the finish. But even though the going had been upgraded to only slightly yielding, it was still pretty soft and I think that was a factor. Luckily, he came out of that race well and we had enough time in between races this time. But, since we did keep him at the training center he’s been able to come along slowly and everything has been going well. On March 23, we worked him together with two other horses and pushed him pretty hard. Christophe Lemaire was in Dubai for a prerace workout so one of my staff rode. He won the Derby over 2,400 meters but I think 2,000 is actually his best distance. I’m hoping for a fast track.”

Christophe Lemaire, jockey
“Morning work this week was good. His breathing and his overall balance, everything really, was good. It’s been a long time since I rode this horse and he hasn’t changed. He’s a very easy horse to ride and he tries his best. Today’s workout was quite easy for him and he’s in great shape. His run in the Arc wasn’t a good one. He’d been tense from before the race and he wasn’t breathing well and then stopped racing. It was a real shame, but this year he ran well in the Kyoto Kinen, so I’m confident he’ll do well this week. I don’t know if he’ll tense up again though. I think the distance is just right. His last start, and just off a layoff, was a bit long at 2,200 meters. The lineup this year is a strong one. But, he’s a Derby (Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)) winner, he has the ability, so I’m not worried. I am really quite confident. As for the race itself, it’ll depend on the start, but we have early speed in the field so the pace is likely to be fast. If so, I’ll aim for a position about midfield and will be keeping my eye on Kitasan Black. But the most important thing is keeping this horse relaxed and then making our move over the last 3 furlongs.”

Maltese Apogee

Masahiro Horii, trainer
“Since coming to the training center he was tense and agitated and he had a poor appetite, but slowly he settled down and now he’s able to show us the kind of racing he did last out. He broke well and the weight he was running under didn’t seem to be a problem. After that race we sent him off to a nearby farm as we always do and let him get refreshed. He came back on March 9 and had a good air about him. He’s gotten regular work since and last week he had a hard workout in tandem over distance. This time out, I really want a race where he can give it all he has.”

Mikki Rocket (left)

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
“For this horse, the start is especially important. We’ve been practicing starts for a long time, but I think he got in a bad position last time out and he had to try too hard from where he was. He had a bit of time off after that and the plan has been to give him three fast workouts after that. Last week he worked with Ambitious, moved as he usually does and beat that horse to the line. With a bit of fine-tuning this week, he’ll be in good shape. If the start is decent, he’ll go with the flow. He doesn’t need for anything to be just so in the race, but the break is important.”

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“In the Nikkei Shinshun Hai, I’d had my hopes up with the weight he was racing under. He got a good start and kept up with the pace and I think it was an ideal race. He just came up a little bit short in the end. We gave him time off after that at Northern Tenei and trained him specifically with this race in mind. He hasn’t shown any changes physically and he’s been in good shape for a number of races now. I suppose it will be tough with such a strong field of G1-level horses but last year he turned in some races that were on a par with Cheval Grand. He is proven at Kyoto and he won’t have a long trip to the track, but I can’t say how he’ll do over the Hanshin inner course. A fast pace would be a plus.”

Takashi Kanari, trainer
“With the field the way it was, the pace of the Nakayama Kinen was expected to be a bit faster. But, it turned out to be quite a relaxed pace. The position and race strategy is something I leave totally up to the jockey, but I do think this horse was able to give it what he had in that race and I think the result has opened up new opportunities for him. I decided right away on the Osaka Hai as our next target. But, this horse’s condition changes easily. So, it’s hard to say how he’ll be until right before the race. He’s gotten the usual work and he has filled out in a good way. It’s his first G1 but he is in different condition than he was for the allowance races. He’s stronger now and if he gives it his all, I’m looking forward to seeing how far he can go. It’d be good for him if the pace was a bit fast. I do have some concerns about the long haul to the track.”

