FROM: Media & Publicity Department,
THE JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION (JRA)DATE: November 27, 2022

SUBJECT: RESULT OF THE 42ND JAPAN CUP (G1)
The Japan Cup, in its 42nd year, continues to attract some of the top turf horses from around theworld—67 runners from North America, 150 from Europe, 26 from Oceania and five from Asia—while anumber of runners have made this race their starting point towards further international success infollowing years.
Last year, 2020 Triple Crown winner Contrail (JPN, by Deep Impact) capped off his stelar career with aJapan Cup victory, his fifth G1 title, followed by Authority (JPN, by Orfevre) in second and Shahryar inthird. Grand Glory from France crossed the wire in fifth, 1-1/2 lengths behind Shahryar while two Irishcontenders Japan (GB, by Galileo) and Broome (IRE, by Australia) were eighth and 11th, respectively.
This year, the Japan Cup welcomed four European contenders: from France, Grand Glory, last year’s
winner of the Prix Jean Romanet (G1, 2,000m), along with Simca Mille and Onesto, respective victors ofthe Prix Niel (G2, 2,400m) and the Grand Prix de Paris (G1, 2,400m); and from Germany, Tunnes, whocame off his Grosser Preis von Bayern (G1, 2,400m) victory.
The home team taking on the challenges included Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m; Oct.30) finishers;
this year’s Kyodo News Hai (G3, 1,800m) winner Danon Beluga (3rd), 2021 Tokyo Yushun (JapaneseDerby, G1, 2,400m) and 2022 Dubai Sheema Classic (G1, 2,410m) champion Shahryar (5th), two-time
graded winner Karate (6th) and last year’s Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) victor
Uberleben (8th).
The top two finishers of the Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m, Oct.10) were at the gate as well; winner VelaAzul, who claimed his first graded title in the race, and runner-up Boccherini, this year’s Meguro Kinen(G2, 2,500m) victor.
Two runners coming off their Copa Republica Argentina (G2, 2,500m, Nov.6) endeavors were; runner-up
Heart's Histoire, who marked 3-6-0 out of 10 starts at Tokyo racecourse, and this year’s Diamond Stakes(G3, 3,400m) champion T O Royal who was sixth.
Also among the field were; Weltreisende, this year’s Naruo Kinen (G3, 2,000m) winner who finishedseventh in his latest All Comers (G2, 2,200m, Sep.25) start; Shadow Diva who failed to defend herFuchu Himba Stakes (G2, 1,800m, Oct.15) title and was seventh; Trust Kenshin, who came off aneleventh in the October Stakes (Listed, 2,000m, Oct.16); Daring Tact, fillies’ Triple Crown winner of2020 and who was sixth in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m, Nov.13); Unicorn Lion whoclaimed his second grade-race title in the Fukushima Kinen (G3, 2,000m, Nov.13); and Ridge Man, aformer JRA-based horse who won the 2018 Stayers Stakes (G2, 3,600m) before shifting to NAR’s Iwate
this year.
The 42nd Japan Cup (G1) in association with LONGINES – Japan Autumn International –3-year-olds & up, 2,400 meters (about 12 furlongs), turf, left-handed
Sunday, November 27, 2022
Tokyo Racecourse
12th Race
Post Time: 15:40
Total prize money: ¥ 864,000,000 (about US$ 7,513,043 <US$1=¥115>)
3-y-o: 55 kg (about 121 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 57 kg (about 126 lbs)2 kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 2 kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2019
Course Record: 2:20.6
Race Record: 2:20.6 [Almond Eye (JPN), 2018]
Safety factor: 18 runners
Going: Good to Firm
Weather: FineFP

BKPP

HorseJockey

S&A
Color
Wgt

Odds(Fav)

Margin(L3F)

136

Vela Azul (JPN)
Ryan Moore

H5bl.
57.0

4.5
(3)

2:23.7(33.7)

Sire
Dam(Dam’s Sire)

Eishin Flash
Vela Blanca(Kurofune)

