Brian Sense

Makoto Saito, trainer
“He’s kept his condition well, and has been doing enough in training, with a good workload, and running on well at the finish. He has won at Tokyo, and not having to race right-handed, when he tends to hang, he’s been running smoothly, according to how I would have thought. He has a lot of power. His track record is very good, and the jockey (Mirai Iwata) this time knows the horse’s habits. With the condition the horse is in, I’ll look forward to his run in this Grade 1.”

Costa Nova

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer
“We’ve upped his training compared to his last three races, and it’s made a difference. His condition’s improved, and being a Grade 1 horse, his movement’s always good.”

Yu Ota, assistant trainer
“We’ve raised his level in training, and he’s looked a lot sharper for his recent work. His condition has improved for this. The Tokyo mile is best for him. His gate practice has been good, and we hope he’ll be fine and that things go smoothly on the day of the race. I want him to use all his energy and effort in the race itself.”

Ryo Terashima, trainer
“Things have been as expected in his work on the woodchip course, and his reactions have been good. Mentally he is calm. This time the race is over 1,600 meters, and I think Tokyo is good for him. All being well, the flow of the race will suit him and he can find his own rhythm. I’d like to see him run like he did two starts ago at Kyoto.”

Long Run

Ryota Kojima, assistant trainer
“He’s had a break at the Yamamoto Training Center. Since being back in training, he’s been running with a lot of power, and it’s good that he has run on dirt earlier in his career. More recently on turf, I’d say he’s not far off Grade 1 level. We don’t overdo things with him as he’s an 8-year-old, but he does seem very well. Hopefully racing left-handed will be fine for him.”

Kiwamu Ogino, jockey
“He feels good. I think he’s improved since he won a graded stakes race.”

Lord Couronne

Hirofumi Shii, trainer
“We haven’t pushed him too hard on the wet surface in training, but he’s switched on nonetheless. He won his first race as a 5-year-old earlier this year, and judging by the way he ran in that race, 1,600 meters looks alright for him. He seems flexible in the way that he can race, however things unfold. He should be able to do well this time too.”

Kazuo Yokoyama, jockey
“I haven’t pushed him too hard, as we have to consider his long transportation to the track. I’ve just checked his rhythm and reactions, but he seems to be in very good shape, and better for his run in the Procyon Stakes.”

Natural Rise

Keizo Ito, trainer
“His workload’s been good enough over a distance, and his cornering between the third and fourth corners has been smooth, while running on strongly at the end of his work. He’s been doing what I expect him to. It’s been a while since he’s run left-handed, but in training things have been fine, and his record at Tokyo is good. The distance of a mile is fine for him, and I think he should do well with the start being on turf if he gets into the flow of things.”

Takeshi Yokoyama, jockey
“He looks well in his coat, and has been training well and running straight. It’s easier to race in a group of horses in JRA races, and the shorter distance will be better for him. He’s won once at Tokyo, so I’m not worried about the track.”

Omega Guiness

Shogo Yasuda, trainer
“In his last race, the pace worked out to be alright for him, and I was pleased with the way he ran, by not stopping towards the end of the race. He went straight to the Yamamoto Training Center after that race, and it’s been the same pattern with him. There’s no tiredness about him. He’s been taken good care of, and returned to the Ritto Training Center recently. It’s a Grade 1 this time, and I want to think about how things can go just right for him, so that he can run a good race again.”

Peptide Nile

Hidenori Take, trainer
“He couldn’t get a good result in the Champions Cup. His times on the woodchip course in training have been very good, and it seems he’s back to a condition that he hasn’t been in so recently, so I think it leads him nicely into this race. He seems younger than an 8-year-old. There will have been three weekends of racing at Tokyo, so we’ll take a look at how things are working out and how we think he should get to run, as he is a flexible type of horse, and then get him to run according to how the race is planning out.”

