Yushun Himba
On 28 November, in front of a crowd of 155,000, Special Week made his second attempt to defeat international competition in the Japan Cup. The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Montjeu started favourite with Special Week the joint-second choice alongside the German horse Tiger Hill, twice winner of the Grosser Preis von Baden. The other European challengers were High-Rise, Borgia and Fruits of Love (Hardwicke Stakes) whilst Hong Kong was represented by their Horse of the Year Indigenous. The best fancied of the other Japanese runners were Rascal Suzuka (third in the Kikuka Sho), Stay Gold and Umeno Fiber (Yushun Himba). Special Week was restrained by Take in the early stages before turning into the straight in sixth place. He took the lead approaching the last 200 metres and won by one and a half lengths and a nose from Indigenous and High-Rise, with Montjeu in fourth. Yutaka Take, who was winning the race for the first time said, "I am very pleased because I could achieve one of my dreams... I am proud to be Japanese."