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Nishino Daisy Regains His Nakayama Daishogai Title with Five-Length Margin

Fourth pick Nishino Daisy captured his second J-G1 title by winning this year’s Nakayama Daishogai. After marking three wins out of 20 starts, which included two G3 titles, Nishino Daisy was switched to steeplechase racing from his second start as a six-year-old in 2022 and won the Nakayama Daishogai that year. Though winless since then, he was runner-up in last year’s Nakayama Daishogai, third in this year’s Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1, 4,250m) in April and fourth in the previous Tokyo High-Jump (J-G2, 3,110m) on October 13. Trainer Noboru Takagi marked his second J-G1 title in steeplechase (he has two G1 titles on flat racing) and jockey Yusuke Igarashi won his fourth J-G1 title after the 2013 Nakayama Daishogai and the 2014 Nakayama Grand Jump with Apollo Maverick and the 2022 Nakayama Daishogai with this horse.

2022 champion Nishino Daisy traveled wide after a smooth break and closed in on the frontrunner to jump the second fence (no.1) in second behind June Velocity. Dropping back to fourth and continuing to travel wide behind the three frontrunners—June Velocity, Meiner Grand and T M Tatsumaki—who led the field in turn, the son of Harbinger made his move in the early backstretch, took command before the final jump (no.5) and ran tenaciously over the final uphill stretch to cross the wire five lengths ahead of the rest of the field.

“He hadn’t been able to win since he won this race two years ago but Nakayama is a racecourse he has performed well and I’m glad he was able to show his full strength here. I think the horse has matured a lot. He’s not a horse that can accelerate to pass his rivals from behind at the stretch, so I was hoping to take the lead before the final jump and I’m glad we were able to race as I had envisioned,” commented jockey Yusuke Igarashi.

Third choice Ecoro Duel traveled near the rear early, gradually closed in on the leaders and cleared the last jump (no.5) in fourth. Despite being checked by Meiner Grand whose rider was unseated at the last jump, the five-year-old brown overtook Neviim and June Velocity in the stretch but was unable to threaten the winner and finished second.

Fifth pick Neviim ran around fifth behind the winner, advanced to third after the ninth jump (no.3) and cleared the last jump (no.5) inside Ecoro Duel. Though bumped by Meiner Grand in the final corner and then overtaken by Ecoro Duel, the dark bay passed the race favorite in the last 100 meters for a six-length third.

Race favorite June Velocity broke smoothly, led the field until the fifth jump (no. 6) and then dropped back to press the pace in second to fourth position. The son of Lord Kanaloa jumped the final fence (no.5) in second and chased Nishino Daisy in the final stretch but weakened in the last 200 meters to finish fourth. 

Other Horses:
5th: (7) Veil Nebula—positioned around 8th, passed rivals after 10th jump (no.4), never threatened
6th: (9) T M Tatsumaki—sat around 4th behind winner, led after 5th jump (no.6), weakened after 9th jump (no.3)
FF: (1) Meiner Grand—tracked leader in 2nd, took command after 7th jump (no.7), challenged by June Velocity and Nishino Daisy around 10th jump (no.4), unseated rider at last jump (no.5)
FF: (3) Daishin Clover—traveled around 6th early, gradually dropped back, unseated rider at last jump (no.5)
FF: (6) Road to Fame—trailed in rear, advanced to 6th after 10th jump (no.4), unseated rider at last jump (no.5)

THE 147TH NAKAYAMA DAISHOGAI (J-G1)
3-year-olds & up, 4,100 meters (about 2.56 miles), turf
Saturday, December 21, 2024       Nakayama Racecourse       10th Race       Post time: 15:05
Total prize money: ¥ 142,660,000 (about US$ 1,011,773 <US$1=¥141>)
3-y-o: 61kg (about 134-135 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 63kg (about 139 lbs), 2kg allowance for Fillies & Mares
Course Record: 4:36.1                 Race Record: 4:36.1 [Oju Chosan (JPN, by Stay Gold), 2017]
Safety factor: 16 runners              Going: Good to Firm           Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 1,867,302,200       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 12,767,043,600       Attendance: 29,218

Winner= 32 starts: 6 wins, 3 seconds & 4 thirds (12 starts: 3 wins, 2 seconds & 3 thirds *steeplechases only)
Added & stakes money: ¥ 66,322,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 339,428,000 (¥ 214,933,000 *steeplechases only)

* Nakayama Daishogai (J-G1)

The history of the Nakayama Daishogai dates back to 1934 when the biggest jump race in Japan was established to provide equal excitement to the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), which was the most popular race in flat racing. The highest level of steeplechase racing was originally held as a biannual event held in April and December until the spring version was renamed the Nakayama Grand Jump (J-G1, 4,250m) in 1999. The two jump races continue to be the only two J-G1-level obstacle races of equal standard with their results serving as decisive factors in the selection of the season’s JRA Award for Best Steeplechase Horse. In addition to the Nakayama Grand Jump, which was designated an international race in 2000, the Nakayama Daishogai became an international steeplechase event open to foreign contenders in 2011.
The Nakayama Daishogai features 11 jumps over the figure-of-eight-shaped course which includes six up-and-downs over the banks. The first half resembles that of the Nakayama Grand Jump while the Nakayama Daishogai does not include the movable hurdles along the outside turf track and the total distance is 150 meters shorter. The uphill stretch before the wire also is quite a test for many of the runners especially after running at a solid pace throughout the race.
This year’s race included defending champion and 2023 Best Steeplechase Horse Meiner Grand who finished sixth in the Nakayama Grand Jump in spring and was 12th in his comeback start over flat racing (Fukushima, 1 Win Class, 2,600m, Nov.3) after a six-month break. While back-to-back Nakayama Grand Jump champion Irogotoshi (JPN, H7, by Vincennes) passed the race due to a tendon injury in his left foreleg, the field also included Nakayama Grand Jump runner-up June Velocity who came off his fourth graded title in the Tokyo High-Jump (J-G2, 3,110m, Oct.13); third-place finisher and 2022 Nakayama Daishogai victor Nishino Daisy who was fourth in the Tokyo High-Jump; Daishin Clover, who won the Kyoto High-Jump (J-G2, 3,930m) and was third in the Nakayama Grand Jump in 2023; Ecoro Duel, last year’s Nakayama Daishogai third-place finisher and runner-up in the Tokyo High-Jump; and Neviim who came off a second in the Illumination Jump Stakes (Open Class, 3,570m, Nov.30).