The is one of the most prestigious
horse races
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at
Tokyo Racecourse
is located in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1933 for horse racing, it is considered the "racecourse of racecourses" in Japanese horseracing. It has a capacity of 223,000, with seating for 13,750.
Tokyo Racecourse hosts numerous G1 (Grade 1) r ...
in
Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with a maximum of 18 horses on turf (grass). With a purse of ¥476 million (about US$5.8 million), the Japan Cup is one of the richest races in the world.
The Japan Cup is an invitational event. During a relatively short history, the race has established itself as an international contest with winners from Japan, North America, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy.
The Japan Cup has produced some of the most memorable finishes seen in Japanese racing. Along with the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...
,
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...
and the
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...
, the race ranks as one of the great end-of-year events.
The
Japan Racing Association
The Japan Racing Association ( ja, 日本中央競馬会 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai, or JRA) is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba (中央競馬 Central horse racing) and to manage racecourses, betting facilities, and horse-training ...
established the Japan Cup as an international invitational race in order for local racehorses to have the opportunity to compete against horses of an international calibre and to promote goodwill within the racing community worldwide.
Purse
With the
economic crisis of 2008
The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At t ...
, the Japanese yen went under 100 yen per dollar, which makes the Japan Cup the world's second richest turf horse race, after the Melbourne Cup (and third richest horse race of any kind, after the
Dubai World Cup
The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wh ...
), passing the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, which in 2008 was the world's richest turf race.
''(Purse value for 2015-onwards running)''
Total JPN 624,000,000 (about US$5.2 million)
* 1st JPN ¥300,000,000 (about US$2.5 million)
* 2nd JPN ¥120,000,000 (about US$1 million)
* 3rd JPN ¥75,000,000 (about US$625,000)
* 4th JPN ¥45,000,000 (about US$375,000)
* 5th JPN ¥30,000,000 (about US$250,000)
Bonuses
Bonuses include extra money added to the pot of the Japan Cup winner, particularly horses trained outside Japan.
In 2012 running:
*If a foreign-based horse triumphs in one of the following races that year, and finished above third in Japan Cup, A bonus of 80, 32, or 20 million (in JPN ¥) will be added to prize money respectively, in accordance to their finishing position.
**
Canadian International Stakes
The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up on Turf. It is held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is
Since its creatio ...
**
Cox Plate
The W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres (approximately 1m 2f), that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Moo ...
**
Epsom Derby
**
Irish Derby
The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance ...
**
Prix du Jockey Club
The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over ...
**
Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and i ...
**
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud
The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is ...
**
Dubai Sheema Classic
The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track a ...
**
Dubai World Cup
The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wh ...
**
International Stakes
The International Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards (2, ...
**
Champion Stakes
**
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...
*If a foreign-based horse won one of the following races that year, they are granted early invitation to the race. The above bonus money will apply if they finished above third in Japan cup:
**
Breeders' Cup Turf
**
Grosser Preis von Baden
The Grosser Preis von Baden is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Baden-Baden over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is schedu ...
**
Arlington Million
The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward on the turf. It was originally raced at the now-closed Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of ...
**
Irish Champion Stakes
The Irish Champion Stakes ( Irish: Curadh-Dhuais na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,01 ...
*If a foreign-based horse finished above second the following races that year, they are granted an early invitation to the race. The above bonus money will apply if they are the winner of the respective races and finished above third in Japan Cup:
**
**
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...
*If a horse belonged to JRA finished above third in both Japan Cup AND the following
Arima Kinen, at most 50 million (in JPN ¥) prize pot will be given out.
*If a horse finished first in that year's
Tenno Sho (Autumn), Japan Cup and Arima Kinen. They will receive a Triple Crown bonus of JPN ¥200,000,000 for Japanese-bred horse, and JPN ¥100,000,000 for non-Japanese bred horse.
