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Sunday's G1 Osaka Hai attracted a class field of 15, with at least one major entrant swerving a Dubai target thanks to the ongoing conflict in Iran and surrounding countries. Favoured is G1 Hopeful Stakes hero and 2025 G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) victor Croix Du Nord. The son of Kitasan Black claimed France's G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange in September, and, although unplaced in soft going in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, bounced back with a fourth to Calandagan (Gleneagles) in the G1 Japan Cup in November....

Now in its thirteenth year, Britain's All-Weather Championships Finals Day is the focus of Good Friday at Newcastle, with prize-money exceeding £1 million cementing its status as Europe's most valuable all-weather meeting. It's not all about the cash, however, with the assembled races possessing the potential to occasionally host some of the prime members of the fraternity such as Highfield Princess (Night Of Thunder), City Light (Siyouni) and Sovereign Debt (Dark Angel). Picking out any potential Group 1 performers from this year's cast in the six tests is a tough...

Former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior clashes with Voyage Bubble in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday. Second in the 2000-metre race in 2023, he went one better in 2024. In 2025, the popular gelding took his show on the road with a win in the G1 Jebel Hatta, before valiant seconds in the G1 Saudi Cup and G1 Dubai Turf. Since he returned to Hong Kong soil, he's been flawless, rattling off victories in the G2 Jockey Club Cup, G1...

The world's highest rated sprinter on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings in 2025, Ka Ying Rising will race for history in Sunday's G1 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin. A winner of 16 straight starts dating back to February 12, 2024, the son of Shamexpress will attempt to equal Silent Witness's record of 17 victories in a row for a Hong Kong-trained horse. The gelding was named Timeform Horse of the Year for 2025 just last week, as well as the joint second-best horse in the 2025 Longines World's...

Fashion Friday at Meydan features a nine-race card, eight of them for Thoroughbreds, and the crowning jewel is the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge, which grants the victor an entry in the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup on March 28. The 2026 edition features the past two winners in Walk Of Stars (Dubawi) and Kabirkhan (California Chrome), who are both trained by Bhupat Seemar. "Walk Of Stars had a lot of weight to give away first time out, against horses who were race fit," Seemar said of the gelding's fourth in...

Undefeated in two starts, Junko Kondo's Admire Quads  anchors the advance markets for Sunday's G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes at Hanshin. The one-mile race looks to be contentious, as the top four betting choices are split by inches by the betting public. By Real Steel, like this year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic/G1 Saudi Cup hero Forever Young, the colt delivered in a Tokyo contest in October, before rattling home in a record 1:33.10 for the 1600 metres at Kyoto in the G2 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes on November 15. He...

The Champions Cup on dirt has attracted a field of 16, and Narukami (Thunder Snow) holds pride of place in the advance markets on the back of his Listed Japan Dirt Classic victory in October. Chukyo's 1800-metre affair, a rare Japanese top-level event on dirt, is also the site of the favourite's only loss in six starts. Assistant trainer Hiroyuki Yamazaki said of the Godolphin homebred who is booked in post 12 with Keita Tosaki aboard, "Since the Kozukata Sho, he's been a bit tense when taking the bit and...

Group 1 winner Jantar Mantar (Palace Malice) looms large in the 18-strong G1 Mile Championship at Kyoto on Sunday. The dual top-level winner earned a victory over Gaia Force (Kitasan Black) in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in June, and found only that rival too good prepping for this contest with a second in the G2 Fuji Stakes. Trainer Tomokazu Takano said of the G1 NHK Mile Cup hero, "After his run in the Fuji Stakes Oct. 18, his heart and lungs had improved. He was just about in tiptop shape...

Already a two-time Group 1 winner Regaleira (Suave Richard) is aiming for her third crown in Sunday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Kyoto. The Sunday Racing colourbearer will face 15 rivals and carries the mantle of market favouritism in advance of the big day. Leaving from post seven under Keta Tosaki, the four-year-old filly has a Hopeful Stakes score versus males in her win column at two, and defeated them again in last December's Arima Kinen over 2500 metres. She warmed up for this contest with a victory going...

Group 1 winners lie thicker in the field than the falling leaves on the ground in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), set for Sunday in Kyoto. However, it is G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) runner-up Masquerade Ball (Duramente) who leads in the advance markets as an 8-5 chance against 13 rivals, seven of them Group 1 scorers. Yet to salute at the highest level, the 2024 Listed Ivy Stakes winner's only blip in six lifetime starts was an unplaced run to his Derby conqueror Croix Du Nord (Kitasan Black) in...

Riding a three-race winning streak, Kamunyak (Black Tide) faces 17 rivals in the G1 Shuka Sho over 2000 metres at Kyoto on Sunday. The third jewel of the Japanese Triple Tiara brings together the winners of the first two legs. A winner of the G2 Flora Stakes, G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) and G2 Rose Stakes in succession, the last coming on September 14, the filly is the one to beat. She had Theresa (Admire Mars) back in second with G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies second Vip Daisy (Satono Diamond) fourth...

After a summer of toing and froing and ding-dong battles, Ascot's feature G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes brings it all to a satisfyingly gladiatorial climax on Saturday. Having revelled in Ombudsman's dramatic surge at the end of the Prince of Wales's, Delacroix's huge move coming off Leopardstown's bend in the Irish Champion and the relentless power of Calandagan at the close of the King George, it all comes together in a perfect blend on a perfect sunlit autumn afternoon for the latest QIPCO Champions Day. The headline race is a qualifier...