Exclusive Topics forJAPAN AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL 2022
- 3rd Edition -November 2022
The Japan Racing Association

This year’s lineup for the Japan Cup (G1, 2,400m) on November 27 is beginning to take shapefollowing the conclusion of prep races including the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1, 2,000m) on October
30 and the Copa Republica Argentina (G2, 2,500m) on November 6.
Connections of Shahryar (JPN, C4, by Deep Impact), who wasfifth in the Tenno Sho, have announced their intention to enter theDeep Impact colt. Third behind Contrail (JPN, by Deep Impact)
and Authority (JPN, by Orfevre) in last year’s 1.5-mile Japan Cup,
Shahryar kicked off the 2022 season with an overseas success inthe Dubai Sheema Classic (G1, 2,410m), where the four-year-old
made an early bid from a forward position and held off a furious
chase by Yibir (GB, by Dubawi) by a neck.

Shahryar,winner of 2022 Dubai Sheema Classic

Continuing with another overseas challenge in June, this time at Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales’s
Stakes (G1, 1,990m), the dark bay colt failed to impress by finishing fourth in a field of five. In hiscomeback start in Japan, the Tenno Sho (Autumn), he was below form again as he failed to pick up
speed from mid-field and finished fifth. The 2021 derby winner was highly expected to contend inContrail’s final start before retirement, but he lost decisively by 3-1/2 lengths to Contrail, thesubsequent 2021 Best Older Colt or Horse. Nevertheless, Shahryar proved himself by beating
Authority in Dubai this year, so his performance in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) following a long break
will be a good indicator of his form heading into the Japan Cup.

1Uberleben (JPN, F4, by Gold Ship), eighth in the Tenno Sho(Autumn), is also slated to run in the Japan Cup. The winner of the2021 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1, 2,400m) ran in the Cuplast year and finished sixth. The Gold Ship filly also entered theDubai Sheema Classic and was fifth by 1-1/4 lengths to Shahryar.
In her comeback start in August, the Sapporo Kinen (G2, 2,000m),
Uberleben,
weighing 36 kg more than when she won the Oaks, she was heavily
winner of 2021 Yushun Himba
beaten to 11th. However, she looked much more fit in her last start,
the Tenno Sho (Autumn), and should benefit from the Japan Cup’s extended distance.
Danon Beluga (JPN, C3, by Heart's Cry), third in the Tenno Sho(Autumn), won the Kyodo News Hai (G3, 1,800m) in February
before finishing fourth in both the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000
Guineas, G1, 2,000m) and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, G1,2,400m). In the Tenno Sho (Autumn), he closed in with the second
fastest finishing speed to cross the wire 2-1/2 lengths in front of2021 derby winner and 2022 Dubai Sheema Classic victor
Shahryar. Although invited to run in the Hong Kong Cup, thethree-year-old is expected to face older G1 foes in the Japan Cup.

Danon Beluga,
winner of 2022 Kyodo News Hai

Tenno Sho (Autumn) six-place finisher Karate (JPN, H6, by To
the Glory) raced mainly at middle distances until the spring of his
four-year-old season, during which time he scored just one win.
But since stepping down to a mile, the son of To the Glory hasregistered five wins, including a graded title in the 2021 Tokyo
Shimbun Hai (G3). After finishing 16th in the Yasuda Kinen (G1,Karate,1,600m) in June, he returned to middle distances and scored hiswinner of 2022 Niigata Kinen
second graded victory in the Niigata Kinen (G3, 2,000m), and thenwas impressive in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) with a 1-length sixth behind Shahryar. His next challenge
will be another step up in distance in the coming Japan Cup.
The two top finishers of the Kyoto Daishoten (G2, 2,400m) onOctober 10 are also expected to be in the lineup. The winner, VelaAzul (JPN, H5, by Eishin Flash), switched to turf in March—
after 16 career starts on dirt since his three-year-old debut in2020—and proved an immediate success with a come-frombehind victory in the Awaji Stakes (2 Wins Class, 2,600m). Twothird-place finishes followed before another victory in the June
Stakes (3 Wins Class) at Tokyo Racecourse, the Stakes being the2Vela Azul,
winner of 2022 Kyoto Daishoten

same distance as the Japan Cup. The son of 2010 derby winner Eishin Flash (JPN, by King’s Best)then landed his first grade-race title in his fall debut, the Kyoto Daishoten. Although the Japan Cup
will be his first G1 challenge, the improving five-year-old appears to be a strong candidate.
Kyoto Daishoten runner-up Boccherini (JPN, H6, by King Kamehameha) is a late-developer likehis full brother Lovely Day, winner of six grade-race titles including the Takarazuka Kinen and theTenno Sho (Autumn), all as a five-year-old. The son of King Kamehamaha scored his first grade-race
win late in his four-year-old season in the Chunichi Shimbun Hai (G3, 2,000m). During his five-yearold campaign he has blossomed with one win, two seconds and a third from four G2 starts, including
his second graded victory in May in the Meguro Kinen (G2, 2,500m) at Tokyo Racecourse.
The Copa Republica Argentina was won by sixth-favorite Breakup (JPN, C4, by Novellist), whorallied from third position early in the stretch to surpass everyone on the uphill stretch for a 1-1/4length victory. Nevertheless, the Novellist colt's connections have opted to start him in the ArimaKinen. Conversely, two other Copa Republica Argentina runners who are scheduled to start in theJapan Cup are runner-up Heart’s Histoire (JPN, H6, by Heart's Cry), who has had impressive
results at Tokyo Racecourse where he is 3-6-0 out of 10 starts, and sixth-place finisher T O Royal(JPN, C4, by Leontes), who was this year’s Diamond Stakes (G3, 3,400m) winner and Tenno Sho(Spring) (G1, 3,200m) third-place finisher.