In the past, the
Takarazuka Kinen
The Takarazuka Kinen (宝塚記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds where they run over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately miles) at Hanshin Racecourse (阪神競馬場) in late June. It is ...
, as well as the previous Japan cup were bonus criteria, but no longer nowadays. The same applies to the entry right to Arima Kinen for foreign-based winners (Currently they can directly enter the race).
Race history
The inaugural running in 1981 was restricted to horses trained in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India, as well as ones that were specifically invited. An American mare triumphed as five-year-old
Mairzy Doates, trained by
John Fulton and partnered by
Cash Asmussen
Cash Asmussen (born March 15, 1962 in Agar, South Dakota) is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born Brian Keith Asmussen, in 1977 he legally changed his name to "Cash".
From a Texas horse racing family, his parents, Keith and Marily ...
, came home a length in front of the Canadian-trained Frost King, with The Very One, another from America, in third.
A year later restrictions on entry were abolished and the best horses from around the world were invited and the Japan Cup remains an invitational race.
There was again an American-trained victor in 1982, with three-year-old
Half Iced getting the better of a thrilling battle with French fillies
All Along
All Along (7 April 1979 – 23 February 2005) was a champion Thoroughbred racemare that was foaled in France. She was one of the top fillies of the last part of the 20th century, racing mostly in Europe. All Along was named into the Nationa ...
and
April Run by a couple of necks, with Stanerra a length back in fourth.
Stanerra, owned and trained by Irish retail millionaire
Frank Dunne
Lawrence Francis Dunne (1898 – 23 December 1937), generally known as "Frank" but also as "Beau" was an Australian cartoonist, born in Boorowa, near Harden, New South Wales.
While apprenticed as a process-engraver in 1914, at the outbreak ...
, returned to Japan in 1983, having enjoyed a brilliant season in Europe which included winning both the
Hardwicke Stakes
The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), and ...
and the
Prince of Wales's Stakes
The Prince of Wales's Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong and 212 yards (2,004 ...
at
Royal Ascot. The tough and courageous mare was partnered by regular jockey
Brian Rouse
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word mean ...
in the third running of the Japan Cup and proved a head too strong for the Japanese-trained
Kyoei Promise. It was a very close finish as Esprit Du Nord from France was another head back in third.
The race was officially ranked as International Grade 1 in 1984 (prior 1984 there is no Grading in all races in Japan). The race was highly anticipated as being the first showdown between two
Triple Crowns in Japanese racing history. The Japanese did enjoyed a first home success, through neither two Triple Crown -
Mr. C.B.
Mr C B (Japanese : ミスターシービー, April 7, 1980 - December 15, 2000) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the Japanese Triple Crown in 1983. He died of old age in 2000.
Background
Mr C B was a bay horse bred in Japan by ...
and
Symboli Rudolf - were winner, instead unfavoured four-year-old colt
Katsuragi Ace, which defeated Bedtime, trained in Britain by
Major Dick Hern
William Richard Hern (20 January 1921 – 22 May 2002) was an English Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and winner of sixteen British Classic Races between 1962 and 1995, and was Champion Trainer on four occasions.
Following his early career in ...
, by a length and a half, took the title.
There was further Japanese success in 1985, with the previous year's third
Symboli Rudolf defeating Rocky Tiger in good style.
Jupiter Island
Jupiter Island is a barrier island on the coast of Martin
and Palm Beach counties, Florida. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the north by the St. Lucie Inlet, on the west by the Indian River, and on the south by the Jupiter ...
became the first British raider to capture the Japan Cup the following year of 1986 when the
Clive Brittain
Clive Brittain (born 15 December 1934) is a retired British race-horse trainer. He started in racing as an apprentice in 1949, and became a licensed trainer from 1972 after working for Noel Murless. He trained at Carlburg Stables in Newmarket, ...
-trained seven-year-old just got the better of compatriot
Allez Milord, trained by
Guy Harwood
Guy Harwood (born 10 June 1939) is a retired British racehorse trainer.