Owner
BreederTrainer

Carrot Farm Co., Ltd.
Northern FarmKunihiko Watanabe

2715

Shahryar (JPN)Cristian Demuro

323

Weltreisende (JPN)
Damian Lane

448

Daring Tact (JPN)Tom Marquand

5714

Danon Beluga (JPN)
Yuga Kawada

635Grand Glory (GB)*Maxime Guyon

712Onesto (IRE)*
Christophe Lemaire

8611

Karate (JPN)
Akira Sugawara

947Tunnes (GER)*
Bauyrzhan Murzabayev

10817

Uberleben (JPN)
Mirco Demuro

11510

Heart's Histoire (JPN)
Yutaka Take

12612

Shadow Diva (JPN)
Kohei Matsuyama

1324

Trust Kenshin (JPN)
Kyosuke Maruta

14713T O Royal (JPN)
Yuji Hishida

1511

Simca Mille (IRE)*
Gregory Benoist

1659

Unicorn Lion (IRE)
Yusaku Kokubun

17818

Boccherini (JPN)
Suguru Hamanaka

18816

Ridge Man (JPN)
Yukito Ishikawa

C4d.b.
57.0
H5d.b.
57.0

Deep Impact
Dubai Majesty(Essence of Dubai)
Dream Journey
Mandela(Acatenango)
Epiphaneia
Daring Bird
(KingKamehameha)
Heart's Cry
Coasted(Tizway)
Olympic Glory
Madonna Lily(Daylami)FrankelOnshore(Sea The Stars)
To the Glory
Lady no Punch(French Deputy)
GuilianiTijuana(Toylsome)

3.4(1)

3/4(33.7)

9.5(4)

Neck(34.0)

13.0
(5)

1/2(33.7)

4.2(2)

2-1/2(34.4)

57.0
(14)

Neck(34.2)

13.3
(6)

Neck(34.4)

55.7
(13)

Neck(34.5)

25.5
(7)

1-3/4
(34.4)

35.5
(10)

Nose
(34.8)

42.7(12)

Neck(35.2)

259.0
(16)

1/2
(34.5)

424.6
(18)

3/4
(34.8)

26.1
(8)

1-3/4
(35.6)

41.5(11)

Nose(35.5)

67.2
(15)

Neck(35.8)

H6
ch.
57.0

32.3
(9)

2-1/2
(35.9)King Kamehameha
Popcorn Jazz
(Dance in the Dark)

H9b.
57.0

374.1(17)4(35.6)

Swept Overboard
Admire Monroe(Caerleon)

M5
br.
55.0
C3b.
55.0
M6b.
55.0
C3ch.
55.0
H6d.b.
57.0
C3ch.
55.0
F4
br.
55.0
H6d.b.
57.0
M6d.b.
55.0
H7b.
57.0
C4b.
57.0
C3ch.
55.0
H6d.b.
57.0

Gold Ship
Meine Theresia(Roses in May)Heart's Cry
Retsina(Captain Steve)Heart's Cry
Diamond Diva
(Dansili)
Heart's Cry
Aphelandra(El Condor Pasa)
Leontes
Meisho Ohi(Manhattan Cafe)
Tamayuz
Swertia(Pivotal)
No Nay Never
Muravka(High Chaparral)

Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.
Northern Farm
Hideaki Fujiwara
Sunday Racing Co., Ltd.
Northern Racing
Yasutoshi Ikee
Normandy Thoroughbred
Racing Co., Ltd.
Hasegawa Bokujo
Haruki Sugiyama
Danox Co., Ltd.
Northern Farm
Noriyuki Hori
Haras De Hus
Elevage Haras de Bourgeauville
Gianluca Bietolini
Gerard Augustin-Normand
Diamond Creek Farm
Fabrice Chappet
Hikaru Odagiri
Yuichi Odagiri
Yasuyuki Tsujino
Holger Renz
Paul H. Vandeberg
Peter Schiergen
Thoroughbred Club
Ruffian Co., Ltd.
Big Red Farm
Takahisa Tezuka
Masaru Shimada
Northern Racing
Sakae Kunieda
Three H Racing Co., Ltd.
Northern Racing
Makoto Saito
Richiko Suganami
Kinya Murakami
Fumimasa Takahashi
Tomoya Ozasa
Mishima Bokujo
Inao Okada
Haras De La Perelle
Haras de la Perelle
Stephane Wattel
Lion Race Horse Co., Ltd.
Desert Star Phoenix Jvc
Yoshito Yahagi
Kaneko Makoto
Holdings Co., Ltd.
Kaneko Makoto Holdings Inc.
Yasutoshi Ikee
Tsuji B.
Tsuji Bokujo
Koki Chiba