Boccherini,
winner of 2022 Meguro Kinen

Heart’s Histoire,winner of 2022 Sapporo Nikkei OpenT O Royal,
winner of 2022 Diamond Stakes

Other nominated horses include: Weltreisende (JPN, H5, by Dream Journey), the third-place finisher in the 2020 Tokyo Yushun
who returned from a long break due to a tendon injury and won the Naruo Kinen (G3, 2,000m) in
June, but then was seventh in his latest start, the All Comers (G2, 2,200m) on September 25.
 Shadow Diva (JPN, M6, by Heart’s Cry), last year’s Fuchu Himba Stakes (G2, 1,800m) winnerand seventh in the Japan Cup, has disappointed this season, finishing below sixth in four starts.
 Unicorn Lion (IRE, H6, No Nay Never), last year’s Takarazuka Kinen (G1, 2,200m) runner-up
who registered his second grade-race title in the Fukushima Kinen (G3, 2,000m) on November 13.

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Weltreisende,
winner of 2022 Naruo Kinen

Shadow Diva,
winner of 2021 Fuchu Himba Stakes

Unicorn Lion,winner of 2022 Fukushima Kinen

 Ridge Man (JPN, H9, by Swept Overboard), a former JRA-based horse now trained at NAR’sIwate, who won the 2018 Stayers Stakes (G2, 3,600m) before shifting to Iwate.
 Goldsmith (JPN, G8, by Stay Gold), who won the October Stakes (Listed, 2,000m) and then wasseventh in the Fukushima Kinen.
 Trust Kenshin (JPN, H7, by Heart's Cry), who has four career victories, all at Tokyo Racecourse,
but this year has been winless and is coming off an 11th in the October Stakes.

Ridge Man,
winner of 2018 Stayers Stakes

Goldsmith,winner of 2022 October Stakes

Nominated females coming from the Queen Elizabeth II Cup are:
 Win Marilyn (JPN, M5, by Screen Hero), a three-time G2 winner who finished in second by 13/4 lengths after racing in sixth position.
 Daring Tact (JPN, M5, by Epiphaneia), the 2020 fillies’ Triple Crown winner who lacked theneeded kick while traveling in mid-division and finished sixth.
 Win Mighty (JPN, M5, by Gold Ship), this year’s Mermaid Stakes (G3, 2,000m) victor, who wasprominent early but faded at the stretch to finish 16th.

Win Marilyn,
winner of 2021 All Comers

Daring Tact,winner of 2020 Yushun Himba

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Win Mighty,
winner of 2022 Mermaid Stakes

This year’s Japan Cup has attracted more foreign participants thanin previous years, thanks to the winners’ prize money being raised
to 400 million yen and a new quarantine stable locatedconveniently within Tokyo Racecourse. From Ireland, Broome(IRE, H6, by Australia) will make his second Japan Cupchallenge. The 2021 winner of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1,2,400m) added another group-race title to his resume this year witha victory in the Hardwicke Stakes (G2, 2,400m) in June. AnotherIrish raider, Magical Lagoon (IRE, F3, by Galileo), this year’s
winner of the Irish Oaks (G1, 2,400m), made an early entry into
Japan to start in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1, 2,200m) atBroome,winner of 2021 Mooresbridge Stakes
Hanshin Racecourse on November 13. The Galileo filly struggled(Photo: Caroline Norris)on a wet track after chasing the pace in second and then faded tolast, based on which her connections decided to withdraw from the Japan Cup.
Three runners will come from France. Grand Glory (GB, M6, by
Olympic Glory), fifth in her first Japan Cup last year, kicked off
this season with two wins, including in the Prix Allez France (G3,2,000m), and was 4 1/4 lengths behind Alpinista (GB, M5, byFrankel) in fifth in her last start, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Onesto (IRE, C3, by Frankel) won the Grand Prix de Paris (G1,Grand Glory,2,400m) in July but struggled on heavy turf in the Arc, finishingwinner of 2022 Prix Allez France(Photo: Scoopdyga)
10th. Another three-year-old colt, Simca Mille (IRE, C3, byTamayuz), who came off a group-race victory in the Prix du Lys (G3, 2,400m), missed by a neck insecond to Onesto in the Grand Prix de Paris, and then added another victory in the Prix Niel (G2,2,400m) before coming to Japan. Representing Germany will be Tunnes (GER, C3, by Guiliani),
who was second in his two-year-old debut and now has a 5-race winning streak, including two G3
events and his first G1 victory in his latest start, the Grosser Preis von Bayern (G1, 2,400m).

Onesto,winner of 2022 Grand Prix de Paris(Photo: Scoopdyga)

Simca Mille,winner of 2022 Prix Niel
(Photo: Scoopdyga)

5Tunnes, winner of2022 Grosser Preis von Bayern(Photo: Marc Rüel)

Japan’s derby victor Do Deuce (JPN, C3, by Heart's Cry), one of four Japanese runners who
disappointed in this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, was hoped to avenge the poor showing in theJapan Cup but his connections have decided to rest him and start anew next spring, beginning withthe Dubai Turf (G1, 1,800m).

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