The 54th Takamatsunomiya Kinen - Handicapper’s Report on the Japanese Contenders

Toshin Macau

Lugal

Mama Cocha

Mad Cool

Namura Clair

Win Carnelian

Win Marvel

Divina

The Takamatsunomiya Kinen, formerly named Takamatsunomiya Cup in honor of Prince Takamatsunomiya who presented the trophy to the winner in its inaugural race in 1971, was held as a 2,000-meter race and given G2 status in conjunction with JRA’s grading system implemented in 1984. The race was shortened from 2,000 meters to 1,200 meters and granted a Japanese G1 status in 1996, becoming the first G1 event not held at one of the four major racecourses: Tokyo, Nakayama, Kyoto and Hanshin. Renamed Takamatsunomiya Kinen in 1998, the race became an international G1 race open to runners from abroad in 2001 and joined the Global Sprint Challenge series between 2011 and 2017. The race is currently positioned as one of two sprint G1 events held by the JRA together with the Sprinters Stakes held in autumn.

While the standard of Japanese thoroughbred has gained international recognition in recent years with Equinox becoming LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR) last year, the sprint category in Japan still come up short of top international standards—last year’s top ranked horse in S category, Lucky Sweynesse, was rated 125 while Japan’s top-rated First Force received 116.

Toshin Macau (JPN, H5, by Big Arthur): 113S, 6 wins / 16 starts
Raced at distances between 1,400 and 1,600 meters until the spring of his three-year-old campaign, the son of speedster Big Authur stepped down to 1,200 meters in his first start against older foes in the Keeneland Cup (G3, 1,200m) where he was sent to post race favorite but finished fourth. Then coming off a win in the Opal Stakes (Listed, 1,200m), the three-year-old colt scored his first graded victory in the 2022 Keihan Hai (G3, 1,200m). Although he struggled over the soft going and disappointed to 15th in his first Takamatsunomiya Kinen challenge last year, the four-year-old succeeded in defending his Keihan Hai title in the fall for his second grade-race victory. Toshin Macau kicked off his five-year-old season in the Ocean Stakes (G3, 1,200m), gaining 12kg after his last start, and closed in strongly from a forward position to mark a consecutive and third grade-race victory. Given a rating of 113 in both wins, the improving five-year-old has high hopes of claiming his first G1 title in the coming Takamatsunomiya Kinen.

Lugal (JPN, C4, by Duramente): 113S, 3 wins / 11 starts
Lugal ran two starts on dirt as a two-year-old and registered his first win in his second start of his three-year-old season, also on dirt, before being switched to turf racing. The Duramente colt scored his first win on turf in the Tachibana Stakes (Listed, 1,400m), his second time on the surface, where he cruised powerfully over giving ground rated soft and bested the field by an overwhelming five-length margin. In the following Aoi Stakes (G3, 1,200m), he was 1/2 length short of pinning winner Mozu Meimei, who managed to hold off Lugal for a wire-to-wire win, and while consistent in his following starts between 1,200 and 1,400 meters, he was winless in his following three starts and concluded the season with a score of 1-3-1 and a fourth from six turf-race starts. However, Lugal showed significant improvement in his four-year-old comeback, the handicap Silk Road Stakes (G3, 1,200m), in which he carried just 0.5kg less than race favorite and proven grade-race winner Aguri but out-finished that foe by a convincing three length to mark his first grade-race victory. Coming off the victory in which he was given a rating of 113, Luga has high hopes in his first challenge against the top sprinters in the coming G1.

Mama Cocha (JPN, M5, by Kurofune): 112S, 6 wins / 14 starts
Mama Cocha, a full sister to white G1 winner Sodashi, is herself a bay who joined open class company following three consecutive wins as a three-year-old. The progeny of Kurofune showed her potential as a sprinter when claiming the Azuchijo Stakes (Listed, 1,400m) and a runner-up effort in the following sprint debut in the Kitakyushu Kinen (G3, 1,200m) as a four-year-old after which she was tested at the highest level in the 2023 Sprinters Stakes. The speedster filly made an early move from mid-division, drew abreast of the leader turning for home and held off the challenge from Mad Cool by a nose to grab her first grade-race and G1 title which earned her a rating of 112 points.

