Admire Alba

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“He’s easier to control now that he’s been gelded, and that helps a lot. Even though he meets strong opponents here, I feel the 2,200 meters at Hanshin is a good match for him.”

Atsuya Nishimura, jockey
“He’s moved well in training, and the key will be to get him to relax and to run to his best in the race itself, something he wasn’t able to do last time.”

African Gold

Masato Nishizono, trainer
“He’s in good condition and has looked good in training, and has closed out at the finish well. He’s shown he can win at Hanshin, and rather than a record breaking track condition, a bit of give in the ground would be good. The inside course is a plus. Hopefully, he’ll get to run with a good rhythm, where he doesn’t run out of steam and can just keep going.”

Blast Onepiece

Masahiro Otake, trainer
“This has been his target race since his last run. In his last piece of work on the woodchip course, he showed good speed and his breathing is fine too. His hindquarters are stronger now. With the extra furlong in the race this time, he should be able to get a good position from the start. He’s got stamina and can handle the wet, and rather than worry about the opposition, I want to see him run his own strong race here, which he is capable of doing.”

Cadenas

Kazuya Nakatake, trainer
“He’s moving well, and he also did some good work while he was at the farm, so things are fine with him. He ran a good race last time, and I have faith in the jockey.

Masaaki Shibata, assistant trainer
“He looks muscular, and the warmer weather seems better for him. We haven’t pushed him too hard in training. He’s a talented horse when he’s on his game, and even if the ground is bad, he can take it, but good ground is preferable for him.”

Chrono Genesis

Takashi Saito, trainer
“She’s in good shape, relaxed, and all seems fine with her. She’s won over 2,200 meters at Kyoto, and she finished second recently at Hanshin, so the distance is good for her. Even in the wet, I wouldn’t be worried as she always gives it her all. The inner course will also be suitable, and the jockey has always ridden her, so he knows what to do.”

Yuichi Kitamura, jockey
“She posted a good time in her final piece of work and there’s no change with her. She’s relaxed and in the right place mentally, and after returning from the farm her condition is very good. I think the 2,200 meters is fine for her. She’s a powerful horse that runs with a good rhythm, and I’m expecting a good performance from her here.”

Danburite

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
“He’s moved well in training, despite the ground not being the quickest. His track record over 2,200 meters is good. He wasn’t completely relaxed last time, but this will be his second race since he’s been gelded, so hopefully he’ll be relaxed. The Tenno Sho distance was a bit long, so coming back in trip will be better for him too.”

Glory Vase

Tomohito Ozeki, trainer
“The jockey’s been riding the horse and putting him through his training as if it was a real race situation. This is the longest it’s been between races for him, but the horse looks good and finds a good rhythm when asked. It’ll be his first time at Hanshin, but he’s handled Chukyo alright, which is another course with a slope. Hopefully the ground will be good. It’s an honor to get a start in the race, and I think he’ll run well.”

Damian Lane, jockey
“He’s a horse that’s easy to ride and has a good character. He’s been moving well as the race day approaches. He won well in Hong Kong, and I’m pleased to be able to get another chance to ride a good horse in this race.”

Kiseki

Katsuhiko Sumii, trainer
“He’s been training well, cornering smoothly and racing uphill. He’s relaxed too. In his final workout he was sharp. The trip was a bit too far for him last time, so the shorter distance will be a help to him.”

Takashi Kotaki, assistant trainer
“I think he’s done enough in training. When you think about him finding the flow in a race, something like the 2,200 meters at Hanshin would be good for him. He’s a horse with ability and I think he can show that here.”

Lucky Lilac

Mikio Matsunaga, trainer
“She’s just as I would expect, and I think she’s still getting stronger. She just looks better all round, the way she has developed. While it won’t be an easy race, hopefully she’ll get a good start (which will be important) and get to take up a good position. I’m not worried about the going, as she won the Artemis Stakes in the rain, but firm ground would be better. With the condition she’s in, I’m looking forward to the race.”

