Shinsuke Hashiguchi, trainer
“The horse has trained with a couple of other horses, and she ran with one of them either side of her. The jockey (Yuji Hishida) has been pleased with her work. The horse is in better shape than she was at this time last year, and seems bigger and stronger. We passed on the JBC Ladies Classic this year, so we haven’t had to rush things with her and the rotation is better. She runs fine right-handed, but cornering on a left-handed track is different, and I think it suits her best. If the race goes well for her, and she can keep something for the finish, I think she has a chance, even among this strong field.”

Crown Pride

Koichi Shintani, trainer
“There’s a good feeling about him, and he looks to be in good condition. His footwork’s nice and light, and he’s been training really well in all his work. We’ve learned a bit from his trips to Korea and how to get him ready for his next race, so I think this year he’s in better shape. A really fast pace wouldn’t be ideal, and a situation where he can build into things gradually would be best, so the pace will be one of the keys to how he runs here.”

Dura Erede

Manabu Ikezoe, trainer
“He’s trained uphill with good times, and has also run left-handed on the woodchip course, so his workload’s been good and his condition is fine. He’s fairly quiet in the gate, and between his races we’ve checked on this. I’m not worried about him running at the course this time. Despite him not doing so well in his last race, I hope he’ll get a good start and find a good rhythm in the race, so that things go smoothly.”

Gaia Force

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“As a horse that was injured previously, it’s good that he’s had some time between his races. His recent training’s been good, right from the start up until the finish. His footwork’s better now, and regarding the way he moves, it’s the best it’s been in some time. It’ll be his first time to experience the start on dirt, and the horse has to deal with four corners, so it will depend to some extent on how he handles these things.”

Yoshihito Nagaoka, jockey
“They did a great job with him at the farm, and he’s been in good condition since returning to the stable. He’s been moving faster than I would have thought, and is using his big stride to good effect.”  

Gloria Mundi

Ryuji Okubo, trainer
“He’s not a horse that catches the eye in training, but there’s no change with him, and he’s kept his condition, so things have been as expected with him as this race approaches.”

Tatsuo Taniguchi, assistant trainer
“He’s returned from his stint at the farm, and seems to be in good shape. He’s been working well with other horses on the woodchip course in training. He’s won graded races before in NAR and JRA races, and despite not having won a big race recently, he is coming off a win in a listed race. It’s a Grade 1 this time with strong opponents, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of race he can run.”

Hagino Alegrias

Hirofumi Shii, trainer
“He’s refreshed after being at the farm, and this next race has been the target for him. The jockey’s been riding him in training, and the horse has had his usual training pattern. It’s a Grade 1 this time, and while it might be difficult, he did finish sixth in the race last year, which wasn’t a bad run. I hope he’ll run like he did in his last race, and I’ll look forward to what he can do this time.”

Mirai Iwata, jockey
“There’s a good feel to him, and there’s no change in his condition. He ran well last time, so the track suits him fine.”

Lemon Pop

Hiroyasu Tanaka, trainer
“We’ve given him his usual training, but have also run him over a slightly longer distance. He’s still physically strong, and the jockey (Ryusei Sakai) is pleased with him, saying that he’s running up to his usual level. The Champions Cup will be his last race, so I’m hoping for a good run.”

Hiroyuki Yamazaki, assistant trainer
“I think he’s better for his run in the Nambu Hai, and everything’s been fine with him. He’s had his usual training pattern. Jockey Ryusei Sakai has been riding him in work, and has got the horse to switch on. In last year’s race, he drew a wide gate, but still got to the front and managed to run in a very controlled way, despite the distance being a worry. We’d like to see him put in another good run this time as well.”

Mick Fire

Kazuo Watanabe, trainer
“He did some uphill work while he was at the farm, and in his recent training he has posted good times. There’s no problem with his hooves now, and his character has improved compared to before. Now that he’s better physically and mentally, he should be fine with the transportation to the track. The two turns in this next race over 1,800 meters will suit him, and with Christophe Lemaire riding, he could easily find something extra with the horse.”

