Charlemagne

Koki Yoshida, assistant trainer
“His training has been good. His lower legs have been fine and he’s running straight. I want him to just make the adjustment needed for the run over 2,000 meters this time.”

Michiro Oshida, assistant trainer
“As a young horse, he could still do with stronger hindquarters, but he’s coming along well. He’s not a horse with sudden speed, but he’s good at racing, and I think the Nakayama course will suit him more than Tokyo. I want him to get a good position from the start, and then see what he can do later in the race.”

Flatley

Kazuo Fujisawa, trainer
“In his last race, he was coming back after a break and the ground was bad. I now think he’s in better condition than he was for that race, and he’s different from his early days. It’s 2,000 meters at Nakayama this time, but I think he can adjust to that. It would be great to get consecutive wins in the race after winning last year with Rey de Oro, and to think again of the Classics with this horse.”

Daisuke Tsumagari, assistant trainer
“Everything’s been satisfactory with him. Since his debut, he’s shown sharpness and good footwork, and he’s a horse with a lot of ability. I want him to show his best here among the strong opposition.”

Christophe Lemaire, jockey
“I’m looking forward to the race with him. His footwork’s good and he runs well, and a longer distance looks sure to suit him.”

Gendarme

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“He has come along well. Looking ahead to next year, we’ve chosen to run him here rather than the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. On his breeding, particularly his mother’s side, it’s unsure if he’ll get 2,000 meters or further. He’s done well so far, however, and we’ll just have to see what he can do here if he gets into the race well. It will probably be the deciding factor as to whether we look ahead to the Classics with him, or stay at a mile.”

Hiroshi Kanetake, assistant trainer
“His last piece of work was good, and he moved well. He had no problems coming out of his last race, and I think he looks just fine with the condition he’s now in.”

Yutaka Take, jockey
“He won his last race in good style, and even though I was injured at the time of that race, it was just the sort of race I’d have hoped for. I don’t think he’ll be limited to shorter distances, despite his mother only winning over them, and I get the feeling he’ll be able to handle distances of over a mile.”

Jun Valerot

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“I think the course will suit his style of running. He’s a horse with staying power and he has a will to win. Without overdoing things, he’ll probably try to get to the front again this time, and it’s going to be interesting to see what he can achieve with his style of running so far.”

Shinji Yasuda, assistant trainer
“He’s put in his hard work, so not pushing him most recently is fine, and I think he’ll have no problem in the race. He’s won his last two races by going to the front and sustaining things to the end, so I suppose the big question is whether he can adjust to a different racing style if he has to.”

Yutaka Okumura, trainer
“Things have gone smoothly with him. He’s worked uphill at a canter, averaging 15 second times. I don’t see a problem with him seeing out the extra distance this time. Of course, he’s inexperienced in some ways, including having to transport a long way, but coming back after a break last time to win, he’s shown some character, and I can only see him improving more.”

Lucas

Kazutomo Mori, assistant trainer
“There have been two Grade 1 races to consider with him, and no Grade 1 is easy. He’s better physically and mentally, but he is a bit highly strung, and with such a high profile horse, it’s important to get things right with him. Since his last race, he’s been well, and hopefully he can show his strength and ability in this next run as well.

Takashi Saito, trainer
“She won last time when almost making all the running, but I think she can run from any position. We’ve just given her light work, and she hasn’t been pulling. She has to cope with the transportation to the track, but the way she ran last time suggests the Nakayama course will be fine for her, and I’m looking forward to her run in this strong field.”

My Heartbeat

Yoshitada Takahashi, trainer
“While he is a little highly strung, the fact that he’s already won two races shows that he’s a colt with ability. We’ve just kept him ticking over with his recent training. I think the Nakayama track will be fine. I want him to get into the race accordingly, in a way that suits his footwork, and hopefully we can look beyond this race providing all goes well.”

Ryo Takei, trainer
“She has worked by herself and pleased me with her training most recently. She has been moving well. Looking ahead to next year with her, we have the Japanese Oaks in mind, so it’s important to get her to run in races where there are plenty of runners. She has ability, which she’s shown in her races so far. She possesses stamina, and her reactions in her races have been good, and I’m hoping, considering all these things, she can run a big race here up against the colts.”

Sans Rival

Kenichi Fujioka, trainer
“These past couple of weeks, he’s done well in training. He hasn’t raced for three months, but he has gotten bigger, which I put down to him developing. In his races, he’s got into good positions, shown good footwork, and an ability to go on when another horse draws up alongside. He’s already had experience over 2,000 meters at Nakayama, as well as the transporting to that track, and I believe both these things give him an advantage. I have no worries at this stage, and I’m looking forward to what kind of race he can run here.”

Yoshihito Kitade, trainer
“It’s been enough to just keep him doing light work. He’s an honest type, who finds racing quite easy. As for the race, I’d hope for him to get into stride well, and if there’s another horse to go on, he can take a sit in second or third, and this won’t be a problem.”

Mitsuo Murata, assistant trainer
“It’s just been 10 days since his last run, so it’s important not to overwork him. He has good racing sense, and I think he’ll be suited by the Nakayama course.”

Takahide Ando, assistant trainer
“We’ve worked him without worrying about posting too fast a time. He’s a little sensitive, and he does have to handle the trip over to the track. In his only race so far, he got well forward and then managed to go on and win. I want him to do his best again, with next year in mind for him.”

Yuta Nakatani, jockey
“There’s little change in the times with him, but his overall work has been good.”

 

Time Flyer

Kunihide Matsuda, trainer
“He has a good appetite, and we’re really looking forward to what he can do, especially with next spring in mind, regarding his further development. In the meantime, I want him to get experience at the track, where the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) will be held, and I want him to run a big race, hoping he can perform this time like the horse we think he’ll become next spring.”

Jiro Ono, trainer
“The horse has been developing as expected, and he has ability. He got a good result at Fukushima last time, and the jockey’s ridden him all the time, so he knows the horse. I don’t think it’s a problem if he goes to the front and attempts to lead all the way over the tight 2,000 meters, but having said that, I don’t think this has to be his only way of racing.”

Kazuo Yokyama, jockey
“When he finished fifth on his debut, he didn’t run so well, but he’s shown a lot more since in his responses, and he’s developing well physically.”

Tamio Hamada, trainer
“He worked well uphill on Dec. 20, and his movement on Sunday was good too. I think he’s better with that last race under him. I think he’s able to get into the flow of a race, and doesn’t necessarily have to lead. He’s a horse with good qualities, and I want to see what he’s capable of doing here.”

Hidetaka Tadokoro, trainer
“He’s raced at Kokura, so I’m not worried about the long trip to the track. He hasn’t raced for a while, so there’s a slight question mark there, but if he gets the run of the race, I think he can put up a fight against his opponents here.”

Akiji Watanabe, assistant trainer
“He’s finished off well in his training, doing everything right. He’s had a break since his last race, so he looks and feels refreshed.”

Hidetaka Tadokoro, trainer
“I’m not worried about the transportation to the track, as he went to Tokyo on his debut. I don’t think the extra distance of the race is a worry either. He’s changing to turf this time, and I’m wondering what position he should take up in the race. Somewhere around midfield would seem to be fine, and it’s going to be interesting to see how he can perform here.”

Seiji Sugiyama, assistant trainer
“He worked on the turf track on Dec. 20 and felt fine. His appetite’s good and all’s well with him.”