The Japan Cup is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters run under weight for age conditions with a maximum of 18 horses on turf (grass). With a purse of ¥1,085 million, the Japan Cup is one of the richest races in the world.
Pilsudski is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a four-season career from 1994 to 1997, he progressed from winning modest group races to be regarded as one of the best racehorses in the world. He won eleven races in five different countries, six of them at Group One level. He also finished second in successive runnings of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Kris Kin was a thoroughbred race horse and active sire. He was bred in the United States but was trained in England during his racing career. In a career that lasted just over a year, from October 2002 to October 2003, he ran seven times and won three races, most notably The Derby in 2003. Kris Kin stood as a stallion in Italy, before being exported to stand in Libya, where he died in 2012.
Pinza (1950–1977) was a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted just over a year– from July 1952 until July 1953– he ran seven times and won five races. He was the best British colt of his generation in 1953, when he won The Derby and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was then retired to stud, where he had little success.
Opera House was a British thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from October 1990 until November 1993 he ran eighteen times and won eight races. Opera House was best known for his performances as a five-year-old in 1993, when he won three Group One races, including the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and was named European Champion Older Horse. Retired to stud in Japan, he developed into a top-class sire in the country, supplying seven-time Grade 1 hero T M Opera O, four-time Group 1 winner Meisho Samson and multiple Group scorer Miyabi Ranveli.
Workforce is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career that lasted from September 2009 until October 2011, he ran nine times and won four races. In 2010 he won the 2010 Epsom Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, ridden by Ryan Moore. He won once from four races in 2011 before being retired to stand as a breeding stallion in Japan.
Kings Best was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2000 Guineas Stakes. He was described by his trainer Michael Stoute as the best miler he'd ever trained.
Nakayama Festa is a champion Japanese thoroughbred racehorse, which is most notable for winning the 2010 Takarazuka Kinen and running second to Workforce in the 2010 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Orfevre is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active breeding stallion. In 2011 he won the Japanese Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. In 2012 he added victories in the Takarazuka Kinen and the Prix Foy but was narrowly beaten in both the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Japan Cup. He acquired the reputation of being an extremely talented but temperamental racehorse. In 2013 Orfevre again won the Prix Foy and finished second in the Arc before ending his career with an eight length win in the Arima Kinen.
Dansili was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He won five races, including the Prix du Muguet. After retiring from racing he became a successful stallion, with his progeny including Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rail Link and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Harbinger. He also became Champion sire in France in 2006.
Victoire Pisa is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. After winning three of his four starts as a juvenile, the colt won the Satsuki Shō at Nakayama Racecourse in April 2010. After an unsuccessful campaign in Europe he returned to Japan to win the weight-for-age invitational Arima Kinen in December. In the following spring he was sent to Dubai where he raced for the first time on a synthetic track in the Dubai World Cup. He defeated an international field to become the first Japanese-trained horse to win the world's most valuable race. His subsequent career was restricted by injury problems and he was retired at the end of 2011.
Ajdal was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was one of the leading European two-year-old of 1986, when he was unbeaten in three races including the Dewhurst Stakes. In the early part of 1987 he was aimed at the classics but after winning the Craven Stakes on his debut, he was beaten in the 2000 Guineas, Irish 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby. He was then switched to shorter distances and emerged as the best European sprinter of the year, winning the July Cup, William Hill Sprint Championship and Vernons Sprint Cup.
Exclusive was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. As a juvenile, she won a strongly-contested race on her debut and the finished third in the Fillies' Mile. As a three-year-old in 1998 she finished third in the classic 1000 Guineas before recording her biggest win in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. After her retirement from racing, she became a very successful broodmare, being the ancestor of major winners including Chic and Integral.
Cracksman is a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won his only race as a two-year-old in 2016 before developing into a top-class middle distance performer in the following year. As a three-year-old Cracksman won the Investec Derby Trial before running third when favourite for the 2017 Epsom Derby. The horse then finished runner-up in the Irish Derby. He went on to win the Great Voltigeur Stakes and Prix Niel, before recording an emphatic success in the Champion Stakes. He ended the year as the top-rated three-year-old in the world. In 2018, he won the Prix Ganay and the Coronation Cup before taking a second Champion Stakes.
Blast Onepiece, is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning his only start as a two-year-old he improved to become the best colt of his generation in Japan in the following year. He recorded Grade 3 victories in the Mainichi Hai and the Niigata Kinen before ending his season with a win over a top-class field in the Arima Kinen. He won the Sapporo Kinen in 2019 and the American Jockey Club Cup in 2020.
Deirdre is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old she raced six times, winning one minor race and running third in the Fantasy Stakes. In the following year she developed into a top-class performer in autumn as she took the Shion Stakes and Shuka Sho. As a four-year-old she won the Queen Stakes and the Fuchu Himba Stakes as well as being placed in both the Dubai Turf and the Hong Kong Cup. In 2019 she became the first Japan-trained horse in 19 years to win a major race in the United Kingdom when she won the Nassau Stakes. She retired from racing in November 2020 at the end of a season in which she did not win a race. Over her career she raced in eight countries.
Lys Gracieux is a champion Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old in 2016 she showed top-class form, winning two of her four starts and finished second in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. In the following year she failed to win but was placed in several major races including the Oka Sho and the Shuka Sho. As a four-year-old she won the Tokyo Shimbun Hai and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup as well as running second in the Victoria Mile and the Hong Kong Vase and was awarded the JRA Award for Best Older Filly or Mare. In 2019 she had her most successful season as she took the Takarazuka Kinen in Japan and the Cox Plate in Australia before ending her track career with a victory in the Arima Kinen. She was the 2019 Japanese Horse of the Year and 2019 Best Older Filly or Mare. Lys Gracieux is one of the three highest earning racehorses in the world among the racehorses born in 2014, along with Thunder Snow and Enable.
Suave Richard is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2019 Japan Cup. He showed promising form as a juvenile in 2016 when he won one of his three races and finished second in the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes. In the following year he was one of the best colts of his generation in Japan, winning the Kyodo Tsushin Hai and the Copa Republica Argentina and running second in the Tokyo Yushun. As a four-year-old he won the Kinko Sho and the Grade 1 Osaka Hai as well as taking third place in both the Yasuda Kinen and the Japan Cup. In 2019 he finished third in the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Takarazuka Kinen and won the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse in November.
Normcore is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed promising form in her first two seasons, winning both of her races as a juvenile in 2017 and taking the Grade 3 Shion Stakes in the following year. As a four-year-old she recorded a Grade 1 success in the Victoria Mile as well as taking the Fuji Stakes. In 2020 she finished third in the Victoria Mile and won the Sapporo Kinen before claiming the Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse on her final run of the season. She earned over US$5.7 million in prize money.
Do Deuce is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He was the best two-year-old colt in Japan in 2021 when he was undefeated in three races including the Ivy Stakes and the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. The highlight of his second campaign came when he defeated Equinox to win the Tokyo Yushun. As a four-year-old in 2023 he won the Kyoto Kinen in February and ended the year by taking the Arima Kinen. He then won the autumn edition of the Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup as a five-year-old in 2024.
