Aidan O'Brien double-handed in Japan Cup as Broome and Japan take on Contrail

Equinox showed precisely why he is the world's #1 racehorse with a commanding performance in the 43rd edition of his nation's greatest race, the Japan Cup, on Sunday [Nov 26] at Tokyo racecourse. In recording a four-length victory (value for more) over fillies' Triple Crown winner Liberty Island in the ¥1.085bn yen ($7.25m/£5.8m) contest, the…

Full replay: Equinox strolls home in the 2023 Japan Cup They cheered at the start, they cheered all the way through and they cheered at the finish. Equinox, returned as 3/10 favourite locally, cemented his status as the world's leading racehorse as he won the Japan Cup on the bridle under Christophe Lemaire in front of a crowd of more than 80000…

Being acclaimed as'the world's best horse' is a huge accolade, of course, but it comes with the weight of expectation every time that horse steps out onto the track. But for Equinox, who's due to face international competition again, on home turf this time, in the Japan Cup later this month, it's a burden he's evidently carrying lightly on his big,…

In his 30th year training, Aidan O'Brien could have a potential landmark Triple Crown achievement in his sights. The man who has rewritten flat racing's record books has won almost everything there is to win although one accomplishment remains elusive. No horse has completed the English Triple Crown of 2000 Guineas, Derby, and St Leger since the…

Charlie Appleby labelled global traveller Rebel's Romance as the horse best equipped to bring his A-game to the big stage in Saturday's Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan. Rebel's Romance put together a five-race unbeaten sequence in 2022 that culminated in victory over Stone Age in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland. The five-year-old also triumphed…

The Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammer was narrowly denied in the world's most valuable race 12 months ago when ridden by Flavien Prat, before providing Dettori with a fourth Dubai World Cup success at Meydan a few weeks later. Following a readying win in California on Boxing Day, the six-year-old returned to Riyadh as one of two leading…

There are few countries in the world of horