Japan Cup 2014

November 30, 2014 - 1 ½ miles (2400 meters), Turf, Tokyo, Japan

Preview: November 27, 2014

Gentildonna won Asia's most important horse race the last two years and she will obviously be among the hottest candidates to win the Japan Cup this year again. Still the bookmakers have the three-year-old Harp Sharp on top of the list, of course also acknowledge Just A Way, who is the top rated horse in the 2014 Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings since six months now. Several other very strong competitors will turn up in Tokyo and considering that in last year's Japan Cup not much more than two length were between Gentildonna and Simeon on the 13th place, we can look forward to an very exciting race again.

Gentildonna was not only the first horse to win the Japan Cup twice, she also won the Dubai Sheema Classic ahead of Cirrus Des Aigles in March. The 5-year-old daughter of Deep Impact took the same route like last year, came only ninth in the Takarazuka Kinen in June but displayed good form recently when finished second in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) after a four month break. Gentildonna's career as a racehorse will terminate at the end of the year.

Harp Star, also a daughter of Deep Impact, had been among the favourites for the 2014 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe following her success in the Japanese 1000 Guineas and a victory over Gold Ship in the Sapporo Kinen (1m2f). The three-year-old filly finished only sixth in the Arc but had made aplenty ground with an impressive late rush.

The 5-year-old Spielberg, another descendant of Deep Impact, won the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (1m2f) on November 2 by picking off his opponents one by one on the Tokyo stretch. The full brother of Tosen Ra had finished 14th in the 2012 Japanese Derby (1m4f) and had been of the course for 16 month due to leg problems until he returned in October this year. There are doubts about his stamina though.

The 3-year-old colt Isla Bonita entered the Tenno Sho (Autumn) as favourite after he was taken off the Japanese St. Leger to compete with the older horses in Tokyo, where he finished third then. The son of Fuji Kiseki won the Japanese 2000 Guineas earlier this year and came second in the Japanese Derby.

This Japanese Derby (1m4f) was won by the son of Heart's Cry One And Only on the Tokyo racecourse, who then finished only ninth over the longer trip in the Japanese St. Leger (1m7f) at the end of October.

Just A Way is currently the world’s highest rated racehorse. He had won the Dubai Duty Free (1m1f) by more than six lengths earlier this year, also won the Tenno Sho (Autumn) four length ahead of Gentildonna last year. His most recent start was a ninth place in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and there are serious doubts about his stamina for the Japan Cup as well.

2013's Japan Cup runner-up Denim And Ruby did not manage a place since, came only seventh in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) at the end of a three month halt. But the 4-year-old daughter of Deep Impact showed a great turn of foot in this race, might even have won it, if the distance would have been a bit longer.

Epiphaneia, like Denim And Ruby trained by Katsuhiko Sumii and ridden by the Belgian star jockey Christophe Soumillon, came second in last year's Japanese Derby half a length behind Kizuna (fourth in the Arc) and won the Japanese St. Leger afterwards. He did not win since, at least displayed improving form when ended six in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) recently.

Fenomeno won the Tenno Sho (Spring) (2m) the last two years. Between this two successes the son of Stay Gold had been absent for nine month due to foreleg problems. He also skipped this year's Takarazuka Kinen to fully concentrate on the Japan Cup. In the Tenno Sho (Autumn) he just ended 14th at the end of half a year break.

Ivanhowe, winner of the 2014 Grosser Preis von Baden could be the best of the three foreign entries, although he came only 18th in the Arc where he had an unfortunate trip. He will now get ridden again by Filip Minarik and has a perfect start positon on the inside with box 2. The two other representatives from abroad will be last year's Irish Derby winner Trading Leather and the Canadian colt Up With The Birds, who came second in the 2013 Queens Plate Stakes. Their chances are not the very best, as no foreign horse managed a place under the first three of the Japan Cup the last seven years, including the Arc-winners Danedream and Solemia.

The Japan Cup is hold in Tokyo since 1981. The final stretch of the Tokyo racecourse has an length of 525 meters and rises two meters for the first 225 meters.
The last foreign horse to win this race was Alkaased in 2005.


To watch a video of the race without knowing the result you can go to Japanracing, look for Japan Cup and click on the video button.