Mitono O

Koji Maki, trainer
“Things have gone as expected with him. We’ve just changed from blinkers to cheekpieces with him in training, as the blinkers seem too much for him. He’s done well running in the middle with another horse on either side of him. His condition improves for having had a race. We won’t know how he’ll handle the Chukyo course until we try, but with his training we’ve tried things resembling an actual race, so if he finds a good rhythm, it’ll be interesting to see how he does up against the strong opponents here.”

Peisha Es

Kazuo Konishi, trainer
“There hasn’t been long between races, so we’ve taken things steady with him. We thought about this race for him last year, but his prize money level has only been good enough this year, after his win in the Elm Stakes, and after his last race, we could think of the Champions Cup this time. He’s experienced different things, so the transportation to the track shouldn’t be a problem. He should be able to get a good start, so the race should suit him. There are top class horses in the race, so it won’t be easy, but he’s shown a lot of good development, and I think it’s a good race for him to take on.”

Peptide Nile

Hidenori Take, trainer
“He came back from the farm in good condition. He’s been running well in training now he’s back at the stable, with his usual pattern of work as the race gets closer. The jockey (Yusuke Fujioka) has a good understanding of him. The horse improves for a race, and he should be in good shape going into this Grade 1. Hopefully he’ll get into a good position behind the leading horses, and he’ll find a good rhythm throughout the race.”

Seraphic Call

Ryo Terashima, trainer
“His reactions have been good in training since returning to the stable. The race is over 1,800 meters at Chukyo this time, and I expect him to get a good position in the run. He was too far back in this same race last year, so he didn’t get to show his best. He’ll need to get into the flow of the race, and then show a good turn of foot towards the finish.”

Cristian Demuro, jockey
“The horse is in good condition and is running well. His concentration’s been good with the blinkers on, and I have a better image of him now that I’ve ridden him. It’s a small track with a short homestretch, so I want to be in a good position to challenge when it matters.”

Suleyman

Manabu Ikezoe, trainer
“There’s been no problem with the way he’s been moving in training. He’s concentrated well with the blinkers on, and his changing leads has been smooth. In his last race, he got caught in the dirt kickback, but he didn’t give up, and that race leads him nicely into this next one. It’s a Grade 1 with strong horses, but the way he’s been running in his recent races will help him here.”

Sunrise Zipangu

Hidetaka Otonashi, trainer
“I’ve thought about running him on dirt this autumn. He had a week off in between his last two races, before winning last time, but that’s not the case this time, so it’s quite possible that he can improve more.”

Masanari Tanaka, assistant trainer
“He was able to run well last time, and the jockey did a good job from the wide draw. The horse has been at the stable since his last race, and he seems to be improving more as he develops, looking more muscular now. I think racing left-handed this time will make things smoother for him. He’ll face strong opponents here, but on the ability he’s shown so far, he should run well, and I’ll look forward to his race.”

T O Drefong

Tomoyuki Umeda, trainer
“It was a good win for him last time, so looking at that, he should be able to put in a good run here too. As for the draw, the gate he’s got is fine, being drawn near the middle, and he’s not a horse to worry about in general.”  

Wilson Tesoro

Hitoshi Kotegawa, trainer
“His experience overseas has made him a stronger horse this year, both physically and mentally, and his muscles make him look like a dirt horse now. There’s no tiredness about him after his last race, and we’ve trained him for this next one. I think he can run well on small oval tracks, be it right-handed or left, and with Lemon Pop being at the top for so long, I want him to make the challenge and win a Grade 1 race.”

Masahiro Yokota, assistant trainer
“He didn’t take long to recover from his last race, and he’s been spot on with his training on the woodchip course, stretching out well at the finish. The experience he’s had in NAR races, as well as overseas, has been good for him, and these things have given the horse himself extra confidence. This year sees a strong field for the race, but we hope he can put in a good challenge again against Lemon Pop.”