After Equinox (JPN, by Kitasan Black) capped off his remarkable career with a dominating victory in last year’s Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m), selected rivals from the same generation who have remained active into their five-year-old seasons have continued to show strength in big events. Do Deuce (JPN, H5, by Heart’s Cry) claimed his fourth G1 title on October 27 in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m), which ran at a considerably slower pace than the past two years. Do Deuce was positioned far behind in 14th position in a field of 15, but under regular rider Yutaka Take, the son of Heart’s Cry angled wide and exerted a terrific turn of speed at the stretch. Together with Tastiera (JPN, C4, by Satono Crown), who also made bid in the stretch run, he pinned runaway leader Ho O Biscuits (JPN, C4, by Mind Your Biscuits) 100 meters out and then pulled away from Tastiera to win by 1-1/4 lengths, clocking his last 600 meters in 32.5 seconds.

Do Deuce has won a G1 title every year since the 2021 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1,600m) as a two-year-old, including the 2022 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, 2,400m), the 2023 Arima Kinen (2,500m) and the Tenno Sho (Autumn) this year. His connections have already announced his retirement at the end of the year, but not before racing in Japan Cup on November 24 and/or the Arima Kinen on December 22 depending on his condition. The powerful five-year-old appears to be fine after his last victory, so his connections are eager to start him in the Japan Cup.

Another five-year-old headed for the Japan Cup is Blow the Horn (JPN, H5, by Epiphaneia). The son of Epiphaneia broke his maiden in his ninth start, gradually began showing signs of becoming a quality horse in his four-year-old season and landed his much awaited first grade-race victory this past January in the Nikkei Shinshun Hai (G2, 2,400m). In his G1 debut, the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m), the bay made ground impressively from behind to close in on T O Royal with a runner-up effort. Blow the Horn then validated the performance by claiming his first G1 title in the Takarazuka Kinen (2,200m), where the five-year-old stormed past a field of All-Star G1 rivals along the widest path over giving ground rated yielding. But in his kick-off start of the fall on October 6, he disappointed to 11th as the race favorite in the Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m)—the same race in which he was pulled up mid-race last year—maybe due to carrying a 59kg penalty. Nevertheless, he is hoped to bounce back to form in the Japan Cup.

Among the three-year-old fillies that have shown a strong presence in recent years, Cervinia (JPN, by Harbinger) stands atop the field this year. Slow to mature from her two-year-old debut to her early three-year-old season, the Harbinger filly then won the 2023 Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m) but was withdrawn from the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1, 1,600m) due to a minor problem in her hind leg. Also forced to skip her prep starts towards the three-year-old fillies Triple, she finished 13th in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m). But her true form materialized in the second leg of the fillies’ triple, the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m), under regular rider Christophe Lemaire, who was absent in the Oka Sho due to injury. In the race, the talented filly angled out wide from racing off the pace in mid-division to charge up the hill, then found another gear once reaching the top to tag Oka Sho champion Stellenbosch (JPN, F3, by Epiphaneia) and win by 1/2 length. Following a summer break, Cervinia headed straight to the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m), where she followed a rapid pace in mid-pack and split horses with an explosive turn of speed to fly away to victory by a comfortable margin. The filly is from the same stable as the now retired Equinox under trainer Tetsuya Kimura.

Among the three-year-old colts, Shin Emperor (FR, by Siyouni) returned from his overseas endeavor in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1, 2,400m) and will make his comeback in this year’s Japan Cup. After victories in his first two career starts, including the Kyoto Nisai Stakes (G3, 2,000m), the Siyouni colt was winless in his next four starts in Japan although he scored two seconds, a third and a fifth. In the Tokyo Yushun, held at the same venue and distance as the Japan Cup, the French-bred colt was unable to reach the front-runners and finished third, but in his prep race, the Irish Champion Stakes (G1, 2,000m), after struggling to secure a good position in the straight, he used a fine turn of speed to make ground and finish a close third, a length behind winner Economics (GB, C3, by Night of Thunder) and 3/4 length behind runner-up Auguste Rodin. In the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Shin Emperor struggled over the soft surface and was defeated to 12th, but he is hoped to bounce back on firmer ground in Japan.

