Exclusive Topics forJAPAN AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL 2021
- 3rd Edition -November 2021
The Japan Racing Association

The Tenno (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on October 31 was billed as one of the strongest G1 fields in thelatter half of JRA’s 2021 season, but it turned out to be a one-horse race from wire-to-wire as thirdfavorite Efforia (JPN, C3, by Epiphaneia) became the first three-year-old in 19 years to claim the title.
Race favorite Contrail (JPN, C4, by Deep Impact) finished a length back in second, and a neckbehind in third was Gran Alegria (JPN, M5, by Deep Impact), whose five G1 titles are tops among
JRA’s active runners. In retrospect, the race’s top three favorites—all considered leaders of theirrespective generations—lived up to expectations. Efforia’s connections continue to aim him at theArima Kinen (G1, 2,500m) on December 26 and Gran Alegria will seek a repeat victory in the Mile
Championship (G1, 1,600m) on November 21, which will leave Contrail as the sole Japan Cup starter
among the autumn Tenno Sho’s top three finishers.
Last year, Contrail, who became only the third undefeated Triple
Crown winner, challenged his seniors in the Japan Cup and wasdefeated for the first time in his career by Almond Eye. He kicked
off his four-year-old campaign in the Osaka Hai (G1, 2,000m) in
April but struggled with the course’s rain-soddened turf andfinished third. Given a long break in the hope of bouncing back toContrail in the 2020 Tokyo Yushun
form in the Tenno Sho, the brown colt was slow to pick up speed,
trailed leader Efforia by over a length in mid-pack and couldn’t make up ground despite angling out
for the stretch run, settling for second. With three winless starts since his victory in last year’s Kikuka
Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1, 3,000m), Contrail’s connections are determined to race him to one more
victory before his announced retirement at the end of this season.

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Sanrei Pocket (right)
in the 2021 Niigata Daishoten

You Can Smilein the 2020 Hanshin Daishoten

Other notable Japan Cup starters coming off the Tenno Sho(Autumn) could include this year’s Niigata Daishoten (G3,2,000m) victor Sanrei Pocket (JPN, H6, by Jungle Pocket) (4th),three-time graded winner You Can Smile (JPN, H6, by KingKamehameha) (9th), 2019 Copa Republica Argentina (G2,2,500m) champion Muito Obrigado (JPN, H7, by Rulership)(10th) or Mozu Bello (JPN, H5, by Deep Brillante) (13th), who
was second in the Osaka Hai 3/4-length in front of Contrail.

Muito Obrigado
in the 2019 Copa Republica Argentina

Mozu Belloin the 2020 Nikkei Shinshun Hai

Another talented three-year-old and possible Japan Cup starter isShahryar (JPN, C3, by Deep Impact), who beat Efforia in theTokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1, 2,400m). The colt, winner of
his only start as a two-year-old, was third to Efforia in his threeyear-old debut, the Kyodo News Hai (G3, 1,800m) in February.
He then scored his first grade-race victory in the Mainichi Hai (G3,Shahryar in the 2021 Tokyo Yushun
1,800m) while renewing the track record. Having earned a ticket
to the three-year-old classic, the Tokyo Yushun, he nosed out Efforia by an estimated 10cm at thewire. In his fall comeback, the Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2, 2,200m), he lacked a finishing kick on aheavy track in pouring rain and finished fourth. But he has outstanding speed, as he showed inwinning the 2,400-meter Japanese Derby with a record time of 2:22.5. He could be a Japan Cup threat
if he can produce the kind of speed he used to beat a talented foe like Efforia, the Tenno Sho (Autumn)
victor against best older G1 runners.
Curren Bouquetd’or (JPN, M5, by Deep Impact) is one of several top female runners who havereached new highs in Japan in recent years. After finishing second against male counterparts in the2019 Japan Cup, she attracted high expectations going into the Tenno Sho (Autumn), but was heavily
defeated to 12th to suffer her first finish below fifth in 16 starts. Hopes are she will improve in theJapan Cup, her second run this autumn and a step up in distance. Another female standout, Uberleben(JPN, F3, by Gold Ship), was diagnosed with a minor tendon injury following her victory in theYushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) and was sidelined for an extended period. She returnedin the Shuka Sho (G1, 2,000m) but failed to contend, crossing the wire in 13th place. Nevertheless,2

the Gold Ship filly has good finishing speed as one of the three fastest over the final three furlongs inall but the last of eight career starts, so there are still hopes that the brown filly will follow Almond
Eye as the second three-year-old filly to take the Japan Cup title. Shadow Diva (JPN, M5, by Heart’sCry), another leading female runner, will come off her first grade-race victory in the Fuchu Himba
Stakes (G2, 1,800m) to face her first mixed field of male and female G1 runners in the Japan Cup.

