Noriyuki Hori, trainer

“His weak point, his hindquarters are slow to improve, so we’ve just been exercising him at a light gallop. His movement has gotten much better, but he’s still not as lively as was. The main reason for having Joao Moreira ride him after his last start was to get a reading on the colt’s condition. The stiffness wasn’t a problem this time. The horse’s movement was good while galloping, and he was able to run relaxed. He seemed to me to be a bit quiet, so I’d like him to be more on his game. The Tenno Sho (Autumn) was an extremely tough race, and I think there was no horse that wasn’t feeling that. But it will bring out the difference in how the runners handle it and that’s where you’ll see the difference in ability. If he can access his ability, I think he can squeeze in.”

Ryuji Okubo, trainer

“Looking at the results in the Kyoto Daishoten, you could see there was a difference in the position he raced from and the positions the final Top 2 finishers had raced from. Deep Bond was a little more subdued than usual and he was a bit slow away. The Japan Cup will be his first time at Tokyo since the 2022 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby). There he finished fifth, but he looked very good in places. His last start has improved him.”

Ryuji Wada, jockey

“He has matured and stabilized at a high level of condition. His times in work have been fast and I don’t feel any signs of aging at all. He is on his game and stays on it. He’s a very reliable horse. His last start sharpened him up and though we do have the trip to the track, his response in work this week was fantastic. I have no complaints at all.”

Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer

“In the Tenno Sho (Autumn), he was racing in amid two others and he had a hold of the bit. We weren’t able to see his best late speed. He was in good shape, but he was returning from time off and he had a sudden change of rider too. On Nov. 16, he worked behind two other horses on the woodchip flat course. When they picked up the speed, he was able to maintain his pace and stay relaxed. When the rider signaled, he responded immediately and ran very well over the final furlong. He looked much better than he did in his last race, though that race helped him improve overall and let some steam off. He also worked to the left on Nov. 19 and clocked well. I’d been giving him his final workout on the polytrack, but switched to the hill course for the Tenno Sho (Autumn). This time I went back to the polytrack. He worked alongside another horse, was patient and responded well. Last time, Keita Tosaki was riding for the first time and on short notice, so he wasn’t able to familiarize himself with the horse. This time I had him ride once and he got to know him better. I believe Tosaki has also been talking with Yutaka Take a lot.”

Tetsuya Kimura, trainer

(after work Nov. 22) “It was a usual workout. He left the gate eagerly and was well-balanced under way. He was patient and waited for the rider’s signal, then picked up the pace and ran solidly to the end. It was a good workout, as usual. I’m not going to make any empty promises, but we’ll do our best over these last few days to get him to the gate in top condition.”

Yu Ota, assistant trainer

“He broke poorly in the Takarazuka Kinen, so I’d been worried about how he’d do in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), but he did great. He left the gate smoothly and settled into third position, though he wasn’t trying to get a position. Despite the fast pace, he was able to keep something in reserve for the final stage. The jockey sent him forward more assertively than before and it turned out to be a very strong finish. After that race his legs were fine, no worries and no major trouble. Even though I didn’t see any problems, I wanted him to get a lot of care, so I was happy to see him ship off to the farm. He returned to the training center on Nov. 10 and there was no loss of the muscle. Compared to the Tokyo 2,000 meters, the 2,400 meters is even more demanding. I think the race will be much more difficult than the Tenno Sho (Autumn).”

Mitsumasa Nakauchida, trainer

“Last week’s fast work was to let off steam, check her movement and breathing, but it wasn’t a very hard workout. This week, I asked the jockey (Yuga Kawada) to ride. She looked good and the jockey got a feel for her, pushed her hard in the final stage and she quickened nicely. The time was good too. I think she’s one level better than she was for the Shuka Sho. Her muscle tone is better, her mood is good. The Shuka Sho draw was difficult, but the jockey did a great job of guiding her. After seeing that race, I decided to come here. She is familiar with the venue and the Tokyo 2,400 meters from her Japanese Oaks run, but she’ll be up against older horses for the first time. She is still maturing and she is still weak in areas and somewhat mentally immature. The way the race will unfold, the draw, the position she’ll race in, will all be factors in how well she’ll do. She’s 3 years old and this will be her first time up against older horses. The 4kg allowance is a big help, and I hope that she uses it to her advantage.”

Taku Fukunaga, assistant trainer

“Before the Shuka Sho, she had been pretty worked up in the stall for horses hauling into race that day, but most importantly, she met expectations. She came out of the race well, but we still sent her to the farm. She returned to the training center on Nov. 2. She was still a little high-strung, so we kept a good eye on her while easing her back into work. Her weight is back up to just over 490kg. Last week, she worked alone on the woodchip course and clocked 86.8 seconds over six furlongs, which is what we had wanted.”