Background
Harwood was born in Pulborough, West Sussex, in 1939. His father, Wally made the family fortune with his garage business, founded in 1931. Harwood began riding ...
, by a head under an inspired ride from
Pat Eddery
Patrick James John Eddery (18 March 1952 – 10 November 2015) was an Irish flat racing jockey and trainer. He rode three winners of the Derby and was Champion Jockey on eleven occasions. He rode the winners of 4,632 British flat races, a f ...
.
The French made their mark in 1987 when the
Robert Collet
Robert Collet (born 6 May 1948 in Chantilly, Oise) is a French thoroughbred racehorse trainer.
Robert Collet was one of the first European trainers to win a Breeders' Cup race when he won the 1986 edition of the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood ...
-trained and
Alain Lequeux-ridden
Le Glorieux
Le Glorieux (18 February 1984 – 19 Aug 2010) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. In 1987 he achieved the extraordinary feat of winning three Group one races on three different continents when he won the Grosser Preis von Berlin in ...
came home in front, while the Americans struck for a third time in 1988 with the
Robert J. Frankel-trained
Pay The Butler, the mount of
Chris McCarron
Christopher John McCarron (born March 27, 1955, Boston, Massachusetts) is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He mounted his first horse ever at 16.5 years old and was racing professionally by 18. At only 19 years o ...
.
In 1989 and 1990, horses from New Zealand and Australia came out on top. The 1989 renewal fell to the New Zealand six-year-old mare
Horlicks
Horlicks is a sweet malted milk hot drink powder developed by founders James and William Horlick. It was first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food", soon adding "aged and travellers" to their label. In the early 20th century, it was s ...
when scoring by a neck in world record time for 2400 meters. A year later
Better Loosen Up struck for Australian trainer
David Hayes by a head from French-trained Ode, with another head to Cacoethes, trained by Guy Harwood, who had gone clear only to be caught close home. These two victories did much to promote Southern Hemisphere racing in the international arena.
Veteran American trainer
Charlie Whittingham
Charles Edward Whittingham (April 13, 1913 – April 20, 1999) was an American Thoroughbred race horse trainer who is one of the most acclaimed trainers in U.S. racing history.
Early career
Born in Chula Vista, California, Whittingham began w ...
sent out
Golden Pheasant
The golden pheasant (''Chrysolophus pictus''), also known as the Chinese pheasant, and rainbow pheasant, is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) and the family Phasianidae (pheasants). The genus name is from Ancient Greek ...
to win in 1991. Owned by the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
team owner
Bruce McNall
Bruce Patrick McNall (born April 17, 1950) is an American former Thoroughbred racehorse owner, sports executive, and convicted felon who once owned the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canad ...
and his superstar player,
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
, Golden Pheasant gave the USA a fourth Japan Cup victory, while the Japanese took the next three renewals with
Tokai Teio
Tokai Teio ( Japanese: トウカイテイオー, April 20, 1988 – August 30, 2013) was a champion Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. In 1991 he won the Satsuki Sho and the Tokyo Yushun. He was the 1991 Japanese Horse of the Year. In 1992 he w ...
(1992),
Legacy World (1993) and
Marvelous Crown
Marvelous Crown ( ja, マーベラスクラウン, link=no, 19 March 1990 – 2 June 2007) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1994 Japan Cup. He showed promise as a juvenile in 1992 but became increasingly temper ...
(1994).
There had been a number of German challengers for the Japan Cup over the years but it was not until 1995 that a horse from that country proved successful, with five-year-old
Lando triumphing under South African-born but British-based jockey
Michael Roberts.
British trainer
Michael Stoute
Sir Michael Ronald Stoute (born 22 October 1945) is a Barbadian British Thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing.
