The Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) was established in 1981 with the aim of raising the standard of Japanese thoroughbreds to world-class level. In the early years, the difference in strength between our local thoroughbreds and the invited runners from overseas was clear—the foreign horses won easily in the first three running. However, the Japanese-trained horses gradually improved to the stage where they have now gained a big lead in wins—29 wins in 43 starts—and the most recent victory by a foreign-trained horse was in the 25th (2005) running by Alkaased. (Foreign horses also won in 1981-1983, 1986-1991, 1995-1997 and 2002.)
Last year will be remembered as one of JRA’s most significant years, as the Japan Cup in association with LONGINES topped the list of the “world’s Top 100 Group 1 and Grade 1 races for 2023,” compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), for the first time in the history of horseracing in Japan. In the same year, Equinox was named the World’s Best Racehorse with the highest rate of 135, becoming the second Japanese thoroughbred to win the title after Just a Way in 2014 while exceeding El Condor Pasa’s 134 points earned in 1999.
The 44th running of the Japan Cup will be joined by three outstanding foreign participants to complete the ideal lineup for a race that has been recognized to form a high-quality field. Goliath (GER), winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1), Auguste Rodin (IRE), a Deep Impact colt with six G1 titles including this year’s Prince Of Wales's Stakes and Fantastic Moon (GER), winner of this year’s Grosser Preis von Baden (G1) as well as the Deutsches Derby (G1) in 2023, will all make their bid for the Japan Cup title having acquired major victories and ratings of 120 and plus for their performances.
Here are some of the key Japanese runners who will be taking on the challenges this year.
Do Deuce (JPN, H5, by Heart's Cry): 124 L, 7 wins / 15 starts
The Best Two-Year-Old Colt of 2021 who defeated Equinox to second in the 2022 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m), was unable to adapt to the track condition in his overseas endeavor later that season in France. In the following year, his regular rider, Yutaka Take, was unavailable due to injury for the 2023 Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) and finished seventh after chasing a rapid pace, then was fourth in the Japan Cup, defeated by Equinox in both starts. However, he finally showed his true form in the year-end Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m) capping off his four-year-old campaign with his third G1 title. This year, his Dubai Turf (G1, 1,800m) challenge resulted in a fifth after being trapped against the rails behind a crowd of horses and his comeback start in the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m) over yielding going did not help, leading to a disappointing sixth, but in his kick-off start of the fall this year in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), the late-charging son of Heart’s Cry overcame an unfavorable slow-paced race development and mowed down his rivals with tremendous force after entering the straight second from the rear to score his fourth G1 victory, giving himself a G1 title in each of his four-year career. His rating is as of his victory in the 2023 Arima Kinen.
Cervinia (JPN, F3, by Harbinger): 115 I, L, 4 wins / 6 starts
With back-to-back wins including an impressive victory in the Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m) following a runner-up effort in her two-year-old debut, the Harbinger filly was considered a potential winner in the two-year-old filly’s championship race, the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. However, sustaining a muscle pain in her left hindleg, she was sidelined for five and a half months. In her comeback start in the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, G1, 1,600m) this year, her regular rider Christophe Lemaire was unavailable with an injury and the three-year-old filly was unable to turn in her true performance starting from an outside barrier, but bounced back magnificently to stake her claim as the best of her generation, showing a fine turn of speed from sitting mid-field in the following Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) and the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m). She will be put to the test against a mixed field of older foes in the Japan Cup. Her rating is as of her two victories in the fillies’ Triple Crown.
Justin Palace (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact): 121 I, L, 5 wins / 16 starts
A brother to 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Palace Malice, Justin Palace did not immediately emerge as a star especially during his three-year-old campaign when he was outshone by fellow three-year-olds Equinox and Do Deuce and finishing third at best in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m). The late developer rose to prominence in his spring of his four-year-old season with back-to-back victories in the Hanshin Daishoten (G2, 3,000m) and the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m) over long distances and continued with third and second-place finishes behind Equinox in the following Takarazuka Kinen and Tenno Sho (Autumn), respectively. With Equinox’s absence in the year-end Arima Kinen, Justin Palace was sent to post race favorite but failed to make ground from a rearward position and finished fourth. In three starts this year, beginning with his overseas challenge in Dubai, he failed to show much in the Takarazuka Kinen over yielding going, finishing tenth, but demonstrated his strength with a powerful charge when finishing fourth in the latest Tenno Sho (Autumn) start. Hopes are high for the son of Deep Impact who faces Auguste Rodin who shares the same sire. His rating is as of his runner-up effort in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and fourth-place finish in the Arima Kinen last year.
Stars on Earth (JPN, M5, by Duramente): 119 L, 3 wins / 13 starts
Winner of the 2022 Oka Sho and the Yushun Himba, the Duramente mare, while defeated to eighth in this year’s Dubai Sheema Classic (G1, 2,410m), continues to turn in consistent results, finishing within the money in all of her starts in Japan. She has a score of 2-2-3 out of seven G1 starts and was third and second, respectively against an extremely high-quality field in last year’s Japan Cup and Arima Kinen contributing, along with Do Deuce, in raising the 2023 Japan Cup to the top of the ratings in the world’s best races. Having only being raced once this year in Dubai in March, the five-year-old mare is reported to have made steady progress towards her first start back in Japan. Her rating is as of her third-place finish in the Japan Cup and her runner-up effort in the Arima Kinen last year.
Blow the Horn (JPN, H5, by Epiphaneia): 121 L, 7 wins / 22 starts
A slow starter with his first win coming in his ninth career start, the son of Epiphaneia improved steadily, winning the Sapporo Nikkei Open (Listed, 2,600m) in the summer of his four-year-old campaign and, while pulling up mid-race in his next Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m) due to an atrial fibrillation, landed his first grade-race victory in his five-year-old kick-off start, the Nikkei Shinshun Hai (G2, 2,400m). Blow the Horn continued to be consistent after being transferred to his current trainer, finishing third in the Hanshin Daishoten and second in the Tenno Sho (Spring), then claimed his first G1 victory in the Takarazuka Kinen in which the mudlark stormed from off the pace along the widest route to a convincing two-length victory. Although he lacked the needed momentum in his autumn kick-off, the Kyoto Daishoten, Blow the Horn is hoped to bounce back to claim another big title in the Japan Cup. His rating is as of his victory in the Takarazuka Kinen.
Shin Emperor (FR, C3, by Siyouni): 120 I, 2 wins / 8 starts
A French-bred colt and a full brother to 2020 Arc victor Sottsass, Shin Emperor, trained by internationally recognized trainer, Yoshito Yahagi, has just one grade-race victory as a two-year-old in the Kyoto Nisai Stakes (G3, 2,000m) but has shown potential in his runner-up effort in the following Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000m) and his third-place finish in the Tokyo Yushun this year. The Siyouni colt flew to Europe to aim for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and proved well suited to European track surfaces when finishing a close third against top older foes in his prep start in Ireland, the Irish Champion Stakes (G1, 2,000m) and although the young colt struggled over the heavy going in the Arc and finished 12th, connections are eager to give Shin Emperor another shot next year. His rating is as of his third-place finish in the Irish Champion Stakes.
