Al Naseem

Shinsuke Hashiguchi, trainer
“He’s worked well with the jockey (Norihiro Yokoyama) on the woodchip course, and the horse’s reactions have been good when asked for more of an effort. He’s posted good times too. I think 2,000 meters is his best distance, and he can get into the flow of the race. He’s had some good results at Hanshin, so I hope he’ll run well this time. An inside gate would be good, and I just wonder what he can do against the other horses here.”

Bellagio Opera

Hiroyuki Uemura, trainer
“He’s heavier this year, and it has seemed noticeable with his training, but hopefully we’ll have him sharper just before the race. In fact, this last week he’s looked good, and will go to the race in top condition. The summer’s not good for him, so this is the best Grade 1 race for him at this time of year, as well as the Takarazuka Kinen. He’s suited to the distance of this next race, as well as the four corners to take in, so I want him to put in a good run in his bid to win the race for the second year in a row.”

Kazuo Yokoyama, jockey
“The horse is moving well and seems to be his usual self, so, despite one or two worries, I think he can get a good result.”　

Boldog Hos

Hiroshi Miyamoto, trainer
“He’s been working on the woodchip course since he returned to the stable, and he’s been moving well with his race jockey (Hayato Yoshida) in the saddle. I don’t have any worries about the horse’s footwork, and he’s looking sharp. I think he’s better suited to Hanshin with the rise in the homestraight, rather than Kyoto, which is flatter. It’ll be his third race since his long break, so I think he’s getting used to his races again, and I hope he’ll perform well here. I want him to win a Grade 1 race.” 

Cosmo Kuranda

Shizuya Kato, trainer
“He returned to the stable well in advance this time, and I’ve been pleased with his training. He’s been improving every week, and his back is stronger now. He seems very well in himself, so I’m hoping he can win a Grade 1 race.”

Yoshinori Ito, assistant trainer
“The jockey (Yuji Tannai) has got the best out of him in training, and the horse has been moving well, when switching gears, particularly at the finish. He has looked a little heavy, but with some more work before the race, he should improve and be in good shape for this next run.”

Desierto

Keiichiro Yasuda, assistant trainer
“The horse is his usual self and very well, wanting to run with a lot of energy. He can get a little excited before a race, but he’s quite relaxed generally. There will be a couple of days after his last piece of work before the race itself. Every year the Osaka Hai is a tough race, with horses looking for a position, and the pressure that comes when the runners are between the third and fourth corners. Hopefully he’ll get into a good rhythm in the early part of the race, and things will go his way. I think the jockey (Kenichi Ikezoe) has a good image of what he wants to do in the race, so we’ll leave things to him.”

Ecoro Walz

Mitsunori Makiura, trainer
“We’ve worked on his rhythm in training, and getting him to be patient. He’s been moving well, and is probably better than he was for his last race.”

Goro Takahashi, assistant trainer
“He’s moved well in training since returning to the stable, and jockey Mirco Demuro has been riding him. The last race he ran in was won in record time, but he came out of it well with no bad reaction. It feels like he’s matured a lot more since he was a 3-year-old. He has run in a Grade 1 at Hanshin as a 2-year-old, so there’s no problem with the track for him. I felt there was some difference between him and the other horses in Grade 1 races when he was a 3-year-old, but now he’s matured more, I’m looking forward to what he can do against the opposition here this time.”  

Ho O Biscuits

Takeshi Okumura, trainer
“He soon recovered from his last race on the heavy track, and his appetite has remained good, so we’ve been able to work him both on the flat and uphill without any problems. He’s the type to improve for his races, and despite the short time between runs, he seems to be improving more, so I expect him to run well again. He’s had results over 2,000 meters, and the inner course should suit him.”

Yasunari Iwata, jockey
“He’s not tired at all, and seems to be in very good condition, judging by the way he’s moving. Despite the short time between races, he feels quite fresh.”

Justin Palace

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“He’s very well, and everything’s been as expected with him. He just took up a position naturally in the Arima Kinen, so I don’t worry about him concerning where he should be in a race. One of the keys this time will be how he handles the 2,000 meters with the four corners, so I think I’d like him to settle somewhere in midfield, and hopefully the race will be run in a way so that he gets to run with his full potential. I’d like to see him win another Grade 1 title.”

