Bellagio Opera

Hiroyuki Uemura, trainer
“Jockey Hironobu Tanabe rode him recently and said the horse felt good, despite still being a bit loose. The horse’s condition is very good, and he’s easy to control and has good racing sense. I’m pleased that he’s had results at different tracks, and if the ground is good, he can run well, although he won last time on soft ground. I don’t think 2,000 meters will be a problem for him. He’s a horse that I’m looking forward to in terms of what he might achieve. There’s a lot of motivation in the stable and we’d like to look to the Derby with him.”

Hironobu Tanabe, jockey
“I was pleased to be at Ritto to ride the horse in training. He’s an easy horse to ride, and although he won on soft ground last time, he’ll be better on good ground.”

Danon Touchdown

Takayuki Yasuda, trainer
“In his last piece of work, he looked sharp with a final furlong time in the 12 second range. He's in better shape than he was last year and I wonder just what he can do this time.”

Keiichiro Yasuda, assistant trainer
“He looks well in his coat, and it’s not a worry that he hasn’t raced for a while. He’s a horse that obeys instructions and takes things very much in his stride. I think he’ll be fine over the 2,000 meters for the first time. He’ll improve with age, but it’ll be interesting to see how he does in his current condition.”

Granite

Naru Owada, trainer
“He’s been at the farm and looks refreshed. It’s been important to give him gate practice. He’s been training uphill and has been running in quite a relaxed way. The distance of 2,000 meters might be a bit long for him, but if he finds a good rhythm, I think he can run well with the strength he has.”

Gruner Green

Ikuo Aizawa, trainer
“There was no damage after his last race and he’s been at the stable since then. He didn’t really show his best last time. He’s had a good workload with his training this time, and there are positives to take from that, including his improvement. The Nakayama course should suit him and his preparation should be just right before heading to the race.”

Ho O Biscuits

Takeshi Okumura, trainer
“He’s come along as I would have thought. He hadn’t been eating so well before his last race, so we could only get two pieces of work in with him. He’s been more relaxed and has eaten more recently, so we have been able to give him four workouts this time before the race and he’s in better shape. Looking at the Satsuki Sho field, it’ll be a tough race, but I hope he’ll be able to put in a good run. It’s good for the stable and the jockey to challenge this Classic race.”

Hrimfaxi

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“He’s looked very good in training, and I’ve been pleased with the way he’s moving. It’s been important to pay attention to his character. I haven’t been worried about times, but he’s running well and his breathing’s good too. If he runs smoothly in the race, I don’t see that he has any disadvantage at all, particularly with what he has learned from training and in his races.”

Toru Miya, trainer
“We’ve just gone steady with him, monitoring things as he’s been training, but there’s a good feeling about him now. I would have liked him to have had a bit more experience before the Satsuki Sho, as we had to skip the Yayoi Sho and the Mainichi Hai. He’s recovered from his muscle pain now. Another thing will be how he handles racing in this full field of runners. He’ll probably race from off the pace towards the back, and the flow of things will be important, but I want to see him do his best.”

Makoto Saito, trainer
“He doesn’t hang so much now and he’s improving gradually with his races. He’s trained well on the woodchip course, and we’ve taken care of him so that there’s no tiredness in between his races. I’m pleased with his condition. We’ll see how he does over the 2,000 meters this time. It’s an open looking race, but I think he has a chance and want to see him run well.”

One Direct

Kenichi Fujioka, trainer
“He’s kept his condition since his last race, and recently posted a final furlong time in training of 11.2 seconds, which wasn’t bad. I think with the condition he’s in, he’s got what it takes to tackle a Grade 1, and if he runs in the way that he has been doing, he has a good enough chance this time.”

Phantom Thief

Takayuki Nagi, assistant trainer
“He’s trained well and his times have been good enough, which shows he’s in good condition. In his last piece of work this week, things have been fine with him. He was unfortunate when not handling the start so well in the Hopeful Stakes over 2,000 meters last year, and he’s not one to suddenly hit top speed, so that is one thing to consider with him. He has the ability to take on a Grade 1, but it is important for him to get a position where he can run his best. He should improve more from now, so hopefully he’ll run well.”

Christophe Lemaire, jockey
“The horse is in top condition and has finished off strongly in training. His balance is good and he doesn’t feel heavy at all. If he starts like he did last time, things will be fine, and I’m looking forward to this Grade 1 with him.”

Mikio Matsunaga, trainer
“His workload has been good, and he’s looking leaner than before. He’s been working well on the woodchip course, but he’s still a young horse and has things to learn. Also, he’s big, so he takes a little time to get going. I think over the 2,000 meters at Nakayama, it’s best for him to be well forward and find his own natural rhythm.”

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“He changes leads quite often, but it doesn’t have any bad effect in his races, and that’s just his character. If he starts well, he can get into the flow of things in a race. I’m not worried about the tight track this time with four corners, and he has experience with transporting long distance when he traveled to Niigata for his debut race. He’s usually quiet in the gate and I’d like him to be well forward in the race. I think he can match up to the other runners this time, and I want him to get a good result so we can look to the Derby with him.”

Naosuke Sugai, trainer
“He hasn’t needed much adjustment in training, as he’s had constant racing experience, and everything’s gone smoothly with him leading up to this race. We have to consider his transportation over to the track. He’s maturing well and will improve more from now, but he’s already shown what he can do in his races so far. I’m hoping he’ll show further improvement this time too.”

Sol Oriens

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“His cornering has become a lot smoother after the fitting of a ring bit, and he looks to be more mature compared to before, as well as easier to ride. In his last two races, the pace was quite slow. There will be more runners in the race this time than his other races, so that will be one of the keys as to how he does. He’s a horse with ability, and I think the pace will be quicker this time, but I’m confident he can run a good race with the potential he has and the condition he’s in. The rotation is right and I’d like to think he can run in the Derby later on.”

Takeshi Yokoyama, jockey
“He usually leans to the right, but in his last race he swerved out to the left. It showed how strong he is when I corrected him and he could go on and win. He’s a horse with a lot of potential and I have no complaints about him.”

Tastiera

Noriyuki Hori, trainer
“There’s no tiredness about him. The effect of the blinkers and cheekpieces in training has been good and his breathing has improved. His heart and lungs are strong, so things are good with him. He’s improving a lot ability-wise, and mentally and physically he’s in the right place. There’s a fresh feel to him, so he should go to the race in good shape.”

Top Knife

Mitsugu Kon, trainer
“He’s been training solo with jockey Norihiro Yokoyama, who says he’s moving well. The horse is relaxed and is in good condition.”

Masaki Kon, assistant trainer
“He’s been at the stable since his last race. He’s quite relaxed now and has been moving well with his race jockey up. He’s suited to the Nakayama course and he can show his strength there. By racing him as we have, it’s clear that he’s developing well and showing improvement.”

Touch Wood

Koshiro Take, trainer
“He needs to just find a good rhythm, and that’s one of the keys with him, but he’s quite an easy horse to ride in a race, although he’s still young and inexperienced. The weather was cold when he ran last time, but now things have warmed up and it seems better for him. He’s getting to know what to do with his gate practice. It’s just his third career start, so it’s a tough task in a race like the Satsuki Sho, but I look forward to his run with the condition he’s in.”

Win Odin

Yuichi Shikato, trainer
“He’s been working well on the woodchip course, and his jockey feels his rhythm is better than before. This last week things have been smooth with him. He’s raced over a mile and 1,800 meters, but I think this distance is alright for him too. He’s a horse that will improve from now, and he’s gradually showing what he’s capable of. I want to see what he can do in the condition he’s in now.”