A Will a Way

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“It was a fast run race last time, but she ran well and showed how good her footwork is. She was plus 14kg for that last race, but that's about the weight she should be. Her appetite's good and she's maintained her condition. The 1,200 meters at Nakayama should suit her. She can be slow to start, so it means she'll race from the back in the early part of the race, but hopefully she won't get too far back. I think she can run a good race even among this strong field.”

Bien Fait

Masaaki Shibata, assistant trainer
“Things have been smooth with his training, and he's better for his last race. That has led him into this race as we would want. Ideally, he'll be well up with the pace, but there are plenty of other horses wanting to do the same. I am looking forward to what he might do here among the strong opposition.”

Yusuke Fujioka, jockey
“It's a Grade 1 this time, but he's good enough to tackle it. He leans just a little at the finish, but compared to the spring, he's improved a lot. He's a big, striding horse, but doesn't feel heavy at all.”

Daimei Fuji

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“He had a break at the farm after his last run and has come back refreshed. The horse is very well. He didn't act on the ground last time, and really does need good ground. Essentially, he's a go-forward type. He seems fine after his last race, and I wonder how he'll perform in this next race among all the other good horses.”

Daimei Princess

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“There's little change with her since she returned to the stable from the farm. She's trained well in her work with other horses. She has a powerful stride, and in her races, it's best if she's kept for a late run where she can demonstrate this. It remains to be seen what she can do from her training, and whether she can put this to good use in the race. She'll need to get into the flow of things as the race unfolds.”

Danon Smash

Takayuki Yasuda, trainer
“He looks well in his coat and everything's gone as I would have expected with him. His times have been good in training. In the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, he didn't get away so well at the start, and racing from the rear, he never really showed what he can do. He made amends in the Keio Hai Spring Cup, which I was relieved about, even though the distance was different. He returned to 1,200 meters last time and won well. Hopefully he'll run well again here, and having already won six Graded races, I really want to see him win a Grade 1.”

Yuga Kawada, jockey
“He ran well in the Centaur Stakes to get a good win, and just looking at him he seems better than he was in the spring. He ran a good race in last year's Sprinters Stakes from an inside draw. I'm looking forward to riding him once more, and I'd like to thank the connections for making it possible.”

Diatonic

Takayuki Yasuda, trainer
“With an injury early in his career, he made his debut rather late, so we've taken good care with him. He's certainly matured since the start of this year, and as a winner of the Hakodate Sprint Stakes, I don't think he's out of his depth here among a lot of specialist sprinters. I doubt that he'll encounter such bad ground as last time, so I'd like to see him rebound here.”

Eighteen Girl

Yuji Iida, trainer
“There are some tough things she'll have to deal with this time, such as the strong field, her first time at the track, and the ground, as well as how the race is likely to be run. Having said that, everything's gone to plan with her and she's got the results to show for it. Returning from Hokkaido, she's maintained her condition as before. It's not every horse that has a turn of foot like hers, and hopefully she can get to run her own race and prove again what she can do.”

Gran Alegria

Daisuke Tsumagari, assistant trainer
“Her weight is about plus 10kg since she returned from Northern Farm Tenei, and just like she'd put on weight for her last race, it's her filling out. She used to be a little delicate, but she's improved with age. In her first start at the trip in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, she raced down the outside towards the finish and there was little in it between her and the winner. Even though it will be her first time at Nakayama, I don't see any problems and I think she can do well.”

Kazuo Fujisawa, trainer
“I'm pleased with the way she's been moving, and she's showing what speed she has. She had experience over the trip at Chukyo, where she finished strongly on the outside and could take on the quick horses in that race. I don't see a problem with the Nakayama track, even though it's a tough course with the rise, and the jockey will make a plan once we know the draw.”

Christophe Lemaire, jockey
“She really seems to be bigger and stronger. In her last work, her breathing, footwork and responses were all good. I'm sure she'll be suited by the Nakayama track. The Grade 1 season has started again, and I'd like to win the Sprinters Stakes with Gran Alegria.”