FP: Final Position / BK: Bracket Number / PP: Post Position / B: Blinker / S&A: Sex & Age / Wgt: Weight (kg) / L3F: Time of Last 3 Furlongs (600m)
Color: b.=bay / bl.=black / br.=brown / ch.=chestnut / d.b.=dark bay / d.ch.=dark chestnut / g.=gray / w.=white
NOTE 1: *Foreign contender
NOTE 2: Figures quoted under Odds are shown in form of decimal odds (single unit is ¥100), and Fav indicates the order of favorites.

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 21,196,673,600

Turnover for the Day: ¥ 31,048,770,700

Attendance: 53,559

Pay-off (for ¥100)
Win

No.6

¥ 450

Bracket Quinella

3-7

¥ 470

Quinella

6-15

¥ 940

Place

No.6

¥ 160

No.15

¥ 140

No.3

¥ 240

Quinella Place

6-15

¥ 380

Exacta6-15¥ 1,920

3-6

¥ 560

Trio

3-6-15¥ 2,360

3-15

¥ 530

Trifecta

6-15-3¥ 9,850

Winner= 22 starts: 6 wins, 4 seconds, 5 thirds / Added money: ¥ 403,906,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 549,680,000

Vela Azul Shines in Japan Cup
Third favorite Vela Azul captured his first G1 title in this year’s Japan Cup, giving his sire Eishin Flash
his first G1 victory. Vela Azul had been raced on dirt since his debut as a three-year-old up to his firststart of the current season in January. Switched to turf racing this March, the five-year-old marked twowins and two thirds before claiming his first graded victory in his latest Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m)
challenge. For trainer Kunihiko Watanabe, this is his first G1 triumph after claiming three graded wins
since opening his stables in 2016. British jockey Ryan Moore, who is racing under a short-term license,
has scored his ninth JRA-G1 win and first since his Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes victory with Salios in 2019.
Vela Azul was forced to travel in a tight, two-wide and mid-field position up to the final corner behind aslow pace set by Unicorn Lion. Trapped behind a wall of horses, the son of Eishin Flash finally foundroom 300 meters out only to be forced to switch paths to avoid the tiring Danon Beluga just after passing
the furlong pole, and dug in fiercely overtaking the dueling Shahryar and Weltreisende 50 meters to thewire for a 3/4-length win.
“He broke OK. The pace was rather slow, but my horse has a good late charge and I trusted him to makea good run and. He was in good condition coming into this race but he exceeded our expectation. He isfive years old but he gets better and better and still has room for improvement. The reason for racing himon dirt early in his career was because he had leg issues (fractures) as a young colt and in order to race
him with less risk he was raced on dirt. However, I did think he had an aptitude to race well on turf and it
was only a matter of timing as to when to shift to turf racing,” commented trainer Kunihiko Watanabe.
“I was very lucky to ride a talented horse. The pace was very steady for the Japan Cup. The horse neverhad much room, but when he did he quickened up very well so he was very impressive today. I had agood horse that got me out front and we had a nice spot--it wasn't too far off the pace and following agood horse, the horse in front was having to wait and I was having to wait (too), and when he found a bitof room he quickened up very well. I suppose for today being towards the inside wasn't a disadvantage,”said jockey Ryan Moore.
Breaking from stall 15, race favorite Shahryar was eased to a lower rearward position after sitting in
mid-pack as the bunched-up field cruised down the backstretch. After meeting traffic then finding a clear
path two furlongs out, the Sheema Dubai Classic victor kicked into gear and rallied with Danon Beluga
and Weltreisende into the last furlong but was outrun by the strong-closing winner, while beating astubborn Weltreisende and Danon Beluga who dropped behind earlier, and cleared the wire 3/4 lengths
behind in second.
Fourth pick Weltreisende sat in fifth from the pace, was blocked in early stretch and after squeezing
through a gap for clear sailing, briefly took over the lead at the furlong marker but was caught by therunner- up 100 meters out and then the hard-closing winner for a neck third.
14th favorite Grand Glory was settled in mid-pack, eased back a bit to run sixth to seventh from the rear,
was checked at the early stretch behind horses and was then guided to an outer route for her stretch run.
The six-year-old mare displayed her signature closing speed from there and, although unable to better her
fifth-place finish in last year’s version, cleared the wire in sixth.

