Arata

Ryota Kojima, assistant trainer
“In the Nikkei Sho, he was able to get a good position for the first time in a while. However, just when he was at the critical last furlong he got into a tight spot. If he hadn’t, I think he’d have finished closer to the top than he did (ninth place 0.4 seconds off the winner). He stayed at Miho after that. Though his times haven’t been very fast, he has had a lot of long workouts. Last week, we pushed him hard and he clocked 66.9 seconds over five furlongs, which was about what we’d been looking for. He didn’t raise his head and, overall, it was a very good workout. He has won over 2,600 meters, so I think he is suited to longer distances. He settles well and his strong point is that he goes into a kind of ‘eco mode.’ I have no worries about the 3,200-meter distance. I’m looking forward to the race.”

Blow the Horn

Tatsuya Yoshioka, trainer
"For his last race, the Hanshin Daishoten, he’d come back from a spell. He was looking good and completely recovered from any lingering fatigue from last year’s campaign. The assigned weight was heavier than what the others had, the ground was hard and fast, not his preferred ground. The race turned out to favor those on or close to the pace, so with that in mind he did a real good job of closing the gap to make third place. I’ve worked with him for a little over a year now and I think he’s a true stayer and is at his best in a race that comes down to pure stamina. The jockey (Akira Sugawara) says the horse has improved from his last race, and both his muscle tone and his coat are better. I don’t think his condition is any different from what it was last year, and I think this course and distance suit him best. He’s in great shape, so my expectations are up after last year’s big disappointment.

Byzantine Dream

Hayato Mitsuya, assistant trainer
“His trip to Riyadh where he won the Red Sea Turf Handicap was his first trip abroad. Even so, he was relaxed and he broke relatively well for him. It was a strong win and we were well reminded of his talent. He went to the farm after that and returned to Ritto on April 8. They had taken very good care of him at the farm and he came back looking like he’d come out of the race very well. Last week, I had him work alone so he wouldn’t overdo it and he clocked 81.5 seconds over the woodchip course. He has good balance and he is showing steady improvement. I have the impression he has gotten stronger overall. He’s relaxed and seems to have matured both physically and mentally, quite a difference from before, when he’d be very keen. Since he is more settled now, the distance shouldn’t pose any problems if he’s able to bring out his ability.”

Chevalier Rose

Hisashi Shimizu, trainer
“His normal race would be riding the pace from a good position, but in the Nikkei Sho, the rain-affected ground was a factor. He wasn’t able to gain ground at all and wasn’t able to perform as usual (finished 12th of 15). After that, he went to the farm for a bit. On April 23, he worked at length over the woodchip course with Meiner Emperor. I had this one lead, but he still extended really well over the last furlong. He has won the Stayers Stakes over 3,600 meters, so more ground this time isn’t a concern. He has had good results in long distance races, so going into a race longer than the previous one. Last time the slightly heavy ground prevented him from performing at his best, so I’m hoping the ground will be fast this time, a fast track and a race that demands stamina.”

Naoya Nakamura, trainer
“Even though his most recent start was just an allowance race, I think he ran a very strong race. Before last year, he hadn’t been fully developed in certain areas. However, he got bigger quite a bit and gained strength. I think that was a big factor in that victory. He went to the farm after that and returned to the training center on April 11. In last week’s fast work, he clocked 79.8 over six furlongs on the flat, which was a little fast, but part of that was because he had run inside. I think it was quite a hard workout and things have progressed smoothly. He’s not the best amid a slow pace that only picks up in the final stage, so I’m hoping for an overall stronger pace. He hasn’t won a graded race, so I’m hoping he’ll rise to the challenge.”

Yuichiro Nishida, trainer
“He came back to Miho after nearly two months at the farm and, he worked with a training partner over the woodchip flat course on April 23. Both his mood and movement were good and the other horse, who is a frontrunner, set the pace and the jockey decided to stay behind that horse. This horse started from quite off the pace and got a good hard workout over six furlongs. This week, he breezed alone over the same. This time the weights are set and he is obviously a challenger, but I think he’s adequately suited to this race. I’m eager to see how well he can do here.”

Justin Palace

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“He stayed at the training center after the Osaka Hai, and we concentrated on his recovery while also preparing for this race. He has come along as expected. He would lean a bit on one side of the bit in his fast work. In last week’s work, we tried to improve his balance, not his time. He did well and it was a good workout. On April 30, we just breezed him over six furlongs on the flat like we had before the Osaka Hai. He looked good and the rider said he was moving better than he had been before the Osaka Hai. He's proven at this distance and course. Though it's been two years since he won this race, I think he can do it again. He may have been more eager to race back then, but he has been up against some very strong competition in his recent races. I don’t have the impression that his ability is any less than it was, and I think this race is ideal for him.”

Haruki Sugiyama, trainer
“Both this week and last week, he worked on the woodchip course with another horse. On April 23, he showed his usual running, but his muscle tone and the sheen on his coat have been especially good. I think he has maintained his condition at quite a high level. Recently, I’ve had the impression that the more distance he has, the better he does. I have always wanted to see how he’d do over long distances, so we decided to enter him here. In his previous race (2-win class over 2,600 meters), he sat tight for quite a while and then moved out on his own, so in the Tenno Sho I’m hoping he’ll be able to have a ground-saving trip from whatever position he gets from the break. I think he’ll travel well with the others and I’m eager to see how well he’ll do.”

