African Gold

Masato Nishizono, trainer
“He has been moving well on the woodchip course in training, running solo, but things have been as expected with him. His wins have come on good ground, so rain would be a problem. Other than that, he’s very able at showing his strength and knowing what to do, and if he gets to run his own race, it’ll be interesting to see what he can do.”

Arrivo

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“He has been running smoothly in training and the jockey says the horse feels good. He will have done enough by the week of the race. His five wins from five starts at Kokura mean he can handle a small oval track. I thought 1,800 meters might be his best distance, but after the Osaka Hai, jockey Yutaka Take said he would get further. He knows how to get the best out of the horse, so I don’t think there’s a problem with the distance of the race, and even wet ground wouldn’t be a worry. We will just have to see what he can do among the opposition this time.”

Authority

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer
“As a 3-year-old, there were worries about his legs, but he’s come along well, and even after his trips to Saudi Arabia and Dubai, I was concerned about his fetlock condition, but he’s been fine and has recovered from any tiredness. We have paid attention to his condition. His last piece of work went well, so that was pleasing. There is a slight worry about Hanshin as he hasn’t done well there.”

Yu Ota, assistant trainer
“He has put in some hard work in training, running over a distance and posting good times. He seems to know a race is approaching. Earlier in his career, he didn’t race so well, but since last year’s Tenno Sho (Spring), we’ve learned about the kind of distance that suits him. He is a different horse now, and we have to get his condition just right, but hopefully that will be the case as he goes into this next race.”

Daring Tact

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“Her work on the woodchip course has been good, and without overdoing it, she’s finished off with a final furlong time of about 12 seconds. Her legs are fine, and things are as I would expect them to be. She should definitely improve for her last race. She has won over distances between a mile and 2,400 meters, so there’s no concern about the distance this time. I think after her last run over a mile, she’ll have no problem getting a position that suits her in the race this time. She is pretty good at getting into the flow of a race, and the extra distance this time is a plus. I am really looking forward to how she performs here.”

Kohei Matsuyama, jockey
“She ran well last time after her long layoff and it shows that she has a lot of ability. The distance is longer this time, so the flow and rhythm of the race will be different, but I want to do my best regarding those points. I am very pleased to be riding her again.”

Deep Bond

Ryuji Okubo, trainer
“He is not a difficult horse to deal with, and the jockey’s always thinking about how to get the best out of him. The horse’s salespoint is that he really gives it his all right up to the end of a race, and even if the ground’s a bit cut up, it wouldn’t be a worry. Those things, and his liking for Hanshin, don’t make for any anxiety with him.”

Tatsuo Taniguchi, assistant trainer
“He has been in good condition since his break, so we decided on this race for him. His recent work over a distance on the woodchip course with jockey Ryuji Wada has been good. I think he’ll be able to handle the 2,200 meters of the race this time. Rain-affected ground wouldn’t be a problem either. Most of all, I’d like to see him do his best among the strong opponents he faces here.”

Ryuji Wada, jockey
“I am not worried about the 2,200 meters at Hanshin, nor any horse that might go forward early, as it’s not just a speed race. I think he’s in a position to challenge the other strong horses in the race. I would be a little unsure if it’s very wet, but I want to do my best to get a result.”

Efforia

Yuichi Shikato, trainer
“His preparation has gone well, and he’s probably in better shape than he was for his last race. He has been more switched on wearing blinkers in training, and running in between two other horses. He has now had experience of transporting long distance to a track, and I don’t see a problem with the race over the 2,200 meters on the inner course this time. It was too bad about his last race, so I want to see the real Efforia this time, and hope that he can show what a talented horse he is and give his best showing in the race.”

Takeshi Yokoyama, jockey
“He has had blinkers on for the first time in training, and I’ve been pleased with the effect. His cornering and concentration have been better since last week. It will be his second time at Hanshin and the extra furlong this time won’t be a problem. Nothing is sure in racing, but I want him to run his best race against the strong opponents here.”

Gibeon

Nobuyuki Tashiro, assistant trainer
“He ran well at Chukyo recently, and I’m not especially worried about the Hanshin track. With just a short time between races, he’s just done enough in training. He is very well for a 7-year-old, and while not boasting, I think 2,200 meters is alright for him. He is pretty fast and can respond to quick times, but slightly softened ground would help his chances. If he runs to his best, it’ll be interesting to see how he can do here.”

Gloria Mundi

Tatsuo Taniguchi, assistant trainer
“He has worked well with his training partners. He performed quite well before in turf races, but for a while didn’t get results so he was switched to dirt. In his earlier runs in turf races, he showed that he’s a horse that can run well on turf. It might be tough in this strong field, but we’ll have to see what he can do this time.”

