Shinsuke Hashiguchi, trainer
“She’s refreshed after her stay at the farm, and has regained her weight and looks well. She’s been moving as usual in training, even if her times were a bit slow due to the heavy track. The 1,800 meters at Chukyo is very good for her, and with the condition she’s in, I’ll look forward to her run here against the strong male horses.”

Takeshi Yokoyama, jockey
“She has more power than I thought, and is switched on. I want to ride her with a good rhythm, so as to get a good finish in at the end.”

Crown Pride

Koichi Shintani, trainer
“He’s been striding out well in training and has found a good rhythm in his work. He’s mentally stronger now too. He looks to be in very good shape and should be just right come the day of the race. There are some strong horses in the race again this year, but with the condition he’s in, it should put him right up there with them. He hasn’t been losing by much in his previous races, and the way he won last time in Korea certainly gives us confidence here.”

Dura Erede

Manabu Ikezoe, trainer
“He’s been able to work well on the uphill in training, after returning from a spell at the farm, where he was well taken care of. His trackwork times might not have been so quick, but with a couple of pieces of work in a week, he’s in good shape. His breathing is also good. He won a maiden race on dirt, and finished second in the UAE Derby, so I think it’s appropriate for him to take on this race. It’ll be interesting to see what he can do against the top-level horses this time.”

Geoglyph

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer
“He ran well in his last piece of work under the assistant trainer. The horse is powerful and runs with a good rhythm. I think he’s suited to dirt, even though he didn’t do so well in the Mile Championship Nambu Hai.”

Yu Ota, assistant trainer
“Changing to a wider racecourse this time, and the distance of 1,800 meters, it should make things better for him. William Buick has been riding him in training and has got to know him. The horse’s results have been lacking a bit, but I’d like to see him run well right up to the end of the race this time.”

William Buick, jockey
“I’ve ridden him in work and there’s a good feel to him. I rode him in Hong Kong last year, where he finished sixth, and it feels like he’s developed more since then.”

Gloria Mundi

Ryuji Okubo, trainer
“He was a bit nervous on his overseas trip last time, but now it feels like he’s the same as he was in Japan this spring. The jockey (Christophe Lemaire) has been riding him in work, and with the cooler weather, the horse has looked a little heavy, but we’ll take this into consideration when getting him ready for this next race. He didn’t get a good result in the race last year, when he didn’t run smoothly, but compared to then, he seems to be in better condition, and his hindquarters seem stronger, so I want him to try his best this time.”

Hagino Alegrias

Hirofumi Shii, trainer
“He’s very well after his stay at Champion Hills Farm, and we’ve had this next race in mind for him. He’s looked sharp in training, chasing down his training partner on the uphill track, which is the usual work we give him. This last week, he’s also trained well with jockey Mirai Iwata. Despite the strong opposition in the race, the level he’s at now gives him a chance, and I look forward to his run here.”

Mirai Iwata, jockey
“He’s been moving well as usual in training. It didn’t matter that he carried top weight in his last race. He’s an easy horse to ride and his footwork is good.”

Icon Tailor

Hiroshi Kawachi, trainer
“She’s in good condition, and there was no damage after her last race, so we could look to this race next with her. Things have gone smoothly in training. She’s done better than I had imagined on dirt, and I’m sure the jockey (Joao Moreira) can do well with her. She’s up against some strong male horses in this next race, but Chukyo looks good for her, and she has run well left-handed when running in turf races before, finishing second and third in graded races. I want her to start well and get into the race with no problems.”

Joao Moreira, jockey
“I don’t have anything to worry about with her, and she’ll go to the race in good condition. I think any jockey would want to ride her.”

Osamu Hirata, trainer
“He’s worked well with the blinkers on. His times in training have been good, given the condition of the track. It’s a first Grade 1 for the jockey (Takashi Fujikake) to ride for me, and I’m hopeful for him, as he does ride the horse well. There’s an extra furlong in the race this time, so we’ll just have to see how he can do.”

Takashi Fujikake, jockey
“He’s trained well, and I hope in the race things will work out for him.”  

Lemon Pop

Hiroyasu Tanaka, trainer
“He has a break every summer, but continues to develop well. While there is a worry about the 1,800 meters this time, and how balanced he might be in the run, he’s been successful so far, so we can only think of him making a big challenge here. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of race he can run. We’ll rely on the jockey to get the best out of him.”