Mad Cool (IRE, H5, by Dark Angel): 115S, 5 wins / 11 starts
Mad Cool quickly joined open class company after breaking his maiden in his third start and validating the win with three consecutive wins that followed. Sent to post race favorite in his grade-race debut, the Silk Road Stakes, he was challenged by Namura Clair and First Force after leading the field most of the way and was outdueled to third by both runners who went on to place second and first, respectively, in the 2023 Takamatsunomiya Kinen—Mad Cool was short in earnings to qualify for the Takamatsunomiya Kinen last year. Nevertheless, the Dark Angel colt landed his first listed win in the following Shunrai Stakes (Listed 1,200m), beating subsequent Hakodate Sprint Stakes victor Kimiwa Queen, and made his G1 debut in the Sprinters Stakes where he chased the pace and finished strongly, just missing by a nose margin to Mama Cocha. He capped off the season with his first overseas challenge in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1, 1,200m), where he was well beaten to eighth against world class speedsters, but while yet to score a grade-race title, Mad Cool, rated 115 for his runner-up effort in the Sprinters Stakes, stands equal to the top-rated sprinter in Japan.

Namura Clair (JPN, M5, by Mikki Isle): 110S, 5 wins / 16 starts
Winner of four grade-race titles in the 2021 Kokura Nisai Stakes (G3, 1,200m), 2022 Hakodate Sprint Stakes (G3, 1,200m), 2023 Silk Road Stakes and the Keeneland Cup, Namura Clair has also proved competitive at G1 level, finishing third, second and third in the 2022 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m), the 2023 Takamatsunomiya Kinen and most recently the Sprinters Stakes, respectively—an extremely consistent runner who has finished worse than sixth just once from 16 career starts. She is a reliable mare who has never failed to find another gear after biding her time in mid-division. Rated 110 in her third-place finish in the 2022 Oka Sho and her 2023 Silk Road Stakes win.

Win Carnelian (JPN, H7, by Screen Hero): 115M, 8 wins / 25 starts
Winner of the 2022 Sekiya Kinen (G3, 1,600m) and the 2023 Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3, 1,600m), Win Carnelian has shown plenty of speed at mile races, constantly seen racing in front of the field. Although heavily beaten to 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1, 1,600m) last fall, the son of Screen Hero continued to demonstrate his lasting speed in his 2024 comeback, the Tokyo Shimbun Hai, where he stayed well from making the pace to finish second best. He will be stepping down in distance for the first time in the hope of utilizing his speed to capture his first G1 title. He is rated 115 for his victory in the 2023 Tokyo Shimbun Hai.

Win Marvel (JPN, H5, by I’ll Have Another): 113M, 6 wins / 21 starts
Win Marvel registered three wins at open class level (age-restricted) during his two and three-year-old season including the G3 Aoi Stakes which positioned him as a top tier sprinter of his generation. He also proved competitive against older foes in his runner-up efforts in both the 2022 Keeneland Cup and the Sprinters Stakes and landed his second grade-race title in the 2023 Hanshin Cup (G2, 1,400m), where the son of I’ll have another engaged in a fierce rally and out-finished his foes in the last strides. In his 2024 comeback start in the Hankyu Hai (G3, 1,400m), he wore down the tenacious leader with a tremendous drive while holding off a late charge from behind to gain a narrow victory, his third grade-race win, for which he was given a rating of 113.

Divina (JPN, M6, by Maurice): 112M, 5 wins / 19 starts
Out of two-time Victoria Mile winner Verxina, Divina debuted late, in May of her three-year-old season, but promptly broke her maiden in her first outing and progressed well to climb up the ladder in condition races and joined open class company by March of her four-year-old campaign. However, it was another year before her true ability surfaced in the 2023 Victoria Mile (G1, 1,600m) in which the Maurice mare closed in strongly along the outside from racing behind, to almost reaching Songline, Sodashi and Stars on Earth, all well recognized G1 winners, to finish a close fourth. Following two runner-up efforts, Divina captured her first grade-race victory in the Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2, 1,800m) where the decision to dictate the pace, knowing that the race would run slow, proved successful. The Takamatsunomiya Kinen will be her first step down in distance and the mare is rated 112 as of her fourth-place finish in the 2023 Victoria Mile.