Katsuma Sameshima, jockey
“His balance has improved in the last two weeks, and he’s much sharper now. I thought as a 3-year-old he would be better later in his career. It’s good to have another chance to ride him in a Grade 1, and I want to get a good result.”

Karate

Akishi Higashida, trainer
“He’s worked with the jockey (Ryuji Wada) on the woodchip course these last two weeks. This final week, just some fast work should be enough. There are strong Grade 1 horses in the race, but he’s in good condition, so I want him to do his best. The start will be important for him.”

Ryuji Wada, jockey
“His times have been good in training, and in his last piece of work, I felt his time was just right. He’s not a horse that has a turn of foot from a long way off the pace, so I hope to have him more forward in the race this time.”

Lord del Rey

Mitsumasa Nakauchida, trainer
“After his last race, we decided that this would be the next one for him. His training’s gone well, and looking at his last race, I think he can run well over the tricky inner course this time.”

Taku Fukunaga, assistant trainer
“In recent training, he completed six furlongs in 79.2 seconds on the woodchip track. He’s in good shape. The distance of the race this time is a furlong shorter, but he’s quite used to running over 2,000 meters. This has been his target race after returning from the farm, and despite it being his first one in a while, there’s nothing to worry about with him. He’s taking on different horses again, but if things go well, he has a chance,”

Ravel

Yusaku Oka, assistant trainer
“She’s been at the stable since her last race, and has had her usual routine. Everything’s been the same with her, and she came out of her last race without any damage. She’s been eating well also. If the ground is good on the day of this next race, I think she can run better.”

Sixpence

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“He’s looked sharp when finishing off his work, and he’s probably better at this point than he was before his last race. His hooves are fine now. The distance of the race will be longer this time, but I think he can handle distances up to 2,000 meters, and there should be other horses to set the pace, making things easier for him. He’s had good results over the inner course at Nakayama, so I think the inner course at Hanshin won’t be a problem. The opponents are strong this time, but I’m expecting him to run well in a Grade 1 race, after his good performances to win consecutive graded races.”

Takeshi Yokoyama, jockey
“It’s good to get the chance to ride the horse. His condition is good, so he runs in a relaxed way. He moves well, so I think he should be fine over the small oval track with four corners.”

Sol Oriens

Takahisa Tezuka, trainer
“He returned to the stable early March, and at Miho he just did some light work, before transporting over to Ritto on the 28th. Jockey Kohei Matsuyama will ride him in his last piece of work there. Looking at the horse’s recent races, it would still seem best if he finished them off with a late run down the outside, but without losing any ground in the run. Running his own race is important for him to get good results.”

Kohei Matsuyama, jockey
“He feels good, and more than I thought, he has a nice big stride. I want to ride him with a good rhythm in the race.”

Stellenbosch

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“She has done better than expected in training, since returning to the stable. Last year when she travelled over to the Kansai area, we sent her over ahead of time, but this year we’ll keep training her at Miho right up until before the race. There doesn’t seem to be any change with her, and she’s moving really well. With the warmer weather, she looks well, but she is returning from a break, so we need to consider this. It was too bad that she couldn’t get cover in her last race, so I’d like to see her run like she did in last year’s Oka Sho. If she gets to run a smooth race against the male horses in this Grade 1, I think she can do well.”

Joao Moreira, jockey
“I’m looking forward to riding her once again. I’ve made sure she hasn’t overdone things in her work. She’s a horse that has good closing speed, but it’ll be important to get her to run with a good rhythm, like she did in the Oka Sho.”

Yoho Lake

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer
“He’s kept his condition since his last race, and his legs are fine. I think he’ll be a bit lighter for this next one, although when you look at him, he doesn’t seem to be too big. He’s moved well in training. I think he can handle the four corners of the inner course that the race is run over. It’ll be the sixth week of racing at the track, so I think he’ll be able to show his best with the condition the ground is in. I want him to win a big race.”