Career
Stoute, whose father was the Chief of Police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assis ...
landed both the 1996 and 1997 Japan Cups with the supremely tough and talented international campaigners
Singspiel - by a nose - and
Pilsudski - by a neck - respectively.
Singspiel, owned and bred by
Sheikh Mohammed Sheikh Muhammad (1560–1650) was a Muslim saint-poet who is venerated by Hindus.
Sheikh Muhammad or alternatively Sheikh Muhammed, Sheikh Mohammad, Sheikh Mohammed may also refer to (in chronological birth order):
* Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wah ...
, won a total of five Group/Grade One events during his career, including the 1996
Canadian International Stakes
The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up on Turf. It is held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is
Since its creatio ...
and the 1997
Dubai World Cup
The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wh ...
.
Pilsudski's victory in 1997 came on his final appearance and was his sixth Group/Grade One victory. He took up stallion duties in Japan but moved to Ireland in 2004.
The Japanese then struck back with victories for
El Condor Pasa (1998),
Special Week
Special Week ( ja, スペシャルウィーク, link=no, 2 May 1995 – 27 April 2018) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Between 1997 and 1999 he won ten of his seventeen races including four at Grade I level. After winning his onl ...
(1999) and
T M Opera O
T M Opera O ( ja, テイエムオペラオー, link=no, March 13, 1996 – May 2018) was a champion Japanese thoroughbred racehorse, and was the world's all-time leading money earner at the time of his retirement in 2001. In 1999, he was the ...
(2000).
El Condor Pasa led home a Japanese one, two, three in the 18th running - the first time this had happened.
The
Sunday Silence colt
Special Week
Special Week ( ja, スペシャルウィーク, link=no, 2 May 1995 – 27 April 2018) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Between 1997 and 1999 he won ten of his seventeen races including four at Grade I level. After winning his onl ...
, third in 1998, gave Japan's highest profile jockey
Yutaka Take
(born March 15, 1969 in Kyoto, Kyoto) is a Japanese jockey.
A legend in Japan, Yutaka Take made his riding debut in 1987 and currently holds seven all-time records in his native country. Take has won at least one Grade 1 races for 23 straight ...
his first success in the Japan Cup which is watched by enthusiastic crowds of over 150,000. The Hong Kong-trained
Indigenous
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention
*Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band
*Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
ran a brilliant race to be second with 1998
Epsom Derby winner
High-Rise, racing for
Godolphin, in third and 1999
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...
winner
Montjeu
Montjeu (4 April 1996 – 29 March 2012) was an Irish-bred, French-trained thoroughbred horse racing racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from September 1998 to November 2000, he ran sixteen times and won eleven races, including ...
fourth.
T M Opera O went into the 2000 Japan Cup unbeaten that year and emerged with his record intact, scoring by a neck from Meisho Doto with Godolphin's fast-finishing
Fantastic Light
Fantastic Light (foaled February 13, 1996) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and pensioned sire (horse), sire. He was foaled in the United States but was trained in England and Dubai during his racing career, which ran from August 1998 to his ...
a nose back in third.
Jungle Pocket
Jungle Pocket ( ja, ジャングルポケット, link=no, 7 May 1998 – 2 March 2021) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from 2000 until 2002 he won five of his thirteen races and ¥704,258,000 in p ...
continued the Japanese run of success in 2001, with the winner of the
Tokyo Yushun
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
sweeping home under French jockey
Olivier Peslier
Olivier Peslier (born 12 January 1973 in Château-Gontier) is a French thoroughbred horse racing jockey.
Peslier competes in flat racing mainly in France but travels often around the world for the big international races. He was a retained joc ...
to beat T M Opera O by a neck. The Japanese also had the next three with
Golan
Golan ( he, גּוֹלָן ''Gōlān''; ar, جولان ' or ') is the name of a biblical town later known from the works of Josephus (first century CE) and Eusebius (''Onomasticon'', early 4th century CE). Archaeologists localize the biblical ...
