Japan’s top dirt specialists are kicking off their fall seasons and making full-fledged preparations for the Champions Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m) at Chukyo Racecourse on December 7. Although the 2023 and 2024 winner Lemon Pop retired last year, Wilson Tesoro (JPN, H6, by Kitasan Black), who was runner-up to Lemon Pop both times in the Champions Cup, remained in training and added a major title in the Mile Championship Nambu Hai (Listed, dirt, 1,600m) this October. Sixpence (JPN, C4, by Kizuna), a winner of three graded titles on turf, came in second in his first start on dirt.

The JBC Classic (Listed, dirt, 1,800m) on November 3 was won by Mikki Fight (JPN, C4, by Drefong), followed in second by this year’s Kawasaki Kinen (Listed, dirt, 2,100m) winner Meisho Hario (JPN, H8, by Pyro). Wilson Tesoro was fifth and three-time graded winner Sunrise Zipangu (JPN, C4, by Kizuna) was tenth. While Mikki Fight has chosen the Tokyo Daishoten (G1, dirt, 2,000m) on December 29 as his next start, Meisho Hario, Wilson Tesoro and Sunrise Zipangu will be among this year’s Champions Cup contenders.

W Heart Bond (JPN, F4, by Kizuna) won her first grade-race title in one of two Champions Cup trials, the Miyako Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,800m) on November 9, and now has six wins in as many starts on dirt at 1,800 meters. Coming in fourth, seventh and tenth respectively were last year’s Tokyo Derby (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) champion Ramjet (JPN, C4, by Majestic Warrior), Heian Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,900m) victor and race favorite Outrange (JPN, H5, by Regalo) and Elm Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,700m) winner Perriere (JPN, H5, by Henny Hughes).

The other trial, the Musashino Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,600m) on November 15, was won by Luxor Cafe (USA, C3, by American Pharoah), who scored his first graded title after finishing 12th in the Kentucky Derby (G1, dirt, 2,000m) and third in the Japan Dirt Classic (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) in October. Last year’s February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) winner Peptide Nile (JPN, H7, by King Kamehameha) was ninth.

One of the Champions Cup highlights will be three-year-old Narukami (JPN, C3, by Thunder Snow), the Godolphin-owned colt who won the Kozukata Sho (dirt, 2,000m) at NAR’s Morioka Racecourse in September and extended his winning streak to four in the Japan Dirt Classic at Oi Racecourse. With five wins out of six starts, all on dirt, the son of Thunder Snow will face older dirt specialists for the first time in the coming Champions Cup.

The Champions Cup field also includes Hagino Alegrias (JPN, H8, by Kizuna), last year’s fourth-place finisher, Seraphic Call (JPN, H5, by Henny Hughes), winner of the Diolite Kinen (Listed, dirt, 2,400m), Tenka Jo (JPN, F4, by Thunder Snow), runner-up in the JBC Ladies’ Classic (Listed, dirt, 1,800m) on November 3, and William Barows (JPN, H7, by Mikki Isle), a two-time graded winner on dirt at 1,800 meters.

Meanwhile, eight Japanese horses are slated to race in the Hong Kong International Races on December 14. Aiming to become the ninth Japanese winner following Loves Only You (2021) in the Hong Kong Cup (G1, 2,000m) will be:

• Bellagio Opera (JPN, H5, by Lord Kanaloa), back-to-back winner of the 2024-2025 Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m), who is coming off a second in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m) in June.
• Lord del Rey (JPN, H5, by Lord Kanaloa), winner of the Nikkei Shinshun Hai (G2, 2,200m) and runner-up in the Osaka Hai but had to be withdrawn from the Tenno Sho (Autumn) due to poor condition.
• Rousham Park (JPN, H6, by Harbinger), a two-time graded winner and runner-up in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1, 2,400m), who was 12th in the Copa Republica Argentina (G2, 2,500m) on November 9.

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:

• Embroidery (JPN, F3, by Admire Mars), winner of the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) and also the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m), the third jewel of the fillies’ triple crown, on October 19.
• Soul Rush (JPN, H7, by Rulership), runner-up in his second Hong Kong Mile challenge last year, who finished sixth in the Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m) on November 23.

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:

• Satono Reve (JPN, H6, by Lord Kanaloa), the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1, 1,200m) victor, who followed with two runner-up efforts overseas in G1 events but was fourth in the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m) on September 28.
• Win Carnelian (JPN, H8, by Screen Hero), who is coming off his much-awaited first G1 victory in the Sprinters Stakes, his 33rd career start, this year.

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

• Urban Chic (JPN, C4, by Suave Richard), winner of the 2024 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m), who was fifth, but 0.2 seconds behind the winner, in his latest start in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on November 2.