Exclusive Topics forJAPAN AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL 2020
- 4th Edition -November 2020
The Japan Racing Association

Preparations for the Champions Cup (G1, dirt, 1,800m) at Chukyo Racecourse on December 6 arein full swing as Japan’s top dirt specialists get ready to kick off their fall season.
2019 Best Dirt Horse Chrysoberyl (JPN, C4, by Gold Allure)kicked off this season overseas in the Saudi Cup (dirt, 1,800m),
where he missed his break and finished more than five lengths
behind in seventh. His next intended start in Dubai was cancelled
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the son of Gold Allure (JPN,by Sunday Silence) made his comeback start in June in the Teio
Chrysoberyl
Sho (dirt, 2,000m), where he regained form by taking commandin the 2019 Champions Cupfrom third position 200 meters out to win comfortably by two
lengths ahead of runner-up Omega Perfume (JPN, H5, by Swept Overboard). After a four-month
break, the 4-year-old colt continued with another impressive victory in the JBC Classic (dirt,2,000m) on November 3, where he out-finished Omega Perfume by 2-1/2 lengths. Many hope themultiple G1 champion will score a repeat victory in the upcoming Champions Cup to extend his
winning streak in Japan to nine before he makes his second overseas challenge in Saudi Arabia nextyear.

Omega Perfume, back-to-back winner of the Tokyo Daishoten (G1, dirt, 2,000m) in 2018 and 2019,has finished within the money in all of his right-handed events but is winless going the opposite
direction, including fifth and sixth in the Champions Cup in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Hisconnections have decided not to run him in the dirt G1 this year and instead concentrate on apossible third victory in the Tokyo Daishoten.
Chuwa Wizard (JPN, H5, by King Kamehameha), winner of the 2019 JBC Classic, kicked off
this season with a victory in the Kawasaki Kinen (dirt, 2,100m), but was third behind Chrysoberyl
1and Omega Perfume in both the Teio Sho and the JBC Classic.

Chuwa Wizard (right)
in the 2019 JBC Classic

The son of King Kamehameha (JPN, by Kingmambo) was beaten
by two lengths to fourth in last year’s Champions Cup, but inprincipal the left-handed track should not be a problem as he has
not finished out of the money in six other career starts going thatdirection.

Arctos (JPN, H5, by Admire Aura) scored his first title at the highest level in the Mile
Championship Nambu Hai (dirt, 1,600m) on October 12. The son of Admire Aura (JPN, by Agnes
Tachyon) has proved useful between 1,400 and 1,600 meters, but now he must negotiate the longer
Champions Cup (1,800m), a distance at which he has finished no better than fifth in three starts.
Gold Dream (JPN, H7, by Gold Allure) this year finished sixth behind Arctos in the Nambu Hai
and has not exceeded this third place finish in the Heian Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,900m) in May, but the2017 Best Dirt Horse is not to be underestimated in the upcoming dirt G1. In 2017, after coming off
three dull efforts, the son of Gold Allure was a lightly regarded eighth favorite in the Champions
Cup but he pinned the race favorite with a memorable close for the title. He gave anotherimpressive performance in last year’s Champions Cup, missing by just a neck to Chrysoberyl
despite carrying two more kilos. Inti (JPN, H6, by Came Home), who lost a shoe and finishedninth in the Nambu Hai, was third in last year’s Champions Cup but has not marked a win since the2019 February Stakes (G1, 1,600m). Success in this year’s Champions Cup will likely depend on
Inti gaining the front and controlling the pace, his preferred style.

Arctosin the 2019 Procyon Stakes

Gold Dreamin the 2017 Champions Cup

Inti
in the 2019 February Stakes

The Musashino Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,600m) on November 14 was won by third favorite Sunrise Nova
(JPN, H6, by Gold Allure), a stablemate of Chrysoberyl. The 2019 Mile Championship Nambu
Hai victor, whose best score at the JRA-G1 level is a third in the February Stakes this year, will bemaking his second Champions Cup challenge after finishing sixth in 2018. Time Flyer (JPN, H5,by Heart’s Cry), who won on turf in the 2017 Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000m), entered theMusashino Stakes as the race favorite but finished fifth. Second favorite Mozu Ascot (USA, H6, byFrankel), who won this year’s February Stakes victor, disappointed to seventh.

2Sunrise Novain the 2020 Musashino Stakes

Time Flyerin the 2020 Elm Stakes

Mozu Ascot
in the 2020 February Stakes

Cafe Pharoah (USA, C3, by American Pharoah) will face
Chrysoberyl for the first time as a potential threat in this year’sChampions Cup, having won four out of five starts, including theUnicorn Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,600m) and his latest start, the Sirius
Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,900m). His only defeat came in the Japan Dirt
Derby (dirt, 2,000m), where he struggled over a deep sandsurface at NAR’s Oi Racecourse.

