- walked 1/2 lap right-handed
- strong canter 3/4 lap (about 13~15 seconds per furlong), walked 1/4 lap, strong canter 3/4 lap (about 12~14 seconds per furlong) left-handed
- walked 1/4 lap right-handed
(exercised from 8:33 to 8:57, ridden by Alan Crowe)

Assistant Trainer (AS): Patrick Keating

Q: After finishing 11th in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Broome was pinned at the wire for a close second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Can you look back upon the race and tell us how it came for you to run your horse in the Japan Cup?
AS: The ground was very soft in the Arc and it just didn’t work out for him so we went to America and the horse traveled over very well, he trained well and he ran a very good race. He was very unlucky not to win but we were very happy with how he ran, so we decided to come to the Japan Cup because he was fresh and well when we got home. This race was always in the plan and since he ran so well in America, Aidan decided to come here.

Q: Broome was transported to Tokyo Racecourse on the 25th after arriving in Japan on the 19th. Compared to running only twice as a four-year-old, he has already started in 10 races this season. How has he been conditioned towards the Japan Cup and how would you assess his form right now?
AS: The horses are very used to traveling so they shipped well and they settled in very well in quarantine. They trained there well and we’re very happy with their condition.

Q: Please tell us the outstanding points of your horse.
AS: Broome has plenty of speed and he stays well and he has a really good mind. As you said he has had ten starts this year but it doesn’t affect him, he loves his races.

Q: This will be trainer Aidan O’Brien’s fifth Japan Cup challenge. What is your impression of the Japanese horses and Japanese racing in general including the tracks?
AS: Japanese racing is not only the best in the world, it has improved so much since its inception. When I started to come here, they were at a certain level, the same level as most of the European horses but they’ve exceeded to another level. They had great success in the Breeders’ Cup which proves how good the horses they have here and Tokyo Racecourse is probably one of the best race courses in the world.

Q: How do you find the training facilities here in Japan compared to Ballydoyle where your horses are usually stationed and trained?
AS: We usually train on all-weather tracks at Ballydoyle but the training facilities at quarantine were very good and we moved up here to Tokyo and the dirt track, on which we trained this morning, is very very good.

Q: Along with many top-class Japanese contenders, the 2020 Triple Crown winner Contrail is among this year’s lineup. Are you aware of any Japanese runners and do you have any past Japan Cup finishers that you remember?
AS: The Triple Crown winner Contrail has run a couple of times this year and has run well without winning but I wouldn’t worry about tactics, he’s a big danger. The second favorite is a Derby winner and he has run well and the rest seem to be of the same level. I think it will be a very good race on Sunday. The Japan Cup has always been a good race and a hard race to win.

Q: Broome landed his first major title in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on soft going but was beaten to 11th in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe which was a very tough race. In the Breeders’ Cup Turf, he ran strongly on firm track. What kind of going is he best suited and how do you think he will fare on the Tokyo’s world-famous fast track?
AS: The Arc just didn’t work out for him, it wasn’t his day, but he handled the firm track in America very well, I walked across the grass track here this morning, it’s in beautiful condition, a beautiful amount of grass on it and it didn’t seem that firm so I have no problems with the track of him on Sunday.

Q: Broome’s post position is no. 3. Compared to the small turns in Del Mar, the course here is much larger. Does Broome have an ideal race development or tactics you can share with us now?
AS: He has a very good draw, he’ll jump out and if he’s happy he’ll stay, and there will probably be a little bit of speed than there usually is in this race but it won’t bother him—he’ll find his position and the track will suit him.

- walked 1/2 lap right-handed
- strong canter 3/4 lap (about 13~15 seconds per furlong), walked 1/4 lap, strong canter 3/4 lap (about 12~14 seconds per furlong) left-handed
- walked 1/4 lap right-handed
(exercised from 8:33 to 8:57, ridden by Roger Quinlan)

Assistant Trainer (AS): Patrick Keating

Q: Japan simply running in Japan is drawing much attention. After marking a fourth in the last one of his three starts in the U.S., his Japan Cup challenge was officially announced. How would you rate his latest start, in which he showed a good turn of foot, and how did it come for you to decide on sending him to Tokyo?
AS: He ran a very good race in America—he was unlucky he just got a little bump on the bend going into the straight and he probably should have finished third, but we were very happy with the way he ran. He handled the track well, he used his legs well and I think Tokyo, a fine galloping track, will suit him even better.

Q: Traveling with his stablemate Broome, how is the horse’s condition and how is his tuning up coming along?
AS: Japan absolutely loves being here, he’s very happy with himself, you can see it in his exercise and in his demeanor in the stable and he’s acclimatized. Both horses are in great condition and Japan has really settled in well.

Q: What is your impression of his new jockey Yutaka Take?
AS: He’s an absolute legend, he’s one of the top jockeys ever to ride in the world. What he has done at home in Japan and worldwide, very few have done. I was lucky enough to speak to him at the Arc and—he’s just a legend.

Q: What are Japan’s outstanding points?
AS: Japan has a very high cruising speed, he’s a very fast horse, he’s won a group one over a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half. He has loads of speed, he can sit anywhere in the race and he’s very straight forward.

Q: Looking back on his Group One wins, his latest was in the International Stakes in his three-year-old season. How would you analyze his contestants—the other horses in the field?
AS: Japan has always run very well since—we’ve never been disappointed in him and we’re very happy about the way he goes. How he will fare up against the Japanese horses—we’ll find out on Sunday—but we think he’ll give a good account of himself.

Q: He seems to be well suited on firm going. How will he handle the fast track in Tokyo?
AS: I think it will suit him very well, seeing the way he moved on the dirt track this morning, I have no problems with how he will handle the turf track—it will suit his speed and his style of racing.

