A full field of 18 line up for Sunday's ¥380,000,000 G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) at Hanshin. Leading the charge in the 3200-metre feature, one of the most lucrative staying contests on the planet, is Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}). Still hunting for his first Group 1 win, the 5-year-old has won two editions of the [...]

Billed as the “Cherry Blossom Prize”, Japan's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) over 1600 metres is the first Japanese Classic of the season, and a full field of 18 faces the starter on Sunday. The diminutive three-for-four Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) is the likely favourite, and she enters this test on the back of [...]

Naran Huleg (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) prevailed in a desperately close finish in the 1200-metre G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday. The 6-year-old entire was a 26-1 shot, and took up his customary position near the tail of the field against the rail. The 6-5 crowd's pick Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), meanwhile, cut [...]

Of the eight races for Thoroughbreds on the $30.5-million Dubai World Cup night, five of them went to horses owned, bred, and trained in Japan. Granted, $5-million G1 Dubai Turf winner Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) had to share his victory with His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing's now-dual Turf hero Lord North (Ire) [...]

Japan's Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) led his foes on a merry dance in the $1-million G2 Godolphin Mile Sponsored by Nakheel, and gave his renowned trainer Yoshito Yahagi–yet another victory on the international stage at Meydan on Saturday. The second winner to fly the flag of the Land of the Rising Sun since Utopia [...]

While a locally trained winner of the G1 Saudi Cup in Emblem Road (Quality Road) will go down as a great moment in the annals of the newest international race meeting, the prevailing story could just be the dominance by Japanese runners on the undercard. Fresh off big showings at the Breeders' Cup and Hong [...]

Sunday Racing's group winner Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) was up to the scrutiny on the world stage and delivered the G3 1351 Turf Presented By STC 1351 to Japan by a neck over American hopeful Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) in Riyadh on Saturday. It was the second win on the night for jockey Christophe Lemaire [...]

Café Pharoah (American Pharoah) returned to the winner's circle for the first time since landing the 2021 G1 February S. in the 2022 version, and became the second horse to win two editions after Copany Rickey (Jpn) (Gold Allure {Jpn}) in 2014/15. A “Win And You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November, [...]

Kodiac (GB) (Danehill) has long been a sought-after source of precocity, and as he has risen toward the upper echelon of proven stallions, the hunt is now on for his heir. Or heirs, as the case may be, because just as Kodiac's winners are legion, his sons' foals are starting to display that same vaunted [...]

Omega Perfume (Jpn) (Swept Overboard) maintained his dominance in the G1 Tokyo Daishoten and ran out a half-length winner for the fourth time at Oi Racecourse on Wednesday. The charismatic 6-year-old entire was sent off at 4-5 for the NAR circuit showpiece. The Reiko Hara colourbearer was content to race near the rear of the [...]

Killer Ability (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) showed plenty of talent to take the G1 Hopeful S. at Nakayama on Tuesday. The 2000-metre affair featured 15 colts in the final Japan Racing Association Group 1 of 2021. It was an exacta for the deceased Shadai kingpin Deep Impact, as Justin Palace (Jpn) was 1 1/2 lengths [...]

Tuesday's G1 Hopeful S. at Nakayama attracted 15 colts and Sunday Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Command Line (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will try to follow in his dam's hoofprints en route to Group 1 glory. A son of GI Spinaway S. winner and $1.5-million mare Condo Commando (Tiz Wonderful), the bay sped home to a [...]