Japan’s top dirt specialists are kicking off their fall seasons and making full-fledged preparations for the Champions Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m) to be held at Chukyo Racecourse on December 1.

Last year’s winner Lemon Pop (USA, H6, by Lemon Drop Kid) landed another major title in the Sakitama Hai (Listed, dirt, 1,400m) in June this year and then successfully defended his title in the Mile Championship Nambu Hai (Listed, dirt, 1,600m) in October. The son of Lemon Drop Kid is aiming to become the first horse to win the Champions Cup two years in a row since Transcend in 2010 and 2011, back when the race was known as the Japan Cup Dirt.

Peptide Nile (JPN, H6, by King Kamehameha), winner of this year’s February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) and runner-up in the Mile Championship Nambu Hai, will also be aiming for the Champions Cup title as he attempts to become the fifth horse in history to win both G1 dirt events in the same year.

The Miyako Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,800m) on November 3, one of the Champions Cup trials, was won by Sunrise Zipangu (JPN, C3, by Kizuna), who came off a third in the Japan Dirt Classic (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) in October. Race favorite Omega Guiness (JPN, C4, by Logotype) and second pick Dura Erede (JPN, C4, by Duramente), who was third in last year’s Champions Cup, disappointed to tenth and 11th, respectively. In the other trial, the Musashino Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,600m) on November 9, Emperor Wakea (JPN, C4, by Lord Kanaloa) won his second graded title but will head directly to next year’s February Stakes.

Last year’s Champions Cup runner-up Wilson Tesoro (JPN, H5, by Kitasan Black) claimed the JBC Classic (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) on November 4. Four lengths behind in second was 2022-23 Teio Sho (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) victor Meisho Hario (JPN, H7, by Pyro), while two-time graded winner and second pick William Barows (JPN, H6, by Mikki Isle) disappointed to sixth. Defending champion King’s Sword (JPN, H5, by Sinister Minister) withdrew with a tendon injury in his left foreleg.

The Champions Cup field also includes Crown Pride (JPN, H5, by Reach the Crown), who defended his Korea Cup (G3, dirt, 1,800m) title on September 8, Gaia Force (JPN, H5, by Kitasan Black), runner-up in the February Stakes, Hagino Alegrias (JPN, H7, by Kizuna), who defended his Sirius Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,900m) title on September 28, and Gloria Mundi (JPN, H6, by King Kamehameha) and Seraphic Call (JPN, C4, by Henny Hughes), winners of the Diolite Kinen (Listed, dirt, 2,400m) in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Meanwhile, nine Japanese horses are slated to race in the Hong Kong International Races on December 8. Aiming to become the seventh Japanese winner following Loves Only You (2021) in the Hong Kong Cup (G1, 2,000m) will be:

• Liberty Island (JPN, F4, by Duramente), winner of the 2023 fillies’ Triple Crown despite a 13th in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on October 27.
• Tastiera (JPN, C4, by Satono Crown), the 2023 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m) champion who was a 1-1/4-length second in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).

Scheduled to race in the Hong Kong Mile (G1, 1,600m) and hoping to follow in the footsteps of Admire Mars, the last (2019) of four Japanese winners, will be:

• Jantar Mantar (JPN, C3, by Palace Malice), 2023 Best Two-Year-Old Colt, who won the NHK Mile Cup (G1, 1,600m) in May.
• Soul Rush (JPN, H6, by Rulership), a three-time graded winner, who claimed his much-awaited G1 title in the Mile Championship and will run in his second Hong Kong Mile after finishing fourth last year.

Bidding to bring home another Japanese victory in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1, 1,200m) after Lord Kanaloa (2012-13) and Danon Smash (2020) will be:

• Lugal (JPN, C4, by Duramente), who claimed his inaugural G1 title in the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m) on September 29 after being sidelined for six months with a fracture.
• Satono Reve (JPN, H5, by Lord Kanaloa), who was seventh in the Sprinters Stakes after back-to-back wins in the Hakodate Sprint Stakes (G3, 1,200m) and the Keeneland Cup (G3, 1,200m).
• Toshin Macau (JPN, H5, by Big Arthur), four-time graded winner who was second by a neck to Lugal in the Sprinters Stakes.

The Hong Kong Vase (G1, 2,400m) will be challenged by two Japanese runners hoping to follow the victories of Glory Vase in 2021 and Win Marilyn in 2022:

• Pradaria (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact), a three-time G2 victor, including this year’s Kyoto Kinen (2,200m), who came off a seventh in the Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m) on October 6
• Stellenbosch (JPN, F3, by Epiphaneia), winner of the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m), who is coming off a third in the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m) on October 13.