, from Sir Michael Stoute's Newmarket stable, in sixth.
In 2002 the Group One contest moved to
Nakayama Racecourse
is located in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 165,676. It was built in 1990.
Physical attributes
Nakayama Race Course has two grass courses, a dirt course, and a jump course.
The turf's measures 184 ...
while Tokyo Racecourse was being renovated. The distance was shortened to 2200 meters (about miles) on the right-handed outer loop course.
Therein the Italian-trained challenger
Falbrav
Falbrav (foaled 28 February 1998) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire, bred in Ireland but trained in Italy and the United Kingdom during his racing career which ran from 2000 to 2004. He is notable for having won Group 1/Grade ...
, ridden by
Frankie Dettori
Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and has ...
, was a nose too good for the American raider
Sarafan
A sarafan ( rus, сарафа́н, p=sərɐˈfan, from fa, سراپا ''sarāpā'', literally " romhead to feet") is a long, trapezoidal Russian jumper dress (pinafore dress) worn by girls and women and forming part of Russian traditional fo ...
in another thrilling finish, with Symboli Kris S a neck away in third. It was Dettori's second Japan Cup success as he had previously won on Singspiel in 1996. Falbrav subsequently transferred from Italy to Newmarket, England-based trainer
Luca Cumani Luca M. Cumani (born 7 April 1949, in Milan, Italy) is an Italian thoroughbred horse trainer and breeder. He trained at Bedford House Stables in Newmarket from 1976 to 2019. He has trained a multitude of high-profile horses, including seven Cla ...
and went on to take five more
Group One contests in 2003.
For the 2003 renewal, the great contest returned to Fuchu and was won by the Japanese-trained
Tap Dance City
Tap Dance City ( ja, タップダンスシチー, link=no) is a retired American-bred Japanese-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He showed promising form in his early racing career, winning the Asahi Challenge Cup in 2002. He rea ...
, who triumphed on soft ground by an amazing nine lengths from That's The Plenty. Symboli Kris S was again third.
The prize stayed in Japan again in 2004.
Zenno Rob Roy
(27 March 2000 – 2 September 2022) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. In a racing career which lasted from February 2003 until December 2005, he ran twenty times, winning seven races and being placed on ten further occasi ...
led home a Japanese 1-2-3 with French ace Olivier Peslier in the saddle. Zenno Rob Roy's Japan Cup success was the middle leg in a run of three Group One wins in Japan.
A
photo finish
A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the finis ...
decided the 2005 winner, as
Alkaased narrowly beat
Heart's Cry for the cup by a nose. This finish gave Heart's Cry his third near miss in a G-1 race. The previous year's winner Zenno Rob Roy placed third, beating
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
by a nose. Horlick's world record from 1989 was also broken, with an incredible time of 2m 22.1s.
Deep Impact won the 2006 running in the penultimate race of his career, helping the
Sunday Silence colt to his second consecutive ''Horse of the Year'' award in Japan.
In the 2009 edition, another photo finish decided the winner, in which the five-year-old mare
Vodka
Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...
on her third Japan Cup try with the
French jockey
Christophe Lemaire
Christophe Patrice Lemaire (Japanese:, born 20 May 1979) is a French-born jockey. He has enjoyed much of his success on the Japanese flat racing circuit, with the most wins at Japan Racing Association racetracks for five consecutive years sinc ...
won by a nose over the 2008
Kikuka Sho winner
Oken Bruce Lee, at a time of 2 minutes and 22.4 seconds, the third-fastest Japan Cup ever run at the standard 2400-meter distance. Vodka's win would make her the 2nd-richest racehorse in Japan and the world; the two-time
Breeders' Cup Turf winner
Conduit
Conduit may refer to:
Engineering systems
* Conduit (fluid conveyance), a pipe suitable for carrying either open-channel or pressurized liquids
* Electrical conduit, a protective cover, tube or piping system for electric cables
* Conduit curre ...
would finish 4th on his final race of his career. Vodka placed 4th in the 2007 running to
Admire Moon
; born February 23, 2003) is a Japanese racehorse who won the 2007 Dubai Duty Free Stakes, Takarazuka Kinen and Japan Cup.