Other nominated and substitute horses include:

• Durezza (JPN, C4, by Duramente), winner of last year’s Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m), who was fifth in his first overseas stint, the International Stakes (G1, 2,050m), in August.
• Justin Palace (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact), 2023 Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m) champion, who is coming off a fourth, 0.3 second behind Do Deuce, in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
• Karate (JPN, H8, by To the Glory), who has three graded titles, the last being the 2023 Niigata Daishoten (G3, 2,000m), but is winless since.
• Pradaria (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact), three-time G2 winner including this year’s Kyoto Kinen (2,200m), who failed in his last start to defend his 2023 Kyoto Daishoten title, finishing seventh.
• Sol Oriens (JPN, C4, by Kitasan Black), last year’s Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) champion and runner-up in the Takarazuka Kinen in June, who is coming off a 0.4-second seventh in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
• Stars on Earth (JPN, M5, by Duramente), who won the Oka Sho and the Yushun Himba at three and was third by five lengths in the 2023 Japan Cup, was eighth in her last start, the Dubai Sheema Classic, out of the money for the first time, so is on a long break prior to the Japan Cup.
• Struve (JPN, G5, by King Kamehameha) scored three consecutive wins this year, including the Nikkei Sho (G2, 2,500m) in March and the Meguro Kinen (G2, 2,500m) in May, but was 11th in his G1 debut, the Takarazuka Kinen.

Three foreign runners have accepted invitations to the Japan Cup, including Auguste Rodin (IRE, C4), one of the final crops by legendary Deep Impact and a winner of six G1 titles—the Futurity Trophy Stakes (1,600m) in 2022, the Epsom Derby (2,410m), the Irish Derby (2,400m), the Irish Champion Stakes (2,000m) and the Breeders’ Cup Turf (2,400m) in 2023, and the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (1,990m) in 2024. Coming off a second in the Irish Champion Stakes on September 14, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt will strive to give his sire his fifth Japan Cup title in his career finale.

Fantastic Moon (GER, C4, by Sea The Moon) claimed his second G1 title in this year’s Grosser Preis von Baden (2,400m) after also winning the 2023 Deutsches Derby (2,400m). With a record of 6-1-0 out of eight starts on “good” or “good to soft” going, the son of Sea The Moon will aim to become the first German-based Japan Cup winner since Lando in 1995.

Goliath (GER, G4, by Adlerflug) from France won his first G1 title in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,390m) in July as seventh pick and is coming off his third group-race victory in the Prix du Conseil de Paris (G2, 2,200m) on October 20. Raced mainly over 2,400-meter distances, the Adlerflug gelding will aim to become the first foreign-trained horse to win the Japan Cup since Alkaased in 2005. He will be accompanied by stablemate Le Nomade (IRE, G6, by Mastercraftsman), who will run in the Capital Stakes (Listed, 1,600m) a day before the Japan Cup.

Liberty Island (JPN, F4, by Duramente), who was picked above Do Deuce as race as favorite in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), disappointed to 13th. The Duramente filly captivated racing fans after becoming the seventh triple crown filly and a runner-up, albeit by four lengths, to World’s Best Racehorse Equinox in the 2023 Japan Cup. In Dubai Sheema Classic (G1, 2,410m), she gave a good third-place effort despite the race developing contrary to her liking. Upon her return to Japan, however, she was found to have a mild case of sesamoiditis in her right foreleg and had to take a seven-month break. Returning in the Tenno Sho, the filly raced in good position but failed to respond when asked and was heavily defeated, finishing out of the money for the first time in her career. Her connections, after careful deliberation, will avoid the Japan Cup in favor of the Hong Kong Cup (G1, 2,000m) on December 8, choosing a distance more suited to the filly and giving her more time since her last start.

Top stayer T O Royal (JPN, H6, by Leontes) registered three consecutive victories this spring—the Diamond Stakes (G3, 3,400m), the Hanshin Daishoten (G2, 3,000m) and the Tenno Sho (Spring). He passed up a comeback in the Kyoto Daishoten after a five-month break due to a minor injury, so he will miss a second Japan Cup challenge to ensure a full recovery before returning in the Arima Kinen.

Deep Bond (JPN, H7, by Kizuna), who has three seconds and a third in four Tenno Sho (Spring) starts and is coming off a runner-up effort in the Kyoto Daishoten, will also aim for the Arima Kinen instead of the Japan Cup to give the veteran runner ample rest between races.