Meiner Emperor

Hisashi Shimizu, trainer
“It was his first graded win last race (the Nikkei Sho) and he clinched it by squeezing through right at the critical point. It may not have looked like he had much left in reserve, but that’s because he’s slow to rev his engine. The jockey did a fine job. Because the horse doesn’t have the quickest responses, he can’t accelerate quickly, but he can run at a good speed for a long time. He stayed at the training center after that, and had a hard workout over the woodchip flat course with Chevalier Rose on April 23. He finished just a bit behind, but he’d started from quite far back. I think his time was good. He doesn’t get keen in a race, so the distance shouldn’t be a problem. He has won over the Kyoto outer course, so we’ll just have to see how he fares amid the G1 competition.”

Pradaria

Manabu Ikezoe, trainer
“He returned to the training center on April 8, and on April 23, we gave him a hard workout with two other horses over the woodchip course. Jockey Kohei Matsuyama rode and said, ‘He was well in hand and in good condition. There is really nothing that I see that needs to be improved on.’ I rode the horse myself the week before that and had the impression that he is still maturing. He’s now about 480-some kg and that weight likely reflects his good condition. He has handled everything well and his weight has remained stable even when I’ve upped the workload. He was in excellent shape for the Kyoto Kinen, but finished in sixth place (0.5 seconds behind the winner). The jockey (Kenichi Ikezoe) said with regret that he’d blown it and that the horse hadn’t been able to give it everything he had. It would have been ideal if he’d used the downslope turning out of the backstretch to quickly move up the field. As for the distance this time, we won’t know how he’ll do until we try it. He’s very well-balanced, so I think he’ll be able to handle it.”

Redentor

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer
"His second place in the Kikuka Sho was disappointing, but he gave it his all and I think it was a fine performance. I was a little concerned about his most recent race, the Diamond Stakes, especially since he had just gone all out in the G1. Despite my concern, it was a very good race. He was very much on his toes and won solidly. He returned to Miho about a month ago. This week, I had the jockey (Damian Lane) come to Miho mainly to get a reading on the horse. As far as I could see, the horse ran nicely balanced and the jockey seemed impressed with him. In his last two races, this horse caused quite a bit of trouble at the gate refusing to load. He’s not one to get upset once in the gate, but he may get upset loading. He has a lot of natural talent and a very elegant walk. His body is also very supple and he knows how to use it well. He’s captivating and a very special horse.”

Shonan la Punta

Tomokazu Takano, trainer
“Last out he finished fourth in the Hanshin Daishoten over 3,000 meters. I think it was a difficult race considering how it unfolded. The first half was run at a very slow pace, so all the horses still had lot in reserve for long spurt in the final stage and this horse raced from the back. But still, I think the experience helped to give the jockey (Yutaka Take) a good idea of their prospects in the Tenno Sho (Spring). His morning work last week was a little bit faster than I would have liked, but it wasn’t a problem. So far, everything has gone well, without mishap. I’m not certain how he’ll fare if the 3,200-meter race comes down to which horse has the most stamina, but he did place fourth in the Kikuka Sho. Having the same jockey continue to ride is also a huge plus.”

Sunrise Earth

Koichi Ishizaka, trainer
"I had always wanted him to race where he could bring out his stamina, so I was very glad and relieved that things went so well in the Hanshin Daishoten. He had about two weeks off at the farm after that race, then was back in training. He has had just over three weeks of training at Ritto. His breathing is always good in his morning work, so I thought the longer the distance the better he would be. He still is somewhat immature though. In training, we usually have him work with another horse, so he can get used to racing alongside others. Jockey Kenichi Ikezoe rode fast work last week to check his condition and to push him hard if necessary, which he did. On April 30, his balance was good, his breathing was excellent, but he seemed a bit switched off, so the rider woke him up a bit with the whip. His time was fast and he’s more switched on now. He won his debut at Kyoto and I think this track is the best place to showcase his stamina.”

Warp Speed

Kazuo Yokoyama, jockey
“For the Hanshin Daishoten, it was his first time at Hanshin, so the new course and track atmosphere were factors that I had to give thought to. I wondered how he would do if I kept him relatively close to the pace from the start. However, he wasn’t able to bring out his best to the degree I’d expected, and that experience has helped me decide on the strategy for this race. I rode his morning work both this week and last week. Last week, he wasn’t on his toes as much as usual. He seemed to more laid back, but he did get a good workout. This week he was much more switched on and it felt perfect going into the race. The trainer always leaves the race strategy up to me and, of course, it will depend on the gate he draws, but I don’t think I’ll send him strongly to the front from the start.”

Kazuki Koyama, assistant trainer
“He had six months off, then came back for two races, both over 3,000 meters. He is, however, fully recovered and his prep has gone well. He has been given the usual routine. Last week and this week, jockey Ko Nagahama rode work to get a reading on him. On April 30, he worked with another horse on the woodchip flat course and covered six furlongs in 84 seconds. His footwork was excellent and his movement was strong. The competition will be much stronger this time, but he has competed in the Japan Cup before and made a great effort there. I’m hoping he’ll be able to bring out his stamina and be able to improve on his result.”