King Heart

Kaoru Hoshino, assistant trainer
“There's no change in the way he's been moving in training, which has included working uphill. He can be a bit unruly in the gate, but he seems better with more practice. He's a horse that behaves differently on the day of the race, so it's a question of seeing how he is at the time. The jockey knows the horse well, so hopefully he'll be able to get him into his rhythm from the start.”

Hiroshi Kitamura, jockey
“His footwork has been good in training, and he doesn't feel stiff at all, so he's fine going into the race. It's my job to see that he travels well throughout the race.”

Kurino Gaudi

Norio Fujisawa,trainer
“We've kept things light with him in training and I feel it's enough. He's been running in high level races, and he does have the ability to win. Bearing in mind the transportation and the ground on the day, it's important that he's well balanced when it comes to the race. 1,200 meters is probably his best distance when it comes to finding his way in a race, and if he can run in a similar way to his last race, saving things for a good late run, I'd expect him to give his best.”

Love Kampf

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“She seems to be in good shape and has recovered from her last race. She's a speedy type who acts on firm ground, and the light weight she sometimes carries is a help, but she'll have to carry a bit more this time. It's the same for a lot of the other horses though, with the weight they will carry. There'll be other horses in the race that'll want to go forward, so the key will be for her to get into the natural flow of things.”

Meisho Glocke

Jun Sato, assistant trainer
“She always gives her best in her races, and we do need to make sure there's no tiredness with her and take care of her in general. She might be better racing left-handed, but I don't think it's a problem racing right-handed either, according to how she runs. The 1,200 meters is a good trip for her. I regarded her as a challenger in her last race where she ran well, and think something similar is possible this time as well.”

Mozu Superflare

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
“This last week it's been easy for her just training solo and I haven't been worried about times. She didn't run in the Centaur Stakes, as the interval between races would have been too short, so it's been five weeks since her run in the Kitakyushu Kinen, a good enough break. It's the same rotation as last year and she seems to be in good order. Her track record is best at Nakayama, and even among this field, she's capable of showing her usual speed and talent. I hope she'll get fast ground.”

Fuma Matsuwaka, jockey
“There's a good feel to her. She did her hard training the week before, so she just had an easy workout this week. It's a real plus for her to run at Nakayama. She ran well last year and I think a good result is possible again. She was back from a spell last time, and didn't quite have enough at the finish.”

Mr Melody

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“He comes on for his races, and as this is just his third start this year, there's a fresh feel to him. It's right-handed this time, and you have to remember he was just 0.3 seconds off the winner last year when he finished fourth. He's also done well at Hanshin, so the clockwise direction isn't a problem. This time he has the same jockey as when he won a Grade 1, so if everything goes smoothly, he would have to have a chance.”

Hideaki Fujiwara, trainer
“His movement's good and there's a light feel to him. He does improve with races. Last year he changed leads towards the end of the race, but I think he's fine racing right-handed and it'll be interesting to see if all goes well with his footwork this time.”

Red en Ciel

Yasushi Shono, trainer
“He's fired up, and everything has gone smoothly with him. He has good racing sense and has run over a mile at Nakayama, so he can handle the rise. His gate sense is also good, as well as being able to get a position in a race. He didn't run in the race last year, and he certainly hasn't been overused. He's more mature now. Running in blinkers last time, he was back to his old self. The horse and jockey seem a good match, and I don't think there's much in it between my horse and the other strong runners in the lineup, providing he gets to show his best.”

Right on Cue

Masaki Kon, assistant trainer
“He didn't run in the spring Grade 1, and just lost out last time, so he's been a bit unlucky, but when he wins it's usually a clear-cut thing. It'll be the fourth weekend of racing at the track, so I imagine the ground won't be at its fastest.”

Mitsugu Kon, trainer
“He's had the same training pattern as when he won the Keihan Hai, and his times have been fine. There should be no problem with the rise, and I think he can handle a fast pace too.”

Yoshihiro Furukawa, jockey
“He does things at his own pace in training, but it's clear he knows what to do. There's no change with him. He ran well last time despite having to go wide. It'll be his first time in a Grade 1 at Nakayama, but I'm not worried about anything and am looking forward to what he might achieve in this strong lineup.”