Yoshito Yahagi, trainer

“On Nov. 15, he worked with two other horses and it was a very solid workout, with good footwork. He is in very good condition and, most importantly, his preparation went smoothly, and we had no concerns. If the Japan Cup were 2,000 meters, I would have had no hesitation to race, but it came down to the distance or the surface and whether he ran in the Japan Cup or the Champions Cup and I chose here.

Kazunari Yoshida, assistant trainer

“I think 2,400 meters is a bit too long for him, but the other conditions suit him. He can do well coming directly off a spell and he’s fine racing to the left. His concentration is his strongpoint and I’m hoping he’ll use all of those to his advantage. His last hard workout was on Nov. 19 on the woodchip course. He moved well and looks in good shape. The vet said that he’s young for his age. I don’t know what Titleholder (also with early speed) will do, but at this distance I think Panthalassa will be able to run his own race.”

Naosuke Sugai, trainer

“There were traffic problems in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) just before the final bend at the bottom of the hill and he couldn’t move, which was a real shame. He did rally in the stretch and his performance wasn’t bad at all. He worked hard over the flat last on Nov. 15 with a focus on the final stage. As for the Kobe Shimbun Hai, the heat over the summer had been too much for him and he hadn’t fully recovered from it, so he wasn’t at his best. He has started to fill out and is showing improvement with each start now. Going into the Derby, he’d had a lot of long trips to the tracks and that was a factor in his result (16th out of 18). I think that the spacious Tokyo 2,400 meters will suit him. There are a lot of strong runners, but I want him to draw on the experience he gained from racing in all three of the Classic races.”

Mizuki Takayanagi, trainer

“The week of the Tenno Sho (Autumn), her gait was a bit off and the hoof of her right fore was not in good shape, so I decided not to push things and withdrew her from the race. I then gave her a bit of rest and first took a time on Nov. 5. She worked on the woodchip flat course on Nov. 15 alongside a training partner. Her movement looked good. On Wednesday, William Buick rode her just to check her out but also, since last week she was still a bit heavy, I had him give her a pretty tough workout over the woodchip flat course to help get her condition up a level. I had a good impression of the work and I think Buick was able to get a feel for her. I think she does better on a spacious course like Tokyo. It allows her to bring out her best.”

Yutaka Okumura, trainer

“In his last start, the Cepheus Stakes, the pace was fast and the jockey was careful to keep him running well-balanced, and he was able to gain ground very nicely in the final stage. After that, he went off to the farm to refresh. At first, I’d aimed him at the Challenge Cup in early December, but he returned from the farm with no signs of fatigue. Compared to the hot months, his condition has improved dramatically so I decided to run him here. When racing, he tends to take the bit too much in his teeth when securing a position. I’d like for him to hold back in the early stages and keep something in reserve for the final drive. I don’t think the distance will pose a problem.”

Toru Kurita, trainer

“Last week, I had him start on the hill course and move to the woodchip course working alongside another horse. Kazuo Yokoyama rode and his overall time was good. It was a strong workout. If I wanted to get picky, I could talk about how his turn of foot and how he uses his body compared to his best days, but his time was good. His work on the newly completed hill course alongside a training partner has improved him, and I’ve been able to give him much more solid training. Yokoyama rode again this week and my instructions were to not overdo it. Titleholder was on his toes in the first half, listening to the rider well and ran solidly to the end. He got a good time too and made it look effortless, which indicates last week’s work sharpened him. Since we had the incident in the Tenno Sho (Spring), how he did in his return race (the Sankei Sho All Comers) was crucial. It was difficult getting him ready, but I believed in his ability and he came back without mishap (second place). This will be his first time at Tokyo in a while (since the 2021 Derby), but his balance has improved and I don’t see any difference racing to the right or left. I think this course can bring out his best.”

Kunihiko Watanabe, trainer

“After last year’s Japan Cup, there was no problem with him physically. The 2022 Japan Cup was an incredible race and I don’t think it was easy for him to recover from it. After the summer, he’s been given the same rotation as last year. In the Kyoto Daishoten, he was still a bit heavy. However, considering the pace and the draw, I think he did a good job gaining ground in the stretch. He went to the farm for a bit after that and returned to Ritto three weeks ago. It looked like the race had gotten him more on his game. Last week, he worked hard over the woodchip course. From his movement, I’d say he’s in about the same shape as last year. This week he just breezed up the hill. I think he is looking good as the defending champion, and the Tokyo 2,400 meters is his best trip.”