Cafe Pharoah in the 2020 Sirius Stakes

Also facing Chrysoberyl for the first time will be Clincher (JPN,H6, by Deep Sky), who shifted to dirt this year and has
registered 1-4-1 and a fourth out of seven starts. The runner-up inthe 2017 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m) and a G2
winner in the 2018 Kyoto Kinen (G2, 2,200m) on turf, he won
his first dirt grade title in the Miyako Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,800m)
Clincher in the 2020 Miyako Stakes

on November 8. The son of Deep Sky (JPN, by Agnes Tachyon)
has timed the fastest finishing speeds in five of his seven dirt starts, but will be tested against thetop dirt specialists in the Champions Cup.
Other Champions Cup entries include the following: Another Truth (JPN, G6, by I’ll Have Another), winner of the Diolite Kinen (dirt, 2,400m) in
March, is coming off a fifth in the Nippon TV Hai (dirt, 1,800m) on September 30.
 Air Almas (USA, H5, by Majestic Warrior), victor in the Tokai Stakes (G2, dirt, 1,800m) in
January, who also finished fourth in his latest start, the Miyako Stakes.
 Air Spinel (JPN, H7, by King Kamehameha), a three-time graded winner on turf who switchedto dirt racing from this season; Meisho Wazashi (JPN, H5, by I’ll Have Another), third-placefinisher of the 2019 Sirius Stakes; and Dieu du Vin (JPN, C3, by Declaration of War), arunner-up to Cafe Pharoah in the Unicorn Stakes, who were third, sixth and 14th respectively inthe Musashino Stakes.

3Another Truthin the 2019 Antares Stakes

Air Almas
in the 2020 Tokai Stakes

Air Spinelin the 2017 Fuji Stakes Satono Garros (JPN, C4, by Henny Hughes), winner of four starts on dirt between 1,200m and1,600m, including the Kinshu Stakes (3 Wins Class, dirt, 1,600m) on November 8.
 Satono Titan (JPN, H7, by Symboli Kris S), winner of the 2019 March Stakes (G3, dirt,1,800m) but 13th in his latest start, the Elm Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,700m).
 Yoshio (JPN, H7, by Johannesburg), who is 6-4-11 out of 67 starts on dirt and is coming off asixth-place finish in his previous start, the Mercury Cup (dirt, 2,000m) on July 21.

Meisho Wazashiin the 2020 Sobu Stakes

Dieu du Vinin the 2020 Seiryu Stakes

Satono Titan
in the 2019 March Stakes

While the pandemic has reduced the number of horses going abroad for international challenges, sixJapanese horses will be starting in the Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse on
December 13.
Win Bright (JPN, H6, by Stay Gold), who will be the defending champion in this year’s Hong
Kong Cup (G1, 2,000m), finished seventh in his kickoff start this year, the Nakayama Kinen (G2,1,800m, February), but then suffered an infection—seedy toe—in his left front hoof. He made his
fall comeback in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on November 1 but finished tenth. DanonPremium (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact), Best Two-Year-Old Colt of 2017, will be making his
second overseas trip this year, following the Australia’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1, 2,000m, April)in which he finished third. He was fourth in his fall comeback in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), where he
set the pace and showed tenacity before being overtaken by the top finishers. Normcore (JPN, M5,by Harbinger), winner of the 2019 Victoria Mile (G1, 1,600m), claimed her fourth graded title inthe Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m) in August, but in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m) she
tired after setting the pace and disappointed to 16th.

4Win Brightin the 2019 Hong Kong Cup

Danon Premiumin the 2017 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes

Normcorein the 2019 Victoria Mile

Admire Mars (JPN, C4, by Daiwa Major) aims to return for a repeat victory in the Hong KongMile (G1, 1,600m). In the Mile Championship (G1, 1,600m), he assumed command 200 meters out
but eventually was out-finished to third by winner Gran Alegria (JPN, F4, by Deep Impact) anddefending champion Indy Champ (JPN, H5, by Stay Gold), back a 3/4 length and a neckrespectively.
Tower of London (JPN, H5, by Raven’s Pass), winner of the Sprinters Stakes (G1, 1,200m) lastyear, will contest the Hong Kong Sprint (G1, 1,200m), his first start in seven months. The son ofRaven’s Pass was unable to live up to expectations as race favorite in both the Takamatsunomiya
Kinen (G1, 1,200m) and the Keio Hai Spring Cup (G2, 1,400m), finishing 12th and eighth
respectively, both on soft going, and then was sidelined with a hoof problem that prevented himfrom starting in this year’s Sprinters Stakes. Danon Smash (JPN, H5, by Lord Kanaloa) will
make his second challenge in the Hong Kong Sprint after finishing eighth last year. In his last start,
the Sprinters Stakes on October 4, he was unable to match winner Gran Alegria but bested the restof the field for second.

Admire Marsin the 2019 Hong Kong MileTower of London
in the 2019 Sprinters Stakes

5

Danon Smashin the 2020 Centaur Stakes