Diatonic

Takayuki Yasuda, trainer
“He came back early from the farm and we’ve had this race in mind for him. He is better when the weather starts to cool down. It is best if he runs like he did in the Hankyu Hai, when he broke well and got a good position. His rhythm was good that day, and that’s how things need to be for him.”

Eighteen Girl

Yuji Iida, trainer
“She is fine going into the race, and is running how she usually does. The jockey (Shinichiro Akiyama) knows how to ride the horse, so we’ll rely on him. The horse is not the type to make her own race, but getting her into the flow of things is most important. She seems in good condition and looks well in her coat. I would like her to do her best against these strong opponents.”

First Force

Masayuki Nishimura, trainer
“In his last piece of work, we didn’t overdo things, but he moved well. He always tries hard in a race, and I think of what he’s capable of. It is a high-level race this time, and he might just need a bit more to get into a race run at speed. It will be a question of what position he can get and how he can save things for a run at the end.”

Takayuki Nagi, assistant trainer
“When he won a graded race at Kokura, he had a weight advantage. He has plenty of power, so I think he can handle the rise at Nakayama. He never quite managed to get a good run in this same race last year, so the key once more will be if he can. It is best if he starts well, gets a good position, and then has enough left at the end to get in a finish. We hope he can do this.”

Gendarme

Yasutoshi Ikee, trainer
“His times in training have been good, and he looks sharp. He is always better for having a race. This year there’s been more time between his races, and he’s pretty good for a 7-year-old. He has won twice at Nakayama and has finished second in a Grade 1. Starting well will be the key, and the jockey (Kiwamu Ogino) knows what to do with him.”

Yuki Iwasaki, assistant trainer
“He has improved for his recent work with his race jockey up. He should be fine at the gate, and he isn’t showing his age at all. This being his second race back from a spell, I think we can expect to see improvement, and I want him to show his best here.”

Koichi Ishizaka, trainer
“He improves for a race, and has been moving well in training. I think it’ll be easier for him to run at Nakayama, rather than Chukyo, given the flow of a race at Nakayama. He should find he can run his own race better, providing things go his way.”

Yuji Hishida, jockey
“I think his movement’s better now than before his last race. It feels like he’s in good condition both physically and mentally.”

Maria's Heart

Takanori Kikuzawa, trainer
“She had gained weight for her last race, but as a 6-year-old mare, that’s to be expected. She has been at the farm, but has done some training and looks to be in good shape. It is a strong field, but she has a good track record at Nakayama with three wins there. If she can get an inside position and save things until the end, that would be best. I am hoping for an inside draw.”

Meikei Yell

Hidenori Take, trainer
“She has had plenty of work these last two weeks, and the jockey says that she’s doing well. Her last furlong time of 11.1 seconds shows she’s moving well.”

Kaname Ogino, assistant trainer
“She is heavier now than she was in the spring, but with her appetite the way it is, it’s a good thing. She can get excited on the day of a race, but it feels like she’s getting better regarding this. With her maturing, and the jockey knowing the horse’s habits, she should do better than she did last year. It is mostly about getting her to run a smooth race, and if that’s the case, she must have a good chance.”

Kenichi Ikezoe, jockey
“In last year’s race, she didn’t run so smoothly, but she still finished fourth. I thought then she had the potential to win a Grade 1. This year, she’s used a pacifier, which has certainly helped her become calmer. Having said that, I still need to be careful to keep her calm when she’s switched on. She certainly has speed. I don’t see a problem with Nakayama, and I want to ride her in the best way I can to get a good result.”

Meisho Mimosa

Kaneo Ikezoe, trainer
“There is no change with her and she’s moving well. She lost her last race, but the jockey (Yuji Tannai) will think more about what to do in this next race. To some extent, it will depend on whether the race is run to suit her.”

Akishi Higashida, assistant trainer
“In recent training, we’ve just checked her responses, and her times and movement have been good. The opposition’s strong, but she usually gives it her best. A lot will depend on how the race is run, but I want her to do her best.”

Namura Clair

Kodai Hasegawa, trainer
“She is nice and fresh, and has plenty of power, as she’s shown in recent training, with good times too. A final furlong time between 11.5 and 11.8 seconds proved that. She seems bigger and more muscular, and at the same time is well-balanced. She knows when to switch on and off. She ran a strong race in the Hakodate Sprint, and even though she didn’t win last time, with her experience, I think she can take on a Grade 1 race like this. She is certainly developing the right way, and I hope she can show what ability she has.”

Suguru Hamanaka, jockey
“She is developing nicely and is quick to adjust to things. She is getting bigger, but is flexible and easy to control. I don’t worry about her racing at a different track. She is a smart horse and I think she’ll handle the rise at Nakayama fine.”