Yuichi Fukunaga, jockey
“He has trained well these last two weeks. His hind legs seem stronger now and his overall balance has improved because of this.”

Hishi Iguazu

Noriyuki Hori, trainer
“He seems sharper now. One point has been to get him to feel right about running, and specifically to concentrate on his hindquarters, and getting him to run in a balanced way, which he’s improved on in recent weeks. The jockey has done a good job in taking care of things to achieve this balance. The horse’s condition is better than it was for the Osaka Hai.”

Damian Lane, jockey
“His condition and responses have improved in these last few weeks that I’ve been riding him. He is a different horse from when I last rode him in a race, and he’s developed nicely since. I know the course well, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Iron Barows

Hiroyuki Uemura, trainer
“He has adjusted well in training as this race approaches, and he’s in good condition. I have been very pleased with the way he’s moving. There are a number of horses that might want to lead in the race, so I’d be happy for him to just settle in behind the leaders. He is a challenger here up against the strong horses, but I hope his toughness can be tested, and that he runs well, as he still continues his career.”

King of Koji

Shogo Yasuda, trainer
“His workload has been good and he’s handled everything well. After his loss in his last race, it’s a feeling of just resetting things this time. He is a horse that mostly obeys instructions, but the key with him is to keep him calm and getting things to go smoothly.”

Meiner Fanrong

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“He has been moving well in training, and he’s probably better than he was for his last race. I think the shorter trip and the conditions this time will suit him better. I wouldn’t worry about rain on the day of the race. We will just have to see how he shapes up among his strong opponents this time.”

Melody Lane

Naoyuki Morita, trainer
“She has worked well with the race jockey on the uphill, and her times have been good. She seems switched on, and her weight is more than it was for last year’s race. There will probably be some pace on this time in the race over 2,200 meters, so I wonder about that. Some of the other horses won’t like the rain, so if it’s wet, we’ll just have to see how she does.”

Panthalassa

Yoshito Yahagi, trainer
“He is in good shape, and in his last piece of work he posted a time of around 52 seconds, his usual time. I am pleased with the way he’s moving. Things won’t be easy in the strong field, over the distance and how the race unfolds, but I want him to run his own race, and there’s no reason why he can’t give a good showing once again, given the condition he’s in.”

Yusaku Oka, assistant trainer
“He has shown he’s in good condition. The distance of the race might be a bit long, but I think he can run patiently over the inner course. He will need to run at a pace that suits him, and in that way he can run a good race.”

Potager

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“He is a horse that can take care of himself. With the wet weather, we’ve worked him on the polytrack, but he’s looked good all the same. He demonstrated how well he can race last time in the Osaka Hai, and his weight should be about the same this time. He gets into the flow of a race well, and I think he can run over any distance up to 2,400 meters, which is good given the tough final part of the race at Hanshin. He always gives it his best in a race, and even if the going is soft, I still think he can run well.”

Stay Foolish

Yoshito Yahagi, trainer
“He has handled everything well in training and his movement’s been good. He has been chasing up his training partner in his work. There is no tiredness about him and he seems fresh. One of the keys will be how he handles the much shorter distance of the race this time.”

Yusaku Oka, assistant trainer
“His workload has been good and we’ve had some leeway with him. His last two races have been over long distances, but now he’s back in Japan taking on this middle-distance race, but hopefully he’ll find a good rhythm to tackle it with. I think his overseas runs have stimulated him to do better.”

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Toru Kurita, trainer
“In training, the jockey has worked on the horse’s balance and breathing. Everything has gone well and his times have been good too. He seems to be developing well, particularly mentally. I am not worried about the long transportation and the distance of the race itself. He lost to Efforia three times last year, but now after a while they get to challenge each other again here. There might be another horse that will want to lead in the race, but the jockey, who has ridden him so often, will know what’s best to do, and we’ll leave it to him. The stable staff have done a great job, thinking about having the horse in best condition for this race. I do feel some pressure with the horse being in the spotlight, but I hope he’ll do well.”

Kazuo Yokoyama, jockey
“These past two weeks have seen him run well in training. He is running with a good rhythm, and the trainer’s also pleased with him. The distance of the race is a bit shorter this time, but he’s run well at Hanshin, and there shouldn’t be a problem with the four corners in the race. I am aware of the horse’s many fans, so I want to do well with him.”

Win Marilyn

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“She has been working well and has been faster than I would have expected when it comes to times. We got her to the Ritto Training Center on June 19, as she can lose weight when she travels. She looks well in her coat and I think her condition is better now. The inner turf track over 2,200 meters at Hanshin should be good for her. It will be a tough race, but if the ground is good, I think she’ll run better than she did last time.”

Yasuhiro Omura, assistant trainer
“She is in good condition, even after arriving at Ritto Training Center early, and there’s no difference to how she would be at Miho.”