Meisho Tengen

Yukio Higashida, assistant trainer
“He’s adjusted well on his return from the farm, although he’s not the type to really catch the eye. As a 3-year-old he ran in (and won) the Yayoi Sho over 2,000 meters, so I think middle distance races are fine for him. Given the season and a chance of rain, those things go in his favor. The jockey knows how to ride the horse too.”

Kohei Matsuyama, jockey
“These past two weeks he’s been moving well. His condition is good and some rain would definitely help his chances.”

Mozu Bello

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“He’s been better this last week in training compared to the week before, with just a little stiffness in his movement. The way he has been racing, he can do well in a Grade 1, I believe. The 2,200 meters should be good for him to find his rhythm and put in a finish at the end. He doesn’t like the heat so much, so if the temperature’s a bit lower on the day, that will be better for him.”

Persian Knight

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“He’s finished second at Hanshin before, and with the four corners in the race, getting into top gear isn’t easy. He’s the type that acts on good ground, and with it being the fourth weekend of racing at the course, that’s not always the case. Distance wise, it might be a little far for him, but it just depends on how the race is run. If he gets a good run and can save things for the finish, that would be the best scenario.”

Ryuji Wada, jockey
“Not knowing the horse so well, I can’t speak for his previous runs. His footwork’s good and the key will be getting him to use this to the best ability in the race.”

Red Genial

Kenichi Nakatsuka, assistant trainer
“He comes to the race in good shape, and without forcing things, he runs with a lot of power. Despite it being a strong field, this horse has stamina and is quite unyielding, and if he gets to run a tough race where this comes into play, I don’t think there’s that much difference between him and the others.”

Saturnalia

Katsuhiko Sumii, trainer
“In his last work, he looked good and traveled well, posting a four-furlong time of around 52 seconds. He’s in good condition. He’s also been relaxed when coming and going from the stable. With this race in mind, he’s also had constant work at Northern Farm Shigaraki. Last time he ran well left-handed, but I think he probably runs smoother right-handed.”

Takashi Kotaki, assistant trainer
“The jockey has a good feel for the horse, and I don’t see any problems with the Hanshin 2,200 meters, even if the going comes up soft. It’ll be a question of him running his best race.”

Christophe Lemaire, jockey
“He’s become more mature and is relaxed and easy to ride. At the same time, his responses are good and his footwork is quick. I feel good about him. The Takarazuka Kinen can be a difficult race, particularly between the third and fourth corners, so I’ll need to think about our position then. He hasn’t quite shown his top potential, so I hope that can change this time.”

Stiffelio

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
“I’m careful not to overwork him. He might not be the fastest in training, but he’s looking strong and is in good shape. His movement’s good and he does things honestly. Over the 2,200 meters. hopefully he’ll get into position early in the race, and be able to have a ground saving run, after which he can use his legs at the finish.”

Tosen Cambina

Katsuhiko Sumii, trainer
“He’s worked well these last two weeks and showed good responses in his final workout. He can be a bit slow to break, and we do work on him being relaxed at the start, but to be honest, however he starts, his racing style is to leave it all until the finish of the race.”

Takashi Kotaki, assistant trainer
“He’s closed well at the finish in training, and this time the race is over 2,200 meters on the inner track at Hanshin. This should be better for him, and although we know he’s not the best starter, he should be able to get into a good rhythm as they settle down after the start.”

Tosen Surya

Jiro Ono, trainer
“He’s maintained his condition since his last race and he just worked solo this week on the woodchip course with the jockey, as he did his hard training last week. I think Hanshin suits him, but he doesn’t have experience in the wet. He’s good at getting a position in a race, and I hope he runs well so we can think of an autumn campaign with him.”

Kazuo Yokoyama, jockey
“He’s in similar condition to his last race. He has a lot of power, but can be controlled well. We’ll have to see how he handles the track, but his rhythm is good, and my job is to get him to run throughout the race with his best rhythm. He’s usually pretty good at the start.”

Wagnerian

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“We’ve just taken it easy with him this last week. Ideally the ground should be firm for him, but if it comes up wet, I wouldn’t be too worried. He shows no sign of slowing down, and I look forward to his run here.”

Yuichi Fukunaga, jockey
“He’s in much the same condition as I expected. Since returning from the farm, his breathing’s fine and he’s moving pretty well.”