Satono Crown

Noriyuki Hori, trainer

“I kept him at the training center after the Kyoto Kinen. There were other races I’d been looking at but I decided on the Osaka Hai in the last week of February. And he’s come along well in the past month. After his fast work last week and until the weekend, I determined that he was ready, so this week I just fine-tuned him. His action and his mental state are the best he’s been so far. I think the reason he’s gotten good results recently is that he has matured. He has always had talent. The last time he was at Hanshin was for the Takarazuka Kinen and he was quite agitated, even in his stall. This last time for the Kyoto Kinen we kept a good eye on him so that we’d be able to respond to anything that came up. But this time, more as an insurance, we’re not waiting for him to get upset but are taking great care to keep him calm. His best distance is 2,400 meters and I think he could even go farther. Of course, he can handle 2,000 meters, but we will have to ponder our racing strategy a bit more.”

Kazutomo Mori, assistant trainer
“He felt a little heavy for his last start, the Kyoto Kinen, and his weight was up a bit. But he had no problem with the race and was successful even though he was coming back from overseas. That was the most important thing. After he recovered from that race, we worked him up the hill on March 5. He had a fast workout on March 16 and he still felt a little bit heavy, but otherwise he felt like himself. We breezed him twice after that, including this week, once on the hill, once on the flat. He weighed 520 kg on March 20 but I think we’ll have him down to 490 kg by raceday. He’s calmer now than he used to be and I think he’s moved up a level. The competition is stronger than his last start as well and the distance is a little shorter. But, he’s suited to this distance. In fact, I think you could call him a specialist at it. Still, I don’t think it will be an easy race.”

Staphanos

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“The pace was slow in the Kinko Sho but he was able to run well in the rear and he gained ground for a finish not far off the winning horse. Considering that he was coming off a layoff, it wasn’t a bad performance. I think it will have served as a good sharpener for this race. There’s not all that much time in between races, so the blowout we gave him last week was enough for then. He came out of his last race well so he started right back into work. It’s not that he can’t do well without a sharpener, but it does help him access his power better. I think he’ll be more on his toes this time and that his breathing will be better too. He hasn’t had any problem over the Hanshin inner course and he can settle well no matter what position he is in. I’d like the pace to be a bit faster than it was for the Kinko Sho though.”

Suzuka Devious

Mitsuru Hashida, trainer
“In the Kinko Sho, he gained ground in the stretch and almost passed the eventual runnerup, who had pulled the field at a slow pace. He just needed a wee bit more. But, the winner was strong and, more importantly, the final 3-furlong time was very fast. But, looking at this horse’s last two races, it looks like he’s learning to be able to run a variety of races. He’s healthy and full of energy now and he hasn’t lost any muscle. I think he may be the same weight he was for last race. Last week on Friday, he had a hard workout up the hill course but he made it look easy. This will be his first G1 bid since the spring Tenno Sho the year before last. He’s much more adaptable now, able to demonstrate late speed and he’s more consistent. He’s stronger and I’m eager to see how well he’ll do.”

Yamakatsu Ace

Kaneo Ikezoe, trainer
“The Kinko Sho was after a layoff but his movement in work had been good and he went around nicely, then quickened well in the finish. It was the perfect way to win a preliminary. There’s not much time between races so last week on the weekend we gave him a blowout and then pushed him hard this week on Wednesday. He’s full of energy and I think he has a lot in reserve both mentally and physically. I expect to see improvement. The lineup will be strong and he’ll be a challenger at best, but I hope he’ll take heart and rise to the challenge. He has had good results over 2,000 meters. Although he hasn’t raced at Hanshin before, I don’t think the track will present any particular problems.”

Kenichi Ikezoe, jockey
“His work was good this week. We focused on the finish and didn’t go all out but it was a solid workout. I haven’t ridden him since the Kinko Sho but he felt the same. I think he had been a bit heavy for that race but he really ran well. I think he’ll be OK in the Hanshin 2,000. In the field are a Derby winner and an overseas winner so it won’t be easy. But he is in very good shape, so I’m interested in seeing how he’ll do against the strong competition with him in the kind of shape he is in. I have a lot of dreams that I’d like to see come true but winning a G1 race on a horse trained by my father has been a dream for years now and it’s one I really want to come true.”