Background
Admire Moon was foaled on February 23rd, 2003 at Northern Farm in Abira, Hokkaido, Japan. He was bred by ...
and 3rd in the 2008 running to
Screen Hero, in which the latter ran 13th in the 2009 race.
The 2010 running ended in controversy when favourite
Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to:
Places Canada
*Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista”
*Buena Vista, Saskatchewan
*Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...
was first past the post, only to be relegated to second behind Rose Kingdom as a result of light interference in the straight. The decision caused much debate around the world as to whether the interference was sufficient to warrant a change of placings. Although Buena Vista later won the Japan Cup in 2011.
The 2012 running was another Triple-Crown showdown between 2011 Triple Crown
Orfevre
Orfevre ( ja, オルフェーヴル, link=no, foaled May 14, 2008) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active breeding stallion. In 2011 he won the Japanese Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. In 2012 he added vic ...
and 2012 Fillies Triple Crown
Gentildonna
is a retired Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. In 2012 she won the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. She was also the first three-year-old filly to win the Japan Cup, in 2012, and the following year became th ...
, 28 years since Mr. C.B. and Symboli Rudolf. It ended in another controversy again as Gentildonna, which was first past the post, bumped Orfevre off the line when they are battle on the straight line in a 1-2 finish. The following stewards inquiry decided Orfevre did being interfered by Gentildonna, but only her jockey
Yasunari Iwata
(born March 12, 1974; from Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese jockey who rode the winner of the 2006 Melbourne Cup, Delta Blues. It was Iwata's first race outside Japan.
He debuted in the Hyōgo Keiba, one of the racing organizations in ...
received a 2-day suspension, the result would still stand. Gentildonna became the first three year old filly to win the Japan Cup.
In the 2013 running of the race Gentildonna won again, rendering the filly to be not only the only horse to have won back to back victories in the race, but also the only horse to have won the Japan Cup twice.
The 2014 edition of the cup saw triumph of
Epiphaneia a horse which went off at 15–1, with
Just A Way
Just A Way (Japanese ジャスタウェイ, foaled 8 March 2009) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After showing useful, but unexceptional form in his early career he emerged as a major talent with a win in the 2013 Autumn edition of the Te ...
coming in second to place and
Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
coming in third to show. Among the other horses the stallion bested was then five year old filly, Gentildonna, who was attempting to win the race for a third consecutive time.
In 2015, Shonan Pandora, yet another Japan Cup champion sired by the famed stallion and stud Deep Impact, became the seventh mare to take the trophy.
In the 2016 running of the race with a seventeen horse field, the Japanese
stallion,
Kitasan Black, ridden by
Yutaka Take
(born March 15, 1969 in Kyoto, Kyoto) is a Japanese jockey.
A legend in Japan, Yutaka Take made his riding debut in 1987 and currently holds seven all-time records in his native country. Take has won at least one Grade 1 races for 23 straight ...
, was triumphant at the Cup with Sounds of Earth placing second and Grand Cheval coming in third.
In 2017, Cheval Grand which finished 3rd in the cup the year prior returned to win the race,
While
Rey de Oro
Rey de Oro ( ja, レイデオロ, link=no foaled 5 February 2014) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. As a juvenile in 2016 he was undefeated in three races including the Grade 2 Hopeful Stakes and was rated one of the best two-year-old colts ...
took second breaking late to beat out the favorite and defending champion Kitisan Black' who finished 3rd. Meanwhile, the win secured the number one spot in the year's Longines World's best jockey rankings for Grand Cheval's rider Hugh Bowman.