Trainer Gianluca Bietolini:“The track condition suited her, but the path didn't open for her and she had no room to run at thestretch.”
Jockey Maxime Guyon:“We got stuck behind horses from about the last corner and couldn't find room to run.”
Sent off sixth favorite, Onesto took a ground-saving trip in around sixth to seventh, found himself in tightquarters in early stretch but slipped into a narrow path next to the rails while overtaking fellow Frenchcontender Simca Mille 400 meters out. Still unable to find running space, the Grand Prix de Parischampion gradually shifted a few paths out and finally showed his best stride 200 meters to the wire but
was too late and finished seventh.
Trainer Fabrice Chappet:“The colt ran very well but, unfortunately, he had a wall of horses in front at the stretch.”
Jockey Christophe Lemaire:“The pace was slow, and I tried to look for a space in the inside but there was no room for us. The horseran well but we were unlucky.”Representing Germany, seventh favorite Tunnes was reluctant to load and after a delayed start, was off
slow before settling in third to fourth from the rear beside the race favorite. As the field turned for home,
the Grosser Preis von Bayern victor, still near the rear, was one of the few to find an untroubled way
home, however, the three-year-old colt had too much ground to make up and was ninth.
Trainer Peter Schiergen:“He was unable to keep up with the fast pace on the firm track and couldn't make up ground from runningbehind.”
Jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev:“His had a poor break and the race didn't work out as we had liked. A softer ground would have been
better for this colt.”
11th favorite Simca Mille saved ground near the pace in third after breaking from the innermost stall.
This year’s Prix Niel winner remained a factor up to the top of the stretch hill but weakened 300 metersout and retreated to 15th.
Trainer Stephane Wattel:“He broke extremely well but he wasn't able to show his real form throughout the race.”
Jockey Gregory Benoist:“He ran comfortably behind the pacesetter, but he couldn't find his speed at the end.”
Other Horses:
4th: (8) Daring Tact—rated in mid-field between rivals, quickly advanced through opening along uphill
stretch behind winner
5th: (14) Danon Beluga—raced wide, made headway along outside at backstretch, made ground uphillwhile shifting in, soon joined by winner, tired 100 meters out but held on well8th: (11) Karate—traveled 3-wide in mid-field, followed winner uphill stretch, even paced thereafter
10th: (17) Uberleben—near rear early, headway along backstretch, widest around final turn, made effort
to follow winner but outrun 200m out
11th: (10) Heart's Histoire—chased leader in second, inherited brief lead within 400m before runningout of gas and faded
12th: (12) Shadow Diva—saved ground third or fourth from rear, unable to find speed after angling out
early stretch
13th: (4) Trust Kenshin—hugged rails off the pace, never a factor
14th: (13) T O Royal—prominent early, outrun and faded before 400m pole
16th: (9) Unicorn Lion—made pace up to 400m pole, came up empty and faded
17th: (18) Boccherini—traveled wide in mid-division, lacked response when asked early stretch
18th: (16) Ridge Man—trailed throughout
Fractional time (sec./furlong):

12.8 - 11.2 - 12.3 - 12.5 - 12.3 - 12.2 - 12.4 - 12.1 - 11.7 - 11.4 - 11.3 - 11.5
Last 4 furlongs: 45.9
Last 3 furlongs: 34.2

Positions at each corner:

1st corner
2nd corner
3rd corner
4th corner(*9,10,13)1(3,11,18)(2,5,14)6(4,8,15)7(12,17)16(*9,10)(1,13)3(2,11,18)6(4,5,14)8,15(12,7)-17,16
9,10(1,13)(3,18)(2,11,17)(6,14)(4,5)(8,15)(12,7)-16(*9,10)13(1,3,18)(11,14,17)(2,6)(5,15)(4,8)7,12-16

NOTE 1: Underlined bold number indicates the winning horse.
NOTE 2: Horse numbers are indicated in the order of their positions at each corner, with the first position listed first. Two or more horses inside
the same parentheses indicate that they were positioned side by side. Hyphens between the horse numbers indicate that there isdistance between the former and the latter. The asterisk indicates a slight lead.