Aithon

Tadao Igarashi, trainer
“Last week he worked on the woodchip course, and I was satisfied with what he did. He’s better with his recent racing experience.”

Tomoki Igarashi, assistant trainer
“His three wins have all come from him getting to the front and dictating the pace. If there are horses in front, he tends not to run on in the final stages. It’ll be the first time for him to transport long distance, so that’s a bit of an unknown, but he’s in good condition right now. I think if he can run in a similar way to how he’s won previously, he can produce something here.”

Double Sharp

Kunihiko Watanabe, trainer
“He’s been working well recently on the woodchip course, and the jockey’s been pleased with him and says he’s in better shape than last time. His last race was good. He’s sharp, and hopefully he can get a good early position in the race and get a bit of cover.”

Epoca d'Oro

Hideaki Fujiwara, trainer
“He’s been able to maintain his condition, and it was a good race for him last time, as well as experiencing the track. I think he can run well.”

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“He’s quite an easy horse to handle and ride, and would seem to be able to run at any track. Of course, he’s still young and developing, but at the moment he’s showing a lot of ability, and if he can put that into the race, he’ll do well.”

Gendarme

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“A while ago in training, he had a tendency to lean and didn’t finish off his work so well. Just recently, however, he’s done much better, showing good movement, and since his debut this has been his best. This will be his third time at the distance, and he can show that running cleverly over 2,000 meters is possible, despite the mile probably being his best distance.”

Yutaka Take, jockey
“I think he’s in the best condition since I started riding him. It’s a plus that I know him and his racing sense. I’ve ridden him three times now. I don’t think the Nakayama course goes against him in any way. I don’t want the ground to be too soft. He’s a little different from his brothers and sisters, and after his good training, it wouldn’t surprise if he was able to win a Classic race.”

Generale Uno

Eiichi Yano, trainer
“He should be about the same weight as last time, although appearing to fill out more. It’s a different level of opponents this time, but you have to pitch in and see what the horse can do. He ran a good race in good time in the Keisei Hai, his most recent run.”

Hironobu Tanabe, jockey
“I think this is the best rotation for him. He’s a little difficult to ride, and can stop in his stride if out by himself. Having said that, he has ability, and in his last piece of work he was calm and ran honestly, which I was pleased with.”

Grail

Kenji Nonaka, trainer
“He’s come along well in training, and with the big field on Sunday, things will be different, and we’ll have to see how he handles the race, but I’m really interested to see just what he’s able to do here. I think there’s no problem for him to go right-handed, and I’m not worried about the draw or how the race is run.”

Yasunari Iwata, jockey
“He’s shown improvement gradually. His responses have been good. While he still feels a little loose, I think he can put in a good race here.”

Jun Valerot

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“I wanted the jockey to work him this week, and that has been the case. The horse is good in his work. Over 2,000 meters he’s best trying to get to the lead and maintaining it, and running at his own rhythm. Even though he’s yet to win an Open Class race, I don’t think there’s a lot in it when compared to the other runners.”

K T Clever

Shogo Yasuda, trainer
“He’s worked well in training, chasing up his training partner and adjusting well to the pace. He’s also been finishing off the work well. In his races up to now, we’ve seen him go to the front, and it would seem best for him to do this. The main point is that the pace doesn’t become too fast, so that he still has control of things when in front. Bearing this in mind, that’s how I’d like him to run.”

Kitano Commandeur

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“He’s only had the two races, so it’s early in his career. There are a lot of runners and it can get difficult over the 2,000 meters at Nakayama. The horse got better with just his second run, and I think can still improve. It will be his first time to travel to the Kanto region, so that’s a bit of an unknown, but he’s a relaxed type. We’ve just gone easy with him this past week, so there’s a fresh and light feel about him.”

Mirco Demuro, jockey
“There’s a good feel to him. He’s a smart horse who can get into a race well. There won’t be a problem with him handling the track.”

Meiner Fanrong

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“He’s moved well in training and looks to be in good condition. It’s a strong field, but all being well, other horses will go to the front and he’ll be able to just get a position and sit off the pace. If the pace is not too strong, he should be able to adjust to things over the 2,000 meters.”

Daichi Shibata, jockey
“He seems better for his last race, and has more ability now. He has to travel an extra furlong this time, and as a slightly tense horse, it’s my job to get him settled into the race as best I can. I want to do my best on him here among the strong opposition.”

Oken Moon

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“There hasn’t been much change with him, and while we’ve worked to just get him to do things right, it’s been very important not to overdo things with him. I’m satisfied with him in the way things have gone. He’s won at the course, so I’m not worried about anything, and hopefully in the race, he’ll just get a good early position without rushing into things.”

Hiroshi Kitamura, jockey
“He usually runs well, despite having a slightly high head carriage, but his responses and breathing are good. Of course, all other horses are improving, but I want to ride him well here.”

Sans Rival

Kenichi Fujioka, trainer
“He’s a horse with a good turn of foot, and always wants to put in his best effort. Despite his will to win, he just fell short in his last couple of races. Things have gone to plan with his training, he’s used to the transportation, and if things go his way I think he has a chance.”

Stelvio

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer
“Things have been good with him after his last race, which he came out of well. He’s still young and inexperienced, and there’s always a lot we don’t know about horses. I believe just keeping them healthy is a big thing, and he would seem to be in top condition. I’m not anxious about the distance, despite the fact that on breeding it might look a bit far. He’s had experience at the course, so all being well, he can run a big race.”

Akira Murayama, trainer
“He’s trained well, and despite his only win coming in a dirt race, he has had four starts on turf earlier in his career. Of course, I am a little anxious about how the race might go for him, but returning to run on turf, if he’s able to adjust to how the race is run, and the distance, even among this strong field, he might be running on at the end.”

Time Flyer

Kunihide Matsuda, trainer
“He’s come back well after his last race, and the jockey’s been putting him through his paces, particularly working on the horse’s ability to finish strongly. He could be a Derby horse, but in the meantime, he’s back at the course and distance where he won a Grade 1 last year, and so must have a good chance.”

Hiroyuki Uchida, jockey
“The horse has a lot of stamina, so I believe I can ride a good race on him. I’m not thinking about the draw so much, as you can think about things too much. I won the race with Goldship, and Time Flyer has already won over the course and distance, so I have a pretty good idea in my mind how I’d like things to go. With all the hard work put in at the stable and the farm, together with the fans’ expectations, I want him to run a big race.”

Wagnerian

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“He’s been working well and his breathing’s good. He’s calmed down a lot. There’ll be more runners this time, and I don’t think the pace will be slow, but with the power this horse has got, and maximizing that to its full potential, he must have a chance.”

Yuichi Fukunaga, jockey
“In his latest race, it was the most relaxed he’s been and the best he’s run. There’s a bit of mystery about him, and when he is tense he seems to run with a lot more vigor. There are a lot of runners, many inexperienced, and it could be wet on race day, which all make things different. However, the horse has a lot of potential, and with the great job the staff have done, I want to do my best.”