The 2018 running of the Japan was won in a record time of 2:20:60 by the filly
Almond Eye
Almond Eye ( Japanese アーモンドアイ, foaled 10 March 2015) is a champion Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown in 2018, and holds a world record over 2,400 meters on turf. She is also a two-time winn ...
on firm turf. Ridden by jockey
Christophe Lemaire
Christophe Patrice Lemaire (Japanese:, born 20 May 1979) is a French-born jockey. He has enjoyed much of his success on the Japanese flat racing circuit, with the most wins at Japan Racing Association racetracks for five consecutive years sinc ...
Almind Eye bested the previous track record set in 2005 by
Alkaased of 2:22:10 by more than 1 1/2 seconds. Rounding out the top three finishers Pacesetter Kiseki placed second 1 3/4 lengths in back of the champion filly and Suave Richard finished third another 3 1/2 lengths in back of Pacesetter.
The 2020 Japan Cup was the biggest clash of champions in the race's history, with three Japan Triple Crown winners going head to head, two of them undefeated. The 2018
Japanese Fillies Triple Crown winner
Almond Eye
Almond Eye ( Japanese アーモンドアイ, foaled 10 March 2015) is a champion Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown in 2018, and holds a world record over 2,400 meters on turf. She is also a two-time winn ...
was the favorite, the undefeated 2020
Japanese Triple Crown winner
Contrail
Contrails (; short for "condensation trails") or vapor trails are line-shaped clouds produced by aircraft engine exhaust or changes in air pressure, typically at aircraft cruising altitudes several miles above the Earth's surface. Contrails ar ...
was the second favorite, and the undefeated 2020
Japanese Fillies Triple Crown winner
Daring Tact
Daring Tact ( ja, デアリングタクト, link=no, foaled 15 April 2017) is a champion Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing#Japan, Japanese Fillies Triple Crown in 2020. After winning her only race as ...
was the third favorite. Almond Eye won the race for a second time, with Contrail second and Daring Tact third. It gave Contrail and Daring Tact their first defeats but was a fitting final race of Almond Eye's racing career.
Winners
The 2002 race took place at
Nakayama Racecourse
is located in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 165,676. It was built in 1990.
Physical attributes
Nakayama Race Course has two grass courses, a dirt course, and a jump course.
The turf's measures 184 ...
over a distance of 2,200 metres.
Rose Kingdom finished 2nd to subsequent
Japanese Horse of the Year
The Japanese Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in Japanese thoroughbred horse racing. It is awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association (JRA).
Since 1987 the honor has been part of the JRA Awards. This award originally started as pa ...
Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to:
Places Canada
*Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista”
*Buena Vista, Saskatchewan
*Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...
but was promoted as a result of a disqualification.
Trivia
The Japan Cup is one of the graded races in the horse simulation game
Derby Owners Club
' is a horse racing arcade game developed by Sega AM3 and published by Sega. Players are put into the roles of breeder, trainer, jockey, and owner of a thoroughbred racehorse. Statistics are saved on a IC card that can be put into any machine. The ...
.
See also
*
Japan Cup Dirt
The Champions Cup ( JPN G-1, formerly the ''Japan Cup Dirt'' until 2013) is a thoroughbred horse race contested in Japan in early December. It is run for three-year-olds and older at a distance of 1,800 meters. In recent years, the race has follow ...
See also
*
Horse racing in Japan
; Horse racing in Japan is a popular equestrian sport, with more than 21,000 horse races held each year. There are three types of racing that take place in Japan - flat racing, jump racing, and Ban'ei Racing (also called Draft Racing).
In Japan, ...
*
List of Japanese flat horse races
A list of notable flat horse races which take place annually in Japan. Except for the Tokyo Daishoten, all graded races are operated Japan Racing Association, including all conditions races which currently hold Grade 1
First grade (also calle ...
References
*
Racing Post:
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External links
Japan Cup Information
{{Japanese Grade I horse races
Horse races in Japan
Turf races in Japan
Open middle distance horse races