The 36th running of the G1 Japan Cup in Tokyo on Sunday sees 17 horses compete for a record prize-money purse of over US$5m. Three European challengers, namely Erupt (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) from France and the two German challengers Iquitos (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and Nightflower (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) will attempt to wrestle the prize from a domestic grip that has been in place since the victory of Luca Cumani's Alkaased (Kingmambo) in 2005 when he defeated Heart's Cry (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) by a nose. Francis-Henri Graffard's Erupt does look the strongest of the European trio; the Niarchos Family's colt was far from disgraced in last year's race when a strong finishing sixth behind Shonan Pandora (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and he arrives on the back of an authoritative win in the Pattison G1 Canadian International at Woodbine Oct 16.
“I was delighted with his run last year. I thought it was a very good performance for a 3-year-old,” his trainer said in a press briefing on Thursday. “It was a big challenge to come with a 3-year-old here. We saw that Erupt handled the track really well; he progressed really nicely in the straight and finished very close to the winner. So, it was a very good first experience.”
Graffard thinks and hopes Erupt has improved with another season of racing and added, “He came back really well from Canada. It was a very good performance. I think he progressed for the season. After Canada, we brought him back home; we freshened him up and we decided to come back here. So, he worked nicely before coming to Japan. My traveling staff who know the horse well, having traveled with him a lot, are also happy with his condition.”
Japanese trainers field a formidable home defense and at the time of writing Kitasan Black (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) and Gold Actor (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) were vying for favouritism. Kitasan Black's consistency at a high level gives him strong credentials. He has already won two Group 1 races, the first last year when beating Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) and he proved that stamina definitely won't be an issue when winning the G1 Tenno Sho over two miles at Kyoto in May. The 4-year-old colt also showed his versatility when dropping back to Sunday's 12 furlong trip to beat Admire Deus (Jpn) (Admire Don {Jpn}) in the G2 Kyoto Daishoten Oct. 10. His trainer Hisashi Shimizu is pleased with his preparation and commented, “His fast work last week was the usual, running in tandem with him catching and passing the other horse. I haven't changed his training at all. I just regulate the intensity of it. If things go as they have been, we'll be able to pass the baton to the jockey on raceday and see him off in fine shape.”
Gold Actor will bid to emulate his sire Screen Hero (Jpn) (Grass Wonder), winner of the Japan Cup in 2008 and his son also has solid claims. The 5-year-old proves he has the class for such an assignment when winning the G1 Arima Kinen last December at Nakayama with a number of Sunday's runners in behind including Sounds Of Earth (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}), Kitasan Black, One And Only (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), Rouge Buck (Jpn) (Manhattan Café {Jpn}), Last Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Hit The Target (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). He warmed up for Sunday with a comfortable win in the G2 Sankei Sho All Comers at Nakayama Sept. 25.
His trainer Tadashige Nakagawa feels the colt has come forward again since then and said, “Compared to the All Comers, his coat has an excellent sheen to it and he's able to settle well now. I'm not too concerned about how the race unfolds, but I would prefer to have a sharp pace. He's a very competitive horse and I know he'll give it his best.”
In a race like this, any horse with Ryan Moore aboard deserves automatic respect and last year's winning rider teams up with Real Steel, a proven top-class international performer. Moore knows the 4-year-old well, having steered him to victory in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan last March. That race was over 1800m and there is a fear that Sunday's 2400m may well stretch his stamina especially against top-class opponents. His trainer Yoshito Yahagi also thinks his best trip is likely 2000m, but he is hoping the ''Moore factor' will help him go the distance.
This year's Classic generation is represented by Dee Majesty (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) who floated Triple Crown pretensions when winning the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April. These pretensions were dashed when he finished third in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and subsequently fourth in the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger). That is still high-class form and although he is meeting his elders for the first time, a 2kg weight concession from them makes him dangerous to discount.
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