Naran Huleg

Yoshitada Munakata, trainer
“I think he’ll improve more in his work as the race approaches. His movement’s been good, chasing down his training partner, and the jockey thinks he just needs a bit more too, as he feels a little heavy. The horse’s weight is around 510kg. He trained with two other horses this week, and his condition has improved. He might not be suited by the quick Nakayama track, so we’ll have to see what kind of position he can get and how he can respond to things.”

Kyosuke Maruta, jockey
“I have ridden him since his debut, so I know about the strength he has and his closing speed. I just drove him a bit more this past week. The ground at Nakayama is fast at the moment, so we’ll have to see how he does with that. The start will be important, and I hope he breaks well and there’s time later in the race for him to close well.”

Schnell Meister

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“There is no big change with him. He has worked well in training, and changing leads has been smoother towards the end of his work. He is quite loose, and has probably gained a bit of weight again, around 10kg, but his breathing’s fine. With his work uphill, it’s been good for him, and we’ve given him a stronger canter at times. It will be his first race over 1,200 meters this time, but I get the feeling he’ll be able to respond well, and it’ll be better than trying a distance over a mile. Nakayama should be alright for him, and so much will depend on what the jockey can do.”

Takeshi Yokoyama, jockey
“He is still quite loose, but the power’s there, and perhaps there could be just a bit more of that. He would start his run from back in the field over a mile, so I think it’ll be the same over this trip too. I worry a little about that, but I want to get the best out of him over this distance.”

T M Spada

Tadao Igarashi, trainer
“It was a great performance in the CBC Sho. She has been switched on in recent training. It will depend a bit on the draw this time, and she doesn’t necessarily have to go to the front if another horse decides to do so. I don’t want her to pull hard though. Hopefully she’ll find a good rhythm. It is her first time at Nakayama, but she’s won at Hanshin, so I don’t think the track will be an issue.”

Kazuma Tateyama, assistant trainer
“She has put in some fast work at the finish in training, so I think that’s sufficient. I don’t think she has to lead in the race, but however things turn out, I hope she can put in a good run against these opponents.”

Kyosuke Kokubun, jockey
“Her workload’s been good enough, so we haven’t pushed her too hard this past week. She has plenty of natural speed, but if another horse leads, we can take a sit in behind. She has won at Hanshin, so I think Nakayama should be fine.”

Taisei Vision

Masayuki Nishimura, trainer
“He has worked well right up to the finish this past week. Since he was young, I’ve thought of him as a horse with potential. He could get a bit worked up before, but now he’s a lot calmer, and mentally more mature. Hopefully he’ll get a good position in the race and find a good rhythm.”

Yosuke Kinoshita, assistant trainer
“There is little change with him and he’s worked well on the woodchip course. He didn’t get a clear run from the start in last year’s Sprinters Stakes and that didn’t help his chances. He needs a smooth run to get into things. He is more relaxed now and it’ll be interesting to see how he gets on this time.”

Yuichi Fukunaga, jockey
“He seems in good shape and has a lot of power. He has his own style of racing, but in this Grade 1, I hope he’ll get into the race well and he can run his own race.”

Travesura

Yasuyuki Takahashi, trainer
“He is by Dream Journey, so I thought he could be a nervous horse, but he’s quite bold, and is good at running. He is not afraid of other horses and relishes a fight when challenging for his place. One thing will be how he runs after quite a long break.”

Atsushi Nishioka, assistant trainer
“He has improved for having some strong training. At the time of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, his nose bled. Chukyo might be better for him, but he got a result in the Hankyu Hai, so racing right-handed is fine for him. He has a good finish, and some cut in the ground won’t worry him. The jockey (Katsuma Sameshima) can do a good job too.”

Vento Voce

Mitsunori Makiura, trainer
“In his last piece of training, he ran with a good rhythm and took the bit well. His reactions were good at the end when asked to quicken in the last furlong. He has plenty of speed and doesn’t worry about his environment. He has had a tight schedule with races at different tracks, but the staff at the farm and the stable have done a good job with him.”

Kohei Kurokawa, assistant trainer
“He has trained well uphill with other horses. We weren’t sure how he might go in his last three graded races since the Hakodate Sprint, but he did well to win one of those races. Four starts ago he won at Nakayama in a time of 1 minute, 6. 8 seconds, so he’s proven at the track. We will look forward to what he might do in this strong field.”

Win Marvel

Masahi Fukayama, trainer
“His work on the woodchip course has been good, and rather than worry about times when the going has been wet, the amount of work he’s done has been the key. He is not one to really catch the eye in training. He ran well last time, and he’s developing the right way, looking bigger and stronger since the spring. He should be in good shape going into the race, and I want him to do his best against the strong horses here.”

Kohei Matsuyama, jockey
“He is just a 3-year-old, so there’s still a lot we don’t know about him, and his career is all before him. He is a strong-running horse, which is his salespoint. The start’s important at Nakayama, and there are different things to consider, but I want to get the best out of him and will try hard.”