Hiroyuki Yamazaki, assistant trainer
“He’s better now he’s older, and even though a mile or shorter is probably best for him, his wins in the February Stakes and Mile Championship Nambu Hai suggest he’s good enough to stay further, as he just keeps running. He deserves to take his chance in this next race. He’s a clever horse, and easy to control, so taking those things together with the ability he has, it’s natural for him to have this next challenge before him.”

Make a Leap

Hiroyuki Onoda, trainer
“He’s in good condition, and has been moving well in training. His balance is good, and he’s coming along as expected. He’s still a little immature, but is developing nicely and has good racing sense. The opposition’s strong this time, but I think he can run well if he finds a good rhythm in the race.”

Hideaki Miyuki, jockey
“I think everything’s fine with him, and his times in training have been good, showing that he’s in good condition. One strong point is that he can get a good position in a race.”  

Meisho Hario

Inao Okada, trainer
“He did some strong work last week, and things have been as I would have expected. It was his first race in a while last time in the JBC Classic, and the surface didn’t suit him so well. Now he’s in the condition he was in before the summer.”

Atsushi Obayashi, assistant trainer
“He didn’t run so well in his last race, as it was his first one in a while. It’s best when he runs to his full potential in races, and I think this time he’ll be better. He can hang to the left if he’s a bit tired, but now when he’s running left-handed, he does it quite smoothly. Despite the strong horses in the line-up in this next race, he should do better than he did in his previous start, and hopefully he’ll run on well right up to the finish.”   

Notturno

Masanari Tanaka, assistant trainer
“After returning from the farm, his recent training was good, given that he wasn’t so heavy this time. His jockey (Fuma Matsuwaka) will ride him for the first time in a race, but he often rides him in trackwork and knows the horse well. There are some good horses in the race, but I have a good image of how he can run.”

Yusuke Hirai, assistant trainer
“He’s had a break at the farm, and on his return to the stable, things have been the same as usual. He’s maintained his good condition.”

Fuma Matsuwaka, jockey
“The horse’s condition is good, and he’s put in some good times these past two weeks. I’d like him to be well forward in the race again this time.”  

Seraphic Call

Ryo Terashima, trainer
“After winning his last race, he had a break at the farm, and on his return to the stable, he shows no sign of tiredness, so it’s logical that he should go for this next race. He’s made it five wins from five races, and I still think he has more improvement in him. He seems to make things happen himself, even if they are a bit unorthodox. His opponents this time are a couple of ranks higher, but he looks very well in his coat, and with the condition he’s in, I want to see what he can do up against the top-class older horses.”

Mirco Demuro, jockey
“He’s more relaxed after his last race, and he seems more mature now. He has never lost, so I’m feeling a bit of pressure. I want to ride him with confidence, and try and win a Grade 1 race after two years without one.”

T O Keynes

Daisuke Takayanagi, trainer
“He’s in good shape, and in his fast work last week, he was quicker than I thought. He’s proved that he can run well at Chukyo, and I just want him to get off to a good start in the race and settle into the flow of things. It could be his last race, so another Champions Cup win would be great.”

Yuichi Tomomichi, assistant trainer
“He’s quite switched on now that he’s been training on the woodchip course with the jockey (Kohei Matsuyama) and has recovered from his last race. He won the Champions Cup in good style two years ago, but in last year’s race, he didn’t start so well and couldn’t get a good position in the run. It’s important that he starts well and gets to be where he needs to be in a race. He needs the ground to be fast as well, so hopefully things go his way and he can run a good race.”

Kohei Matsuyama, jockey
“He’s come on well in training, and it’s been easy to get him prepared for this next run. Hopefully things will stay that way right up to the race.”

Hitoshi Kotegawa, trainer
“He’s a clever horse, and knows what he has to do. We’ve kept him at the stable, and there’s been no problem training him as this race approaches. His last piece of work was good, and I’m happy with the barrier he’s drawn. The jockey will know what to do.”

Masahiro Yokota, assistant trainer
“He’s been at the stable since his last race. His work and times in training have been good on the woodchip course and on the uphill, without overdoing things. He knows when to switch on and off, and he’s strong mentally, and getting better with experience. With a clear run and a good rhythm, I think he has a chance.”