- cantered 1/2 lap left-handed behind Le Nomade, cantered 3/4 lap left-handed in front of Le Nomade, walked 1/4 lap right-handed behind Le Nomade on dirt course
(exercised from 7:08 to 7:18, ridden by Dylan Lepere)

Trainer (T): Francis Graffard
Jockey (J): Christophe Soumillon

Q: Why did you choose to race Goliath in the Japan Cup after the Prix du Conseil de Paris? Also, what do you think of his suitability to the Japanese turf course?

T: Goliath’s main target in the spring was the King George at Ascot, so his whole program was targeted for that race. It went very well and after that, we targeted the Japan Cup directly, but we needed a race before that so he ran in the Group 2 at Longchamp as a prep for the Japan Cup. So, his autumn target was the Japan Cup. The distance and the left-handed track is not a problem for the horse. He can follow any pace and he can quicken from the pace. It's a big challenge, but we're very keen to take it.

Q: How is the horse’s condition after coming to Japan? What was the main focus of yesterday's workout, and how does the horse feel after the workout?

T: The horse traveled really well. The flight was very well organized and worked very well coming over, so we were very happy with the condition of the horse when he arrived here in Tokyo. The quarantine condition here is perfect and the horse didn't lose any weight. So, we're very happy with that. The first few days, we just had an easy work on him because we wanted him to just get fresh again, and then we discussed with Christophe and my traveling head lad and we thought he needed on grass a piece of work, which we did yesterday. As you saw, he has a partner with him who will take a lead, and the piece of work was really nice. It was not hard but just to keep him happy and have a big pipe opener before the race on Sunday. So, we were very happy with this. The next few days, we’ll do some light work because the horse is 150% fit and ready for the race on Sunday.

Q: What are the strong points of Goliath and how do you think he will do in the Japan Cup? Also, what is your impression of the Japanese horses and Goliath’s opponents?

T: Goliath means quality. He is now four years old, so he's more mature. He has a lot of strength but his main quality is that he can jump and has a very good early pace, which is important in this type of race and then he has an amazing turn of foot. So, it's all you need in a racehorse at that level—early pace and a strong turn of foot. I think he's a very, very good horse, and as I said, he's much more mature. He was very late maturing last year, very babyish, but now he's stronger, putting a lot of strength and his maturity makes him easier during the race.

He has a lot of quality and obviously, we are very humble here in Japan because the quality of the races and the horses Japanese people have are unbelievable. The races here are very hard to win, but I think we have the right horse to take that challenge and we are here to be very competitive, so fingers crossed. We have to beat all the opposition, but it will be in the hands of Christophe on Sunday and I'm very confident with the horse.

Q: You rode in the JRA for the first time in 2001 with a short-term license and have won a total of 64 races in JRA so far. This will be your first visit to Japan since the fall of 2019. What is your impression of Japanese horse racing and Japanese horses?

J: Yes, I came more than 20 years ago for the first time in Japan under my license in 2001. I had the chance to see a lot of great races since I was a young kid—Frankie Dettori and Olivier Peslier, both best jockeys in Europe, riding worldwide, also riding big races here in Japan and winning biggest races. So that was like a dream for me—to come over and have the chance to win, one day, one of the biggest races in the world.

I was very surprised when I arrived to see the organization of the Japanese trainers and to see how good and nice the horses are. Everybody knows now that Japan is one of the top in the world in the horse racing industry. But at that time, I was very surprised and impressed by the way everything was really professional.

Q: You have ridden Goliath in the last two races and won back-to-back the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix du Conseil de Paris. Can you tell us his strong points?

J: My first time on his back was in the King George. Francis was very confident before the race, and he told me that if I get the horse relaxed in the first part of the race, he will be able to quicken really strongly. But I couldn't imagine he will be that strong, passing champions so easily, like Rebel's Romance. When I looked at the big screen at the 200-meter mark, I couldn't believe he won so easily, and we beat the Arc winner so well. That shows you how good he is when everything goes his way. For me, he's a superstar. The way he won last time out in Longchamp was just a prep race. We didn't have the best run and it was a very tactical race with very special ground. But for us, the target was to give him a good race to make sure he's going to build up on this, to travel over to Japan and to be 100% fit for the race on Sunday.

Q: Tell us about yesterday’s workout and how he felt. How do you think Goliath will do in the Japan Cup and how do you analyze his opponents?

J: So yes, the work yesterday was great. I think it was important for the horse to just stretch his legs and take a little bit of viewing on the track. Most of his races in France and in England are right-handed tracks since his debut in Saint-Cloud, so it was important for him to feel the ground. I was very happy with the way he galloped. The point was not to go too fast but just to make sure he was happy and to feel the atmosphere here.

For sure, it's going to be a lot different on Sunday with all the crowd and with all the other horses around, but I can't be happier with him. If I have the choice to pick one horse to ride in the race, I will take him first. So, I'm lucky to be on his back already in the morning and I hope we're going to have a nice draw and a nice run. Regarding the Japanese horses, Do Deuce won the Tenno Sho very well, he was quite impressive, and I think Cervinia is probably a very nice filly too. We always have to respect adversity but I really think I ride the best horse in the race. So, we're going to do our best on Sunday to realize everybody's dream. The team worked hard to bring him 100% fit and I think his owner wants to realize also something big, so we are all very confident.

- jogged 3 laps left-handed in front of stable-mate Hypnosis on the dirt exercise track around the international stables, jogged 1/2 lap left-handed, cantered 1 lap left-handed, jogged 1/2 lap right-handed in front of Hypnosis on dirt course
(exercised from 6:50 to 7:10, ridden by Rachel Richardson)

Trainer (T): Aidan O’Brien

Q: Tell us why you chose the Japan Cup as the race to run after the Irish Champion Stakes.

