Exclusive Topics forJAPAN AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL 2023
- 3rd Edition -November 2023
The Japan Racing Association
This year’s Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) on November 26 is expected to draw the attention of the global
horse racing industry, due in no small part to the inclusion of Equinox (JPN, C4, by Kitasan Black),
the leader in Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings issued by the International Federation ofHorseracing Authorities. Beginning with his first G1 victory last year in the Tenno Sho (Autumn)(2,000m), where he exhibited a powerful closing speed from racing mid-pack, the Kitasan Black colt
proceeded to win the yearend Arima Kinen (2,500m), kicked off this season in March with his third
G1 triumph on the international stage in the Dubai Sheema Classic (2,410m) then scored another win
in his comeback start in June in the Takarazuka Kinen (2,200m).
Coming off four consecutive wins at the highest level, Equinox
was the heavy favorite in last month’s Tenno Sho (Autumn), where
he stayed within striking distance behind a rapid pace, sitting third
in a field of 11, remained strong as the two frontrunners faded inmid-stretch and then still managed to find another gear in response
to jockey Christophe Lemaire, who urged the brown colt to pullaway from all late chargers. The crowd roared in amazement at hisEquinox,
winner of 2023 Tenno Sho (Autumn)

record time, 1:55.2 over Tokyo Racecourse's 2,000-meter turf
course (rated good to firm), which eclipsed the previous record set in 2011 by a full 0.9 second.
Equinox has now successfully extended his G1 winning streak to five.
Previously, Equinox also set a track record in the Dubai Sheema Classic, where he won wire-to-wirein 2:25.65, 3-1/2 lengths in front of a quality field to boost his rating to 129. Since then, the race’s
second- to fourth-place finishers have not threatened his status as the world's top-ranked thoroughbredeven though all three have subsequently won G1 titles: runner-up Westover took the Grand Prix de1

Saint-Cloud and then turned in back-to-back seconds in Europe’s prestigious King George VI andQueen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe; third-place finisher Zagrey won theGrosser Preis von Baden; and fourth-place finisher Mostahdaf took both the Prince of Wales’s Stakes
and International Stakes.
All eyes will now turn to the Japan Cup, which has reeled in Equinox's connections by offering thema cool bonus of 200 million dollars if their star thoroughbred can follow his win in the Dubai Sheema
Classic with a victory in the Japan Cup.
One rival with strong hopes of upsetting Equinox’s Japan Cup
aspirations is Liberty Island (JPN, F3, by Duramente), whobecame the first triple crown filly in three years and seventh overallby claiming the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m) on October 15. Since
suffering her only defeat in her second career start, in October 2022,
when she finished second in the Artemis Stakes (G3, 1,600m), theLiberty Island,winner of 2023 Shuka Sho

Duramente filly has won four consecutive G1 starts, beginningwith the 2022 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (1,600m) and then the fillies’

Triple: the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas, 1,600m), the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, 2,400m)
and the Shuka Sho. After racing at a mile in her first four career starts, including her first two-yearold G1 and the Oka Sho, the bay filly erased any questions about extra distance in the Yushun Himba,
where she made an early move from around sixth position and drew away for a huge six-length victory
timed at 2:23.1, second fastest in the race’s history. With 2,400 meters no longer an issue, Liberty
Island has every reason to be confident going into the Japan Cup, where she will carry 54kg, or 4kg
less than Equinox. While reminiscent of the memorable pairing of Orfevre verses Gentildonna in the2012 Japan Cup, where Gentildonna narrowly won by a nose, this year’s Japan Cup is generatingeven greater excitement.
The race will also include five-year-old proven starter Titleholder(JPN, H5, by Duramente). A three-time G1 winner with plenty ofstamina, having won wire-to-wire as a three-year-old in the Kikuka
Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m) and back-to-back G1
victories in the first half of last season in the Tenno Sho (Spring)(G1, 3,200m) and the Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m)—allconvincingly—the son of Duramente was heavily defeated to 11thunder dreadful track conditions in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Titleholder,winner of 2022 Takarazuka Kinen

Although Titleholder came back fresh in 2023 with a trademark runaway victory in the Nikkei Sho(G2, 2,500m) in March, he pulled up mid-race with a minor leg problem in the Tenno Sho (Spring).
Fortunately, however, he returned for the All Comers (G2, 2,200m) on September 24 and finishedsecond.
2

