This year's Japan Cup is devoid of any international competition and is headlined by Suave Richard, Cheval Grand and Win Tenderness. Last year's winner, Japanese superstar Almond Eye has decided to forego the renewed contest in favour of Gr.1 Hong Kong Cup despite the civil unrest in the country.
Although there will be no international horses competing this year, there will be plenty of international flavour with the jockeys expected to ride in the race. Nearly half of the jockeys expected to ride-hail from outside Japan, including Englishman Ryan Moore, Oisin Murphy from Ireland, Belgian Christophe Soumillon, Norwegian-born William Buick, and the iconic Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori.
“Japan Cup has been renamed as the "Deep Impact Memorial,” in tribute to the late Triple Crown champion. In 2006, Deep Impact won the Japan Cup as a 4-year-old, topping a field of 11 by two lengths. Of the Japan Cup nominees this year, five were sired by Deep Impact.
Here’s a look at top horses in contention for the Cup.
Rey de Oro: Winner of the 2017 Japanese Derby, the King Kamehameha-sired Rey de Oro last win was the Tenno Sho (Autumn) five starts ago. Coming off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Sankei Sho All Comers, the Kazuo Fujisawa-trained Rey de Oro is primed and likely to emerge as the race favourite. Back at Tokyo, where he’s won three of his four starts and finished second once (to Cheval Grand in the 2017 Japan Cup), Rey de Oro’s shot at success may be golden and even a second-place would put his earnings over the JPY1 billion mark. William Buick is expected to have the ride.
Wagnerian: Although this Deep Impact-sired 4YO, Japanese Derby (2018) winner has raced primarily at 1,800-2,000 meters, his two wins over 2,400 meters and his off-the-pace racing style indicate the extra ground could help give him his second big title.
Cheval Grand: A 7YO son of Heart’s Cry, Cheval Grand is one of five nominees being fielded by trainer Yasuo Tomomichi. Cheval Grand won the Japan Cup in 2017 but has failed to make the winner’s circle since. Last year, he finished fourth here, 0.9 seconds off Almond Eye’s record time and with the same time as third-place finisher Suave Richard. Cheval Grand is running for the first time in Japan since the 2018 Arima Kinen and hasn’t raced at all since August when he finished far off the front in the International Stakes at York. If Cheval Grand, expected to be piloted by Christophe Soumillon, can ace the Japan Cup, he’ll become the first 6YO to do so since Tap Dance City in 2003.
Curren Bouquetd’or: This 3YO daughter of Deep Impact and stablemate of Almond Eye has placed in the top three spots in seven out of her eight career starts. Though she has yet to win a Grade 1, she has come close, missing the Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) by a neck and the Grade 1 Shuka Sho last out by two lengths. This will be her first major race against the male competition, however. She has only run in mixed company at the lower levels, in her debut and when she broke her maiden nearly a year ago. It will also be her first race against older horses. Based at Miho, she does have ample experience in Tokyo, where she has raced five times. Until now, she has carried 54-55kg but the Japan Cup will allow her to run under only 53kg, which may give her the edge she needs.
You Can Smile: The 4YO's best has been a third in the Grade 1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) over 3,000 meters. Tending to race from midfield or much further back, You Can Smile has stamina and his time of 33.6 seconds over the final 3 furlongs (the fastest of the field) in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) shows he also has late speed. The extra distance this time may be just what he needs to take home his first Grade 1.
Suave Richard: Returning from four months off, the Heart’s Cry-sired Suave Richard finished seventh in the Tenno Sho (Autumn). Suave Richard finished third in the Japan Cup last year, and if the rotation is any indication, he could finesse his first win since the Grade 1 Osaka Hai in April 2018. This year, though he’s failed to win, he has posted two thirds in Grade 1 events, in the Dubai Sheema Classic under Joao Moreira just a half-length behind Cheval Grand, and in the Takaruzuka Kinen paired with Mirco Demuro. This time he’s expected to have another ace in his saddle, the 24-year-old Oisin Murphy, just crowned this year’s British champion jockey.
Look Twice is a 6yo son of Stay Gold fresh off a fourth-place finish in the Gr.2 Copa Republica Argentina. He has finished in the top three in 14 of his 20 starts and, well primed for his first top-level event and expected to be partnered with Frankie Dettori, Look Twice is not one to overlook.
Danburite returned from 6 months off recovering from a fracture and ran second in the 2,400-meter Kyoto Daishoten. He could make the money with the right pace as could Etario, who followed half a length behind.
Christophe Lemaire is expected to ride Copa Republica Argentina winner Muito Obrigado, who has four wins from six starts at Tokyo and is taking on only his second Grade 1 race
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Distance: 2400 meters,(About 12 furlongs / 1 1⁄2 miles), Surface: Turf, Track: Left-handed, Qualification: 3-yo & Up, Thoroughbreds (safety factor: 18 horses; up to ten foreign-trained starters are allowed in the race), Weight: 3-yo 55 kg \ 4-y-o & up 57kg,Allowances, 2 kg for fillies and mares, 2 kg for S. Hemisphere 3-yo, Purse: ¥ 624,000,000 (as of 2015),1st: ¥ 300,000,000