Perriere

Yoichi Kuroiwa, trainer
“He’s not so heavy, and he’s been running in a balanced way in training. The jockey (Daisuke Sasaki) has a good feeling about him. The horse lost a bit of weight when transporting to his last two races in Kansai, so I don’t think his weight is too heavy now. He’s had results on smaller oval tracks, and Tokyo seems good for him too, so I’m hoping for the best.”

Daisuke Sasaki, jockey
“He’s been moving well, and I think he’s better than he was for his last race. He’s not hanging now.”

Ramjet

Shozo Sasaki, trainer
“His work on the uphill has been good, and he’s come along without any problems, with his nice big stride. He showed what he’s capable of doing in the Miyako Stakes, when he made up good ground from the rear and proved that he was in good shape. It’s been a while since he’s run over a mile, and he’s the type that needs just a little time to get his engine going, so this looks perfect for him with the one turn in the Tokyo race. The way he starts has been fine. I think he’s back to near his best, so I’m looking forward to the race. Hopefully, he’ll be just a bit closer to the pace this time, and I think he has a chance to win.”

Saimon Xanadu

Shinya Kobayashi, trainer
“He’s been moving smoothly in training, and with some good work in the final week before the race, things should be fine. The jockey (Kenichi Ikezoe) is pleased with him. Honestly speaking, regarding the mile distance this time, we won’t know until we try, but I think he’ll be suited to the long homestraight at Tokyo.”

Kenichi Ikezoe, jockey
“He lost a shoe in his last race, so I wondered how his hooves would be, but there doesn’t seem to be any problem and he’s been working well.”

Sakura Toujours

Noriyuki Hori, trainer
“Since last year, I’ve had the plan to try him on dirt. The idea was to take on the Tokyo Shimbun Hai and then this race. Due to the recent snow, there hasn’t been long between races, but he’s in good shape and things are as I would expect. He’s been working on the uphill in the meantime.”

Sixpence

Sakae Kunieda, trainer
“He came back to the stable last month from Northern Farm Tenei. He’s in good shape, and there’s no problem with his hooves. Early this month in training, he was hanging to the left a bit, but more recently he hasn’t done this, and he’s been running smoothly. The shorter distance of the race should be good for him, and the start on turf should also suit. If he runs in a relaxed way, he can do better than he did last time.”

Keita Tosaki, jockey
“He feels like a good horse and that he’s in good condition. He’s easy to ride and stretches out well.”

Sunrise Hawk

Mitsunori Makiura, trainer
“I hoped to run him here since some time ago. He lost weight last summer, but has regained it now. Despite not running so well recently, I hope he’ll run seriously and put in a better performance this time.”

W Heart Bond

Ryuji Okubo, trainer
“We had been thinking about which race next for her after she won the Champions Cup, and we decided on this one, despite other options overseas. We’ve taken care of her, and she’s been working well constantly on the uphill training track in the meantime, and her condition doesn’t change. She’s a powerful horse. It’ll be her first time to race over a mile, but the shorter distance should be better, and she should be fine at Tokyo, where I think she can run well, so I’m hoping for the best. She’s been a challenger up to now, but since her last win, she’s a Grade 1 winner in her own right.”

Ryusei Sakai, jockey
“She’s a filly with speed and good footwork, as well as having a will to win. Ever since her debut, I’ve thought she’s a horse with potential, and it’s been good to have ridden her right through to her Grade 1 win. The start on turf, the fact she’s had to travel a long way, and just the one turn in the race are things to consider. I’d like to be drawn somewhere in the middle, and want to do my best to get a result.”

Wilson Tesoro

Noboru Takagi, trainer
“He went to the farm after the Champions Cup, with this race in mind for him next. He’s quickly got into a good condition through his recent training these past few weeks. The heavy dirt track at Funabashi didn’t suit him, but three starts ago at Morioka, he really ran a good race. That was also over 1,600 meters, and I think it’s the best distance for him, especially at Tokyo, but he can get results anywhere. I want him to run a good race this time too, and finally get a big title.”