Bellagio Opera (Jpn)

Regaleira (Jpn) (Suave Richard {Jpn}) became the first three-year-old filly to win the G1 Arima Kinen for 64 years as she led home a one-two for owners Sunday Racing, narrowly getting the better of Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) after a pulsating duel the length of the Nakayama straight. The fifth betting choice to double her Group 1 tally in the Arima Kinen, the fan-voted 'Grand Prix' of Japan, Regaleira was winless since her victory in the G1 Hopeful Stakes, also at Nakayama, in December last year. Without the services...

There will be no Autumn Triple Crown in Japan this year. Tenno Sho (Autumn) and Japan Cup hero Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), was retired to stud after a foreleg injury on Friday as the fan favourite for the G1 Arima Kinen. His absence, reduces the field to 15, however, the 2500-metre race still has nine Group 1 winners signed on. Heading the ante-post betting is Urban Chic (Jpn) who will leave from stall three under Christophe Lemaire. The Silk Racing runner, one of two Suave Richard (Jpn) Group...

Runner-up to T O Royal (Jpn) (Leontes {Jpn}) when tackling 3,200 metres in April's G1 Tenno Sho (Spring), Blow The Horn (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) made full use of his staying power as he ran out an impressive winner of Sunday's G1 Takarazuka Kinen at Kyoto Racecourse, a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. With the victory, he defeated Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) by two lengths to gain the first Group 1 success of his career. Blow The Horn was dropping back fully 1,000...

Looking for his first Group 1 tally following a productive second-place effort in the Feb. 11 G2 Kyoto Kinen, Bellagio Opera (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) got up in time to land Sunday's G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin. A winner in last season's 1800-meter Spring S., he was a well beaten 10th in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) prior to finishing fourth in the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) over 2400 meters. He concluded his 3-year-old season with a victory in Hanshin's G3 Challenge Cup in December. Breaking sharply...

Despite an ever-growing Japanese presence at the Dubai World Cup meeting in the UAE, Sunday's 2000-metre G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin still boasts five Group 1 winners, four of them Classic scorers and several other progressive types hunting for their first Group 1 ring. One of the top picks in the 16-strong field is last year's G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winner, Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}), who ran second in both the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas)--to Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn})--and the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese...