The is a

horse race Horse racing is an equestrianism, 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, ...

held twice a year in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...

". The races are both International Grade I races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Grade I races.

Spring

The Spring Tenno Sho is held at Kyoto Racecourse, in late April or early May. It is run over a distance of , making it the longest Grade I race in Japan. Deep Impact won the 2006 version of the race setting the world record for a 3200 metre race with a time of 3:13.4. beating the World Record set in the 1988

Wellington Cup The Wellington Cup is a Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand held annually in late January at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham by the Wellington Racing Club. History Inaugurated in 1874, the Wellington Cup has been raced over various ...

by Daria’s Fun, held for almost 20 years of 3:15.59, the closest time run in The

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 ...

is 3:16.3. Deep Impact's record stood until

Kitasan Black is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and prospective sire. In a three-year track career he won twelve of his twenty races including seven Grade 1 events, won four JRA Awards and set the record for prize money won in Japan. He was a stayer who ...

won in 3:12.5 in 2017. The average time 1990-2018 of the Tenno Sho is 3:16.7, the Melbourne Cup 3:21.1, a difference of 4.4 seconds.

Winners since 1990

The 1994 race was contested at

Hanshin Racecourse is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and it is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II World War I ...

.
The 2021 and 2022 races were contested at

, due to construction at Kyoto Racecourse.

Earlier winners

* 1938 - Hase Park * 1939 - Sugenuma * 1940 - Toki no Chikara * 1941 - Marutake * 1942 - Minami Mor * 1943 - Grand Lite * 1944 - Hiro Sakura * 1945 - ''No race'' * 1946 - ''No race'' * 1947 - Olite * 1948 - Cyma * 1949 - Miharu O * 1950 - Owens * 1951 - Takakura Yama * 1952 - Mitsuhata * 1953 - Leda * 1954 - Hakuryou * 1955 - Taka O * 1956 - Meiji Hikari * 1957 - Kitano O * 1958 - Onward There * 1959 - Tosa O * 1960 - Kuripero * 1961 - Yamanin More * 1962 - Onslaught * 1963 - Korehisa * 1964 - Hikaru Pola * 1965 - Asahoko * 1966 - Hakuzuikou * 1967 - Speed Symboli * 1968 - Hikarutakai * 1969 - Takeshiba O * 1970 - Riki Eikan * 1971 - Mejiro Musashi * 1972 - Bell Wide * 1973 - Tai Tehm * 1974 - Take Hope * 1975 - Ichifuji Isami * 1976 - Erimo George * 1977 - Ten Point * 1978 - Green Grass * 1979 - Kashuu Chikara * 1980 - Nichidou Taro * 1981 - Katsura no Haiseiko * 1982 - Monte Prince * 1983 – Amber Shadai * 1984 – Monte Fast * 1985 -

Symboli Rudolf Symboli Rudolf ( Japanese : シンボリルドルフ, March 13, 1981 - October 4, 2011) was a Japanese thoroughbred racehorse who won the Japanese Triple Crown, sired by Partholon, a son of Milesian, out of Sweet Luna, a daughter of Speed S ...

* 1986 - Kushiro King * 1987 - Miho Shinzan * 1988 -

Tamamo Cross Tamamo Cross (in Japanese: タマモクロス) (foaled May 23, 1984) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the multiple Conditions races, Grade 1 titles. Career Tamamo's first race was on November 1st, 1987 at the Fujinomori Tokubetsu, w ...

* 1989 - Inari One

Autumn

The Autumn Tenno Sho is held 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 late October. It is run over a distance of . It is considered the first leg of the Japanese Autumn Triple Crown (the other two are the

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

and the

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above and the world's largest betting horserace.

). Originally, the Autumn Tenno Sho was run over a distance of , but was shortened to its current distance to promote middle-distance horses and to promote 3-year-old horses as a shorter-distance alternative to the Kikuka Sho, the Japanese St. Leger, which is .

Winners since 1990

Mejiro McQueen Mejiro McQueen (Japanese : メジロマックイーン, April 3, 1987 - April 3, 2006) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was a late-maturing horse who did not emerge as a top-class performer until the autumn of his three-year-o ...

finished first in 1991 but was demoted to last place following a Stewards' Inquiry.
@ The 2002 Autumn Tennō Shō was contested at Nakayama Racecourse, due to construction at Tokyo Racecourse.
# Also Japanese record of flat racing for oldest horse winning first G1 race.

Earlier winners

* 1937 – Happy Might * 1938 - Hisatomo * 1939 - Tetsumon * 1940 – Rocky Mor * 1941 - Estates * 1942 - Ni Patois * 1943 - Kuri Hikari * 1944 - ''No race'' * 1945 - ''No race'' * 1946 - ''No race'' * 1947 - Toyo Ume * 1948 - Katsu Fuji * 1949 - Newford * 1950 - Yashima Daughter * 1951 - Hatakaze * 1952 - Track O * 1953 - Queen Narubi * 1954 - Opal Orchid * 1955 - Dainana Hoshu * 1956 - Midfarm * 1957 - Hakuchikara * 1958 - CelluloseJBIS Japan Bloodstock Information System (Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association)
/ref> * 1959 - Garnet * 1960 - Ote Mon * 1961 - Takamagahara * 1962 - Kurihide * 1963 - Ryu Forel * 1964 - Yamato Kyodai * 1965 -

Shinzan Shinzan (シンザン; 2 April 1961 – 13 July 1996) was a thoroughbred racehorse that won the Japanese Triple Crown. Background Shinzan was a bay horse bred by Yoshimatsu Matsuhashi. He was sired by Irish Derby winner Hindostan. His dam ...

* 1966 - Korehide * 1967 - Kabuto Ciro * 1968 - Knit Eight * 1969 - Mejiro Taiyo * 1970 - Mejiro Asama * 1971 - Tomei * 1972 - Yamanin Wave * 1973 - Tani no Chikara * 1974 - Kami no Tesio * 1975 - Fujino Parthia * 1976 - Eyeful * 1977 - Hokuto Boy * 1978 - Tenmei * 1979 - Three Giants * 1980 - Pretty Cast * 1981 - Hoyo Boy * 1982 - Mejiro Titan * 1983 - Kyoei Promise * 1984 -

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 ...

* 1985 - Gallop Dyna * 1986 - Sakura Yutaka O * 1987 - Nippo Teio * 1988 -

* 1989 - Super Creek

Multiple winners

Prior to 1980, a horse winning a Tennō Shō races was not allowed to participate in future editions of the race but this ban was lifted in 1981. Only two horses won the prize three times: *

(2016 Spring, 2017 Spring and Autumn) * T M Opera O (2000 Spring and Autumn, 2001 Spring) Apart from Kitasan Black and T M Opera O, four horses to date have won consecutive runnings, either by winning both the Spring and Autumn races in the same year or by winning the Autumn race, and following year's Spring race. *

(1988 Spring, Autumn) *Super Creek (1989 Autumn, 1990 Spring) * Special Week (1999 Spring, Autumn) *

Meisho Samson Meisho Samson (Japanese : メイショウサムソン, March 7, 2003 - ) is a Japanese racehorse which won the Tokyo Yūshun and Satsuki Sho in 2006, and the Tenno Sho (Spring and Autumn) in 2007. Stud career Meisho Samson's descendants include ...

(2007 Spring and Autumn) Five horses have won two non-consecutive runnings. *

(1991, 1992 Spring, finished 1st in 1991 Autumn but demoted to last) * Rice Shower (1993, 1995 Spring) * Symboli Kris S (2002, 2003 Autumn) * Fenomeno (2013, 2014 Spring) * Fierement (2019, 2020 Spring) *

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 ...

(2019, 2020 Autumn)

References

Spring
*

Racing Post ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of ...

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Spring

Winners since 1990

Earlier winners

Autumn

Winners since 1990

Earlier winners

Multiple winners

See also

References