Q: The barrier draw is the widest no.18. What would be an ideal racing pattern for him in a course much larger than Del Mar?
AS: The draw is what it is, we’ll just have to come to terms with it. It’s not ideal but it is what it is, we have no problems. As I said the horse has loads of speed, he has early speed, so I can envision him breaking very well and he’ll find a position he likes.

Q: Please give a message to the fans.
As: I just want to say that we are privileged to be invited here. Ideally, for Japan to win the Japan Cup would be brilliant, but we’re happy with two of our horses that are training very well. If everything goes their way, they won’t be far away on Sunday.

Q: The horses cantered twice with intervals in between this morning, is that your usual method at home?
AS: We always do two canters at home and we try to keep the same thing here, one in front of the other and Broome likes to be in the front, it’s the way they do that at home. Alan and Roger, who rode them, are very happy with their condition and the way they moved this morning.

- trotted 1/2 lap left-handed, cantered lightly 1-1/4 laps right-handed (dirt course)
(exercised from 8:01 to 8:22, ridden by Anais Dumont)

Assistant Trainer (AS): Anais Dumont
Groom (G): Olga Ronkina

Q: Grand Glory won her first G1 title in the Prix Jean Romanet and also was runner-up in the Prix de l’Opera last start. How and when did you decide on her participation in the Japan Cup?
G: Grand Glory performed extremely well when second in the Prix de l’Opera and so the trainer decided that she would be fit to go to Japan to run in the Japan Cup. To run here in the Japan Cup is a great opportunity which we have never experienced before, and the race would be a dream stage for this mare to run as her final start of her career so we hope to condition her to her best for the race.

Q: How has she trained since her last start and how is her condition since her arrival on the 19th and after her move to Tokyo Racecourse on the 25th?
AS: She has continued to thrive after her last outing and, although it was a long travel to Japan, she has been stable and eating well. She has also continued to be calm after her trip to the racecourse and is eating well.

Q: It is the first time for your stable to take part in Japan. What is your impression on the Japanese horses, the racing style here and also the grass track here at Tokyo Racecourse. How different is it from your tracks in France?
AS: To begin with horses, I think that the Japanese horses have a lot of speed compared to ours. As for the tracks, I felt that the turf course here is splendid and well looked after. As for the fact that the track here is faster than the course in France, I don’t think it would work against Grand Glory as she can act on any track conditions. My impression of Japan in general is that everything is well organized and the hospitality is great.

Q: It is the first time for your stable to take part in Japan. What is your impression on the Japanese horses, the racing style here and also the grass track here at Tokyo Racecourse? How different is it from your tracks in France?
AS: To begin with horses, I think that the Japanese horses have a lot of speed compared to ours. As for the tracks, what I felt that the turf course here is splendid and well looked after. As for the fact that the track here is faster than the course in France, I don’t think it would work against Grand Glory as she can act on any track conditions. My impression of Japan in general is that everything is well organized and the hospitality is great.

Q: We have a group of strong Japanese contenders running in this race such as 2020 Triple Crown horse Contrail. What are your thoughts in facing these horses and do you have any horses in the past that have impressed you?
AS: We predict that it will be a very tough race for us to beat and, together with our trainer, we are analyzing the runners in the race and which horses to look out for. In France it is the end of the season whereas it is still in mid-season, so I would assume that you would have a certain advantage there as well.

Q: Tell us about the outstanding points about your horse?
AS: First and foremost, Grand Glory is mentally very strong. Especially with the long travel involved, she has maintained a stable state of mind and has adjusted well. In racing, she has a good turn of speed and can adapt to various track conditions.

Q: Her recent starts have been over testing (softer) track conditions. In general, the turf here is considered extremely faster than the turf in Europe. Is there any preference as for what kind of surface would suit your horse and how would she fare on this particular kind of track? And how also would she adapt to the extended 2,400 meters having mostly raced at 2,000?
AS: As I’ve said, she can adapt to any track conditions. She is regularly seen positioned behind the main group during the early stages and making use of her late speed at the stretch which is her style of racing. She has been raced at 2,000 meters but 2,400 meters shouldn’t make much difference for her so I don’t think she would find it a problem.

Q: Her recent starts have been over testing (softer) track conditions. In general, the turf here is considered extremely faster than the turf in Europe. Is there any preference as for what kind of surface would suit your horse and how would she fare on this particular kind of track? And how also would she adapt to the extended 2,400 meters having mostly raced at 2,000?
AS: As I’ve said, she can adapt to any track conditions. She is regularly seen positioned behind the main group during the early stages and making use of her late speed at the stretch which is her style of racing. She has been raced at 2,000 meters but 2,400 meters shouldn’t make much difference for her so I don’t think she would find it a problem.

Q: What are thoughts on your barrier draw (no.6) and what kind of race development would be ideal for your mare?
AS: When I gave the trainer the news on the draw, he was very happy with it. As for how the race will run, the jockey who rides him regularly will be partnering him, so it will be up to him. I assume she will be positioned not too far forward and yet not getting left too far behind, but in any case, it’s up to her rider.

Q: We have heard that she has been offered for the Arqana’s Breeding Stock Sales upon her return to France. So, will the Japan Cup be her final start of her career?
G: Grand Glory is the star horse in our stable, and seeing her run her final start in the Japan Cup means so much to us and all the members of the stable staff that have put their hard work into her training and preparation during her career. We hope the race will turn out to be a wonderful finish for her.

Q: Can you give a message to the fans?
AS: We have come to know through SNS that there are a lot of people in Japan that are rooting for the visiting horses from overseas, and within just a few days of being here, we have felt welcomed. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you making us feel so welcomed and at home.