Curren Bouquetd’orin the 2019 Shuka Sho (right)

Uberlebenin the 2021 Yushun Himba

Shadow Divain the 2021 Fuchu Himba Stakes

Makahiki (JPN, H8, by Deep Impact) returned to his winningways by scoring his first victory in some five years in the Kyoto
Daishoten (G2, 2,400m) on October 10. The eight-year-old son of
Deep Impact won the 2016 Tokyo Yushun after a runner-up effort
in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m). He thenembarked on a trip to France and won his prep start, the Prix Niel
Makahiki in the 2021 Kyoto Daishoten(G2, 2,400m), before a big G1 challenge in the Prix de l’Arc deTriomphe (G1, 2,400m), but he was heavily beaten to 14th. For a long time after that, Makahiki
maintained a low profile but remained active nevertheless. Meanwhile, Dee Majesty and Satono
Diamond, who split the Triple with Makahiki as three-year-olds, both retired to stud and Dee
Majesty’s first crop made its two-year-old debut this year. The unconventional Makahiki, an eightyear-old former derby winner, has had 12 starts (nine G1) since 2018, of which his best score was afourth in the 2019 Osaka Hai and Japan Cup. Two other Kyoto Daishoten runners, Aristoteles (JPN,C4, by Epiphaneia) and Kiseki (JPN, H7, by Rulership), both took the front mid-stretch and weresoon joined by the winner in an exciting three-horse rally and eventually finished second and third,
respectively, much to the approval of the spectators. Both horses are slated to run in the Japan Cup,and they will be joined by Wagnerian (JPN, H6, by Deep Impact), a stablemate of Makahiki andalso a derby winner in 2018, which will place four derby winners in the race.

Aristotelesin the 2021 American Jockey ClubKisekiin the 2017 Kikuka Sho

3Wagnerian
in the 2018 Tokyo Yushun

Authority (JPN, C4, by Orfevre) accomplished a repeat victoryin the Copa Republica Argentina (G2, 2,500m) on November 7. He
has registered three wins and a second from four starts, all graded,at Tokyo Racecourse, making him a strong candidate in the coming
Japan Cup. However, he has been allowed plenty of spacing
between his previous starts, at least seven weeks, but he will berequired to return to his best form in three weeks for the Japan Cup.

Lord My Way
in the 2019 Challenge Cup

Authorityin the 2021 Copa Republica Argentina

Lord My Way (JPN, H5, by Just a Way), who had his best season
in 2019 when he won five in a row, including his first graded victoryin the Challenge Cup (G3, 2,000m), has been winless in 12 starts
since and is coming off a 13th place in the Copa Republica
Argentina. Horses registered as substitutes in the Japan Cup include
Windjammer (JPN, G4, by Spielberg), Go for the Summit (JPN, H6,by Heart’s Cry) and Trust Kenshin (JPN, H6, by Heart’s Cry).

Meanwhile, Glory Vase (JPN, H6, by Deep Impact), who was fifth in last year’s Japan Cup, was thirdin her fall comeback, the All Comers (G2, 2,200m), and will aim for a second victory in the Hong
Kong Vase (G1, 2,400m), which he won two years ago. World Premiere (JPN, H5, by Deep Impact),
who was sixth in the 2020 Japan Cup and won the Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1, 3,200m) in May this year,
disappointed to 11th in his following start, the Tenno Sho (Autumn), which has prompted hisconnections to pass up both an invitation to the Hong Kong Vase and registration for the Japan Cup.
Three foreign runners have accepted invitations to the Japan Cup. Top Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien
will saddle two horses: Broome (IRE, H5, by Australia), this year’s Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1,2,400m) champion, and Japan (GB, H5, by Galileo), who has G1 wins in the 2019 Grand Prix deParis (2,400m) and the 2019 International Stakes (2,050m). The same two runners started in theBreeders’ Cup Turf (G1, 2,400m) on November 6 and finished second and fourth, respectively.
Meanwhile, representing France will be Grand Glory (GB, M5, by Olympic Glory), who claimed
her first Group 1 in the Prix Jean Romanet (2,000m) in August and is coming off a runner-up effort
in the Prix de l’Opera (G1, 2,000m) on October 3.

Broomein the 2021 Grand Prix de Saint-CloudJapanin the 2021 Meld Stakes4Grand Gloryin the 2021 Prix Jean Romanet