Al Naseem

Shinsuke Hashiguchi, trainer
“It was good to get the last race into him. Since then, his appetite’s been good and he’s filling out accordingly. He’s been moving well in training and everything’s been smooth with him. He should be well suited by the mile this time, and if he can save himself for a late run, it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise if he can go close here.”

Kenichi Ikezoe, jockey
“He’s been running smoothly with his training partner, and this has kept him from pulling too much, and this is something to pay attention to.”

Danon Scorpion

Takayuki Yasuda, trainer
“The horse has good gate sense and knows how to race. I have no concerns about him when it comes to using his ability. He won his first race over a mile, so the trip is good for him. He won his first two races in small fields, so I suppose one of the keys is how he’ll handle racing in a race with more horses this time.”

Kohei Matsuyama, jockey
“I’ve had some good contact with the horse, as expressed by the trainer. The horse can lean a little to the right, but that’s not really a problem overall. I’ve known the horse since his debut, even though I rode another horse at that time, but this one impressed me with his power. He ran a good race last time against strong opponents.”

Do Deuce

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“Last week and this week he’s moved well in training, and after his hard work last week, he hasn’t needed so much in this final week. He looks muscular and has plenty of power, showing he’s developing the right way. I’m pleased with his condition. He could perhaps do with further distance in the race, but the 1,600 meters at Hanshin should suit him, it being a wider track, and hopefully he’ll be able to get his big stride in and show a good turn of foot.”

Dobune

Koshiro Take, trainer
“His hoof problem isn’t an issue now. He’s coming along very well, and it’s been important to pay attention to everything with him, so that he doesn’t get too excited. Generally though, when he gets onto the track, he’s quite well behaved, and mentally he’s improving too. Since two weeks ago his movement has been good, and he looks well in his coat. His back is strong also. This week we haven’t had to do anything particular with him. The Hanshin course should suit him, and it’ll be all about him showing his true ability and running with a good rhythm throughout the race.”

Geoglyph

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer
“Since his debut, he’s won two races over 1,800 meters, so the shorter distance this time won’t be a problem. He’s had experience transporting to different tracks and he quickly adjusts to a different environment. After his last race, he went to the farm to get rid of his tiredness. He returned to the stable one month ago, and since then he’s been full of himself and running well. I was pleased with his last piece of work, where he put in an energetic run and showed that he’s in good form.”

Yu Ota, assistant trainer
“He’s been well prepared for this race, and attention has been paid to how he behaves in the gate. Jockey Christophe Lemaire has a good feel for the horse. As for the distance of this race, he ran powerfully last time, so I don’t see any problem this time either.”

Christophe Lemaire, jockey
“He’s improved as the race gets closer, and he’s moving well and running with a good rhythm. In his last race, he never hit top gear, so it was an easy win. There should be no problem with him over a mile, and he should be fine getting into the flow of things.”

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“One week ago he worked well uphill, and this week we haven’t overdone it with him, but the effect of his training should be fine. He seems to be in good condition. It looks like there are plenty of horses that will want to go forward in the race, so if he races from behind that shouldn’t be a problem. I suppose the extra 200 meters this time will be one of the keys. The jockey knows the horse well though, and hopefully he can get the horse to run his own race, and keep with a good rhythm.”

Shinichiro Akiyama, jockey
“He’s in good condition, and he’s a horse with a lot of power and speed. The key will be how he gets into the flow of things over this longer trip.”

Otaru Ever

Kazuya Nakatake, trainer
“He wants to race, and we’ve even had him jumping fences just to take some of his pace away. Changing bits has also helped, and he’s a horse that can do many things. Last week the jockey (Hideaki Miyuki) rode him, and this week too he worked the horse. From the start, he handled things well, and the jockey just checked things with him at the end of his run in training.”

Masaaki Shibata, assistant trainer
“It’s good the way he’s developing, and he’s a horse with a lot of speed. He won’t have to transport far to the track this time, so that’s good. He’s won over a mile, so the distance isn’t a problem for him. We have confidence about his condition, so hopefully he’ll get to run a smooth race here.”

Purpur Ray

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“I’ve learned a lot from his previous races, and it’s been helpful to keep these things in mind, particularly his run at the Hanshin track last time. This time the idea is to race him differently, trying to save a bit more in the run and keeping things for the finish. He can be a good horse if he just produces a bit more.”

Mirco Demuro, jockey
“He feels good the way he’s moving. There’s a difficult side to him which he showed in his last race, but he’s a good enough horse to take on a Grade 1.”

Mizuki Takayanagi, trainer
“His movement’s been pretty good while working on the woodchip course. With the strong opponents, and it being his first race on turf, these are the challenges he faces.”

Serifos

Mitsumasa Nakauchida, trainer
“I’ve had the jockey get a feel for the horse over a distance on the woodchip course. His workload’s been just right and he’s been moving well. This week he’s just stretched out over half a mile on the woodchip course, and the jockey just checked things over with him. One of the keys will be how he handles a race with a lot of runners, and how he matches up to the strength of the opposition.”

Taku Fukunaga, assistant trainer
“Everything’s gone as planned with him. It won’t be easy in a race with many other horses, but there’s no doubting this horse’s strength and ability. He’s serious in his races, and I think he can put in a good run here.”

Cristian Demuro, jockey
“This last week in work, I’ve been able to feel what a good condition he’s in. He’s calm mentally, and it feels like he’s capable of anything. He’s already shown he’s a good horse, and if that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t have already won three races.”

Yusaku Kokubun, jockey
“He runs with a big stride and in a balanced way. I think he’s already showing improvement to another level. The distance of the race should be fine, providing he can match the strength of the other horses in the run.”

Masahiro Mitou, assistant trainer
“She’s looked good in training, running well with a good rhythm and posting a good time. She’s been able to keep her condition going into the race. It’s been good to prepare her for this race, and it’ll be interesting to see how she gets on, particularly regarding the flow of the race, the draw she gets, and the going on the day. One of the keys will be how she can show her turn of foot in the race.

Toshin Macau

Mizuki Takayanagi, trainer
“He’s closed well at the finish in training, and he’s in good enough condition as this race approaches. The distance of the race is longer this time, and there are some strong horses in the lineup, but I think he can cope alright with these things. More than closing strongly at the finish, he’s better just putting in his big strides throughout the run, and maintaining a good position, just like he did in his last race.”

Hirofumi Shii, trainer
“He’s been working solo, but moving well and showing he’s in good shape. It was a tough race last time, but he showed a lot of guts to keep things going until the finish. There shouldn’t be a problem with him getting to run his own race.”

Via Dolorosa

Yukihiro Kato, trainer
“The jockey’s worked the horse in training and says there’s no problem with him and that he has a good closing finish. The horse is switched on and he’s running and responding well. There’s no stress from his last race. I’d say his best distance is between 1,400 and 1,600 meters, although until we try the 1,600 meters we won’t know. Of course it’s a strong field and it won’t be easy, but I want him to have a smooth run and try his best.”

Katsuma Sameshima, jockey
“He’s an honest horse, and he shows he can run well with good closing speed. Even though it will be his first time at a mile, he’s a horse with good control, and I don’t think there will be any problems.”