T: We always dreamed that Auguste Rodin could finish off his career in Japan—obviously he’s by one of the greatest stallions ever, Deep Impact, and his dam is by Galileo which is one of the greatest stallions ever in our part of the world. So, we always dreamed that he could be a horse for the Japan Cup. We know how difficult it is to win and how competitive it is and it’s his third year in training and it’s his last race. It was a dream that we could win the Japan Cup, we’ve tried it before but no horse was as good as this horse.

Q: Tell us about your thoughts and evaluation on Deep Impact as a racehorse and as a stallion.

T: Deep Impact was an incredible horse, we always watched him racing in awe. We never got any Deep Impacts until the last three or four years at stud, we wished we had maybe gotten before then. Obviously, our boss Mr. Magnier and his wife Sue and Michael Tabor etc. decided to send Rhododendron down to Deep Impact to be covered. We thought it was a little bit strange at the time, she was a great Galileo mare to come down to a Japanese stallion, but we know now why Deep Impact was considered one of the best stallions ever. We didn’t really realize it since we got some Deep Impacts to train, we only got a very small number of them but, classic winner after classic winner, we knew that they were very different. They have great cruise, great travel through the race, really did quicken and had loads of personality as well so we knew after having the first few, he was a very special stallion.

Q: How is the horse doing after coming to Japan and what was the main focus on yesterday’s workout and how did it go?

T: He traveled over very well, he settled in very well. Yesterday he did seven furlongs, a kind of happy building swing on the grass, and we were very happy with him, he did it lovely and relaxed. Rachel rides him every day and was very happy with him, and Pat was very happy with him when he went back to the barns, so he cooled out very well. Today he did a canter on the sand again, on the dirt. At the moment we couldn’t be happier. He’s taken in everything, he has a lead horse with him but he’s happy to make his own running.

Q: Tell us about Auguste Rodin's strong points, your thoughts on the Japan Cup, what your impressions are of the Japanese horses and how you see the matchups?

T: He's a very straightforward horse. He's a very good mover and has a very good mind. He travels very well in his races. Obviously, the Japan Cup is a very prestigious race and that's why he is here for it. It's considered one of the best races in the world every year. And I suppose it is a very competitive Japan Cup and we're very respectful of all the horses in it. Obviously, we know some of the horses by looking at them regularly. We know your Heart’s Cry horse. We've been watching him, we saw how impressive he was the last time and obviously, we know the French horse very well as well. So, it is a very competitive race and we think it's not going to be easy to win. But like I said, that's why it is the Japan Cup really.

- jogged 3 laps left-handed on the dirt exercise track around the international stables, cantered 1-1/8 laps left-handed, walked 1/8 lap right-handed on dirt course
(exercised from 7:12 to 7:26, ridden by Rene Piechulek)

Trainer (T): Sarah Steinberg
Jockey (J): Rene Piechulek

Q: Why did you choose the Japan Cup as your next target after your Prix l’Arc de Triomphe start (9th place)?

T: First of all, this is the last season for Fantastic Moon. He didn’t do as well as we hoped in the Arc due to the soft going, but since the Japan Cup is well known for its firm and fast ground, we decided that it would suit our horse.

Q: Tell us how the condition of Fantastic Moon is now and the reason why you have not taken him out on the turf to do any strong work. Is this your usual routine in Germany?

T: In spite of the long journey coming here, he traveled well. After arriving in Japan, he adapted to the new environment quickly and is in good condition. The reason why he hasn’t been out on the turf or hasn’t done any fast work is because we have already tuned him up in Germany. Regular work on the dirt is all we need to do. He is the type of horse we need to be very careful with—keeping him relaxed so that he can perform well.

Q: Tell us the strong points of Fantastic Moon and your expectations of the horse in the Japan Cup. Give us your impression of the Japanese contenders and name specific rivals if any.

T: As we all know, the Japan Cup is a big race with very strong runners. It’s also famous for the strong pace which I think will suit our horse. That’s one of the reasons why we decided to run him in the Japan Cup. The European raiders are also very hard to beat so for Fantastic Moon to finish within the money might be challenging, but we hope to prepare him, keep him in good form and send him off in the best condition possible.

Q: You have been here under a short-term license in January and February this year. What is your impression of the turf course here at Tokyo racecourse and the Japanese horses?

J: I was here under a short-term license for two months and I have found the Tokyo turf to be very firm and good and thought it would be an advantage for Fantastic Moon. That’s one of the reasons why we decided to enter him in the Japan Cup. My impressions of the Japanese horses are that they are quite large, built heavier and that they move gracefully.

Q: You have been the main rider for Fantastic Moon since the horse was a two-year-old. What are his strong points and how do you think he has progressed in his four-year-old season?

J: I’m his only rider since his debut and I’ve noticed that his good turn of foot just gets better and better. His form is more sturdier now and he has also learned to relax.

Q: Tell us about today’s workout. How did he feel when you rode him?

J: I rode Fantastic Moon today for the first time since I rode him on the last day before he left Germany, and he’s in good condition, same as before he left Germany.

Q: How do you think he will do in the Japan Cup, and what do you think will be necessary for him to win the race?

J: The requisites for Fantastic Moon to win are already in place here—fast-paced race and good track condition—so if he can show his full potential in the race, I think the result will come naturally. I think we have a big chance. As for the race development, if we can beat the strongest horse, it will lead us to victory.