The only two runners to have beaten Equinox (7-2-0 out of ninestarts) are Geoglyph, winner of the 2022 Satsuki Sho (Japanese2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m), and Do Deuce (JPN, C4, by Heart’sCry), who won the 2022 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1,2,400m) and is now scheduled to bid for the Japan Cup title.
Following his derby victory, the Heart’s Cry colt flew to France
Do Deuce,and came off a fourth in the Prix Niel (G2, 2,400m) to challenge
winner of 2022 Tokyo Yushun
the Arc, but he was heavily defeated to 19th. Do Deuce kicked off
this season with an overwhelming victory in the Kyoto Kinen (G2, 2,200m) in February, but withdrew
from the Dubai Turf (G1, 1,800m) due to lameness in his left foreleg. Coming back in the Tenno Sho(Autumn), he had to change riders last minute when regular jockey Yutaka Take suffered an injury
earlier that day, resulting in a seventh. Nevertheless, his connections have announced that they will
start Do Deuce in the Japan Cup with living-legend Take on board.
Among the Tenno Sho (Autumn) starters, Justin Palace, who won
the Tenno Sho (Spring) and then finished second in the fall editionof this G1, is headed towards the Arima Kinen (G1, 2,500m) on
December 24. Fourth-place Danon Beluga (JPN, C4, by Heart’sCry), however, is expected to run in the Japan Cup if his condition
is good. Also running in the Japan Cup will be Deep Bond (JPN,Vela Azul,
H6, by Kizuna), second for three consecutive years in the Tenno
winner of 2022 Japan Cup
Sho (Spring), and 2022 Japan Cup victor Vela Azul (JPN, H6, byEishin Flash). Whereas Deep Bond is coming off a close third (0.1 second behind the winner) in theKyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m) on October 9, Vela Azul has been below form, with seventh in theKyoto Daishoten being his best result from four starts since winning last year's Japan Cup. Stars onEarth (JPN, F4, by Duramente), winner of the first two legs of the fillies’ Triple last year, passed
up this year’s Tenno Sho (Autumn) with a leg problem but appears to have made a full recovery andher connections have announced their intention to start her in the Japan Cup.

Danon Beluga,
winner of 2022 Kyodo News Hai

Deep Bond,winner of 2022 Hanshin Daishoten

Stars on Earth,winner of 2022 Yushun Himba

Most of the prominent three-year-old colts opted to start in the Kikuka Sho on October 22, a little too
close to the Japan Cup, so the Arima Kinen could be a possible yearend destination, if any, for winnerDurezza, runner-up and Tokyo Yushun champion Tastiera, and third-place and Satsuki Sho victor SolOriens.
3Other nominated and substitute horses include:● Chestnut Coat (JPN, H9, by Heart's Cry), a former JRA-based horse now trained at an NAR
Hyogo facility, who won four times over turf and registered a second in the 2018 Nikkei Sho (G2,2,500m) before shifting to NAR.
● Echt (JPN, H6, by Rulership), winner of two grade-race starts including this year’s Kokura Kinen(G3, 2,000m), and coming off an eighth in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
● Forward Again (JPN, G6, by Rose Kingdom), whose fourth and latest win was last year’s STV
Sho (3 Wins Class, 1,800m).
● Impress (JPN, C4, by Kizuna), whose best effort at a graded level is a third in the Niigata Kinen(G3, 2,000m) in September.
● Kurino Megami Ace (JPN, F4, by Espoir City), a former JRA-based filly now trained at an NAR
Hyogo facility.
● Panthalassa (JPN, H6, by Lord Kanaloa), winner of the 2022 Dubai Turf (G1, 1,800m) and the2023 Saudi Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m), is also listed as a possible starter in the Champions Cup (G1,dirt, 1,800m) just one week after the Japan Cup.

Echt,
winner of 2023 Kokura Kinen

Impress,
winner of 2022 Amagasaki Stakes

Panthalassa,
winner of 2023 Saudi Cup● Shonan Bashitto (JPN, C3, by Silver State), the Wakaba Stakes (Listed, 2,000m, March) winnerwhose best effort in his four graded outings is a fifth in the Satsuki Sho.
● Studley (JPN, H5, by Harbinger), a four-time winner on turf between 2,000 and 2,200 meters.
● T O Royal (JPN, H5, by Leontes), winner of last year’s Diamond Stakes (G3, 3,400m) but 10th
in the Copa Republica Argentina (G2, 2,500m) on November 5, his comeback start following afracture in his right hindleg.

Shonan Bashitto,winner of 2023 Wakaba Stakes

Studley,winner of 2022 Orion Stakes

4T O Royal,winner of 2022 Diamond Stakes

● Trust Kenshin (JPN, H8, by Heart’s Cry), 13th in the 2022 Japan Cup and coming off a long
break following an equally disappointing eleventh in the Diamond Stakes in February.
● Win Erfolg (JPN, H6, by Gold Ship), who scored two wins, both over 2,600 meters, in theallowance class.

Iresine,winner of 2023 Prix Ganay(Photo: scoopdyga)

Two foreign runners have accepted invitations to the Japan Cup.
Iresine (FR, G6, by Manduro) from France, a two-time G1 victor,won the 2022 Prix Royal-Oak (G1, 3,100m) and this year’s Prix
Ganay (G1, 2,100m). The Manduro gelding is coming off anothergroup-race victory in the Prix du Conseil de Paris (G2, 2,200m) onOctober 15. His regular jockey, Marie Velon, took part in the World
All-Star Jockeys in August and finished fourth overall, including
scoring her first JRA win.

Continuous (JPN, C3, by Heart’s Cry) from Ireland, whose sireHeart’s Cry produced two Japan Cup winners—Cheval Grand(2017) and Suave Richard (2019)—won back-to-back group-race
titles in the Great Voltigeur Stakes (G2, 2,370m) in August and theSt Leger Stakes (G1, 2,910m) in September. He is coming off afifth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 1, where he wasa neck behind fourth-place finisher Through Seven Seas fromJapan, who himself was a neck second to Equinox in theTakarazuka Kinen.

5Continuous,
winner of 2023 St Leger Stakes(Photo: Edward Whitaker)