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Four-Year-Old Filly W Heart Bond Captures Her First G1 Title in the Champions Cup

Third favorite W Heart Bond captured her first G1 title, becoming the second female runner to win the Champions Cup since Sambista in 2015. The Kizuna filly won her debut start in August as a three-year-old and extended her winning streak to five before finishing second in the Breeders’ Gold Cup (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) this August. She then claimed her first graded title in record time over sloppy going in the Miyako Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,800m) just four weeks ago on November 9. The four-year-old bay has now registered seven wins in as many starts over 1,800 meters on dirt. Trainer Ryuji Okubo scored his fourth JRA-G1 victory following his 2020 Champions Cup title with Chuwa Wizard, while jockey Ryusei Sakai secured his third consecutive Champions Cup win—the first two with Lemon Pop in 2023 and 2024—and his seventh JRA-G1 title.

W Heart Bond, breaking from stall 2, traveled two-wide in third and rounded the final corners wide to enter the lane in good striking position. The four-year-old filly produced an impressive turn of speed in the stretch to seize the lead with 300 meters to go and engaged in a gripping duel with fast-closing Wilson Tesoro over the final 100 meters but managed to hold off her rival with tenacity to ultimately prevail in a photo finish.

“She’s simply magnificent. Just making it to a G1 is tough enough, so winning it is truly amazing. Her final workout didn’t look particularly impressive but I guess she knew that the race was what mattered. We didn’t have a specific race plan, so I focused on riding her while keeping an eye on our rivals. She felt good turning the final corners and I trusted that she would give her best run when she geared up as Wilson Tesoro came from the inside. She was really strong today. I’m just happy that she became a G1 winner and the first filly/mare in ten years to win the Champions Cup, rather than my third consecutive title in this race,” commented Ryusei Sakai.

Second choice Wilson Tesoro settled in mid-division, around ninth, hugged the rails rounding the final corners and angled slightly outside at the top of the stretch to pull away from the rest of the field behind W Heart Bond. The six-year-old son of Kitasan Black unleashed a powerful late charge that marked the second fastest last three furlongs and closed strongly to threaten the eventual winner in the last 100 meters but finished a nose short for second place.

Seventh pick Ramjet was off a bit slow, traveled wide around 12th and, while meeting traffic at the top of the stretch, switched to the outside to launch the third fastest late kick. The 2024 Tokyo Derby (Listed, dirt, 2,000m) winner dug in well to close in on the leaders and, although unable to threaten the top two finishers, overtook Meisho Hario just before the wire to secure third place.

Race favorite Narukami traveled wide in fourth and entered the lane in good striking position but the three-year-old Thunder Snow colt was unable to reach contention after being crowded by horses and faded to 13th.

Other Horses:
4th: (3) Meisho Hario—raced around 13th, circled wide to show fastest late kick but missed third place by head just before wire
5th: (9) Outrange—settled behind winner around 5th, boxed in 200m out, quickened thereafter
6th: (6) Hagino Alegrias—sat near winner around 5th, needed more
7th: (10) Tenka Jo—broke poorly, raced around 14th, angled out, showed belated charge
8th: (13) Sunrise Zipangu—hugged rail around 10th, met traffic at 100m out
9th: (4) Seraphic Call—unhurried around 14th on rails, even paced at stretch
10th: (15) Perriere—ran around 7th between horses, lacked needed kick
11th: (11) Sixpence—rallied for lead, led at early stretch, soon dropped back
12th: (14) Peptide Nile—traveled around 9th, blocked behind horses at early stretch
14th: (5) Helios—trailed in rear, no factor
15th: (16) Luxor Cafe—raced wide around 5th, checked from outside at early stretch
16th: (1) William Barows—rallied for lead, entered 1st to lane, faded after 300m out

THE 26TH CHAMPIONS CUP (G1) – Japan Autumn International -
3-year-olds & up, 1,800 meters (about 9 furlongs), dirt, left-handed
Sunday, December 7, 2025 Chukyo Racecourse 11th Race Post Time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 260,400,000 (about US$ 1,659,000 <US$1=¥157>)
3-y-o: 57 kg (about 126 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 58 kg (about 128 lbs)
2 kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2022
Course Record: 1:47.6 Race Record: 1:48.5 [Chrysoberyl (JPN, by Gold Allure), 2019]
Safety factor: 16 runners Going: Standard Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 18,928,094,200       Turnover for the Day: ¥ 27,659,960,000       Attendance: 29,196

Winner= 8 starts: 7 wins & 1 second / Added & stakes money: ¥ 123,402,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 245,094,000

* Champions Cup (G1)

Formerly run under the name Japan Cup Dirt until 2013, the Champions Cup takes place at Chukyo Racecourse which is located in the Chubu region between Tokyo and Osaka. The Japan Cup Dirt, which began as the dirt version of the Japan Cup in 2000 at Tokyo Racecourse held over the 2,100-meter left-handed course until 2007, was temporarily shifted to Nakayama Racecourse over the 1,800-meter right-handed course in 2002, then held at Hanshin Racecourse, also a right-handed track and over 1,800 meters, between 2008 and 2013. Nineteen of the past 25 winners of the Champions Cup, which is one of JRA’s two dirt G1 races along with the February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m), have won the season’s JRA Award for Best Dirt Horse.
Lord Sterling (USA, by Black Tie Affair), who finished third in the inaugural year, was one of the first foreign contenders, while Fleetstreet Dancer (USA, by Smart Strike) became the first foreign winner in 2003. In the past, 29 runners from not only North America but also from France, Germany, Great Britain and Hong Kong have participated in the race including 2018 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1, dirt, 1,800m) winner Pavel (USA, by Creative Cause) from the U.S. who finished 15th in 2018.
With 2023–2024 champion Lemon Pop (USA, by Lemon Drop Kid) now retired, this year’s race featured last year’s runner-up Wilson Tesoro, who added another title in this year’s Mile Championship Nambu Hai (Listed, dirt, 1,600m; Oct. 13), alongside Sixpence, the runner-up in that same race. W Heart Bond came off a win in one of the trial races, the Miyako Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,800m; Nov. 9), and graded winners Ramjet and Outrange finished fourth and seventh, respectively. Luxor Cafe came off his first graded title in the other trial, the Musashino Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,600m; Nov. 15), in which 2024 February Stakes victor Peptide Nile finished ninth. The field also included Narukami, winner of the Japan Dirt Classic (Listed, dirt, 2,000m; Oct. 8); Meisho Hario, runner-up in the JBC Classic (Listed, dirt, 1,800m; Nov. 3); Tenka Jo, second in the JBC Ladies’ Classic (Listed, dirt, 1,800m; Nov. 3); and Sunrise Zipangu, this year’s February Stakes runner-up.