Danburite

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
“He’s been gelded since his last race, so we’ll see if that makes a difference. In training he’s been moving well, showing good speed. The start of the race is on the far side of the track, so he should be relaxed going down to the start. That and the fact there’s no noise from the stands. It’ll be his first time at 3,200 meters, and I don’t think he has to get to the front early. It’ll be more important to get settled in a position and to see how things go for him.”

Fuma Matsuwaka, jockey
“Even though the training track was a bit heavy, he worked well on it. When he first returned to the stable, he was a bit lacking, but he’s come on for his efforts in training.”

Etario

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“We switched to lighter blinkers in training, and under his race jockey (Yuga Kawada), the horse has coped well with his workload, training with two other horses. In his last piece of work, we just checked his reactions at the end of his run. The jockey seems a good match for him. While he’s not the easiest horse to deal with, he does switch on accordingly, and hopefully he’ll get to run as smoothly as possible.”

Fierement

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“He’s become more mature in this past year, and his appearance shows this. He hasn’t had that many races, as we just monitor him each time he comes out of a race and take things from there. He’s completely refreshed after last year’s Arima Kinen, and he’s just how I think he should be going into this race. This time it’s Kyoto, where he’s proved he can run well, and an inside draw would be good. I’d like to win another Grade 1 with him after a year’s now gone by since his win in last year’s race.”

Christophe Lemaire, jockey
“He’s a really strong horse and a real stayer with plenty of stamina, and even over 3,000 meters or more, he still has good closing speed in a finish. I’m pleased he came back to form last time, and I’m happy to be able to ride him again, particularly as he’s already a previous winner of the race.”

Happy Grin

Masaki Takano, assistant trainer
“I think he’ll be fine at the distance, given that he has run in Hokkaido over a long trip and showed that he could run well, so this time shouldn’t be so different. He seems well in himself and shows good control over things. Everything should be just right going into the race.”

Kiseki

Katsuhiko Sumii, trainer
“There was no problem with his recent gate test, and the jockey (Yutaka Take) reported everything to be alright. He also said the horse’s condition is good and that he knows when to switch on. In his last work this week, it was the usual pattern with him, taking in a lap and a half of the woodchip course. He proved in the Kikuka Sho he can handle a soft track, so I’m not worried about that or how the other runners might go.”

Takashi Kotaki, assistant trainer
“He’s trained well, including when taking the bit between the third and fourth corners and then finishing off well. He’s a powerful horse, and one of the keys to him will be starting well and finding a good rhythm. I hope the unfortunate things are now behind him.”

Yutaka Take, jockey
“He cleared the gate test with no problem. It’s my first time to ride him in a race, but he’s a horse with stamina as could be seen from his Kikuka Sho win. Even though he might not be so straightforward to ride, I think as an older horse with a lot of ability, the 3,200 meters shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll need to just be careful to get him off to a reasonable start.”

Meisho Tengen

Kaneo Ikezoe, trainer
“In training this week, we concentrated on him picking up from about a furlong out, and he posted a time in the 12 second range for that. He likes to do things his way, and he won’t be flying out of the gate, so the long distance of the race will give him time to settle and hopefully get a good position. It’s best if he gets a ground saving run, and if the sting is out of the ground that would help, as he takes a bit of time to get wound up.”

Yukio Higashida, assistant trainer
“It’s a strong field, but the 3,200 meters isn’t a worry on his breeding. Hopefully he won’t lose anything in the run, as that will be one of the keys with him, and if the going is a bit off, that will help his chances too.”

Melody Lane

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“She is a small filly, and I’d like her to be bigger, but proportionately her shape seems right. She’s about 344 kg at the moment. Long distance races seem to suit her if the pace is not too torrid, and she really gives it her all throughout a race over a trip. It will be interesting to see how she measures up in this strong field.”

Mikki Swallow

Takanori Kikuzawa, trainer
“He didn’t run in any Grade 1 races last year, and I’ve been careful not to overdo things with him and just monitor his runs carefully. The Tenno Sho became the target after his run in the Nikkei Sho, from which he has recovered well. He can be a little nervous, but in training this week he’s been relaxed and looks ready to run. He has enough stamina and is easy to control. I think he has a good chance and can run well at the Kyoto track.”

Miraieno Tsubasa

Daishi Ito, trainer
“He shows his best over a trip, and even though he was a little tired after his last race, he soon recovered his condition. The jockey says he’s in better shape than he was for his last race, and his footwork in particular is better. There’s no question about his stamina, and if he gets into a good rhythm in the race, I want him to show his best here.”

Takuya Kowata, jockey
“When I rode him this week, it’s clear the stable staff and trainer have done a good job in keeping him in top condition. I’ve got to know the horse and can believe in him. The race will be a furlong shorter this time, so I need to think about that. It’ll be a good experience for me, and I want to get the horse to run to his best, using his turn of foot at the end of the race.”

Mozu Bello

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“His movement’s been good in training, and he now runs straighter than before. Until he tries the distance, we honestly don’t know, but I think he can handle it. The jockey knows the horse well, and he should be able to get the best out of the horse, particularly on the run for home. It should be an interesting race.”

Shirvanshah

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“He did well in his first graded race last time, showing that he does have ability. It’s been six months since that race, but in training he’s moved well and posted good times too, with the workload he’s had. His breathing seems fine, so he’s prepared for this race. I’m not worried by the distance, and the downhill section of the course should help him when it comes to taking closer order.”

Stiffelio

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
“He’s in good condition and has moved well in training. The 3,200 meters takes a bit of seeing out, but I’m hoping he’ll get to run in a similar way to his last race. Ideally he’ll get a position somewhere in the middle of the runners, and will be able to save things for a run at the end.”

Yuichi Kitamura, jockey
“He’s an easy horse to ride. He’s relaxed, so I feel good about that. If he gets into the flow of things, the distance shouldn’t be a problem. To some extent, it’ll depend on where he’s drawn.”

Tosen Cambina

Katsuhiko Sumii, trainer
“He can be a little difficult at the gate, as he showed last time, but he’s had plenty of practice, and is improving for that. Apart from this, he’s an easy horse to control, even if he is a little tense, it seems natural. In his last piece of training, he was tight, and we just confirmed everything with him. His reactions are good. He’s had good results at Kyoto, and I think the distance will be alright for him.”

Takashi Kotaki, assistant trainer
“The Kyoto outer course should be good for him, and if he runs like he did last time, the distance should be fine. The big key with him is how he starts, but all being well, he’ll get a good break and soon find his rhythm.”

Kota Fujioka, jockey
“He’s trained well and picked up when I’ve wanted him too, even if the pace was slow. He ran well last time over 3,000 meters, and the switch to Kyoto this time is a plus. The downhill run before the homestraight will be a positive thing. The start is the only worry, but even if he doesn’t break so well, there’s time to recover. The stable staff have done a good job working on his start.”

You Can Smile

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“Previously his hindquarters weren’t so strong, but since the middle of last year he’s become more powerful, and whether he races left or right-handed, he runs a lot straighter now. Since his last race, he’s been in the pool and on the training track, including uphill work. He’s more muscular now and his weight was up for his last race, but he doesn’t look too big. I think the 3,200 meters at Kyoto will really suit him, and he’s the type to run according to how the race plans out.”

Suguru Hamanaka, jockey
“He’s a horse that’s easy to ride. Over the long distance, it’s important to get into the flow of the race and run smoothly. In his final piece of work, he just did light exercise uphill. It’s a pity jockey Yasunari Iwata has to miss the ride through injury. I know what that’s like as I came back from injury recently. So on his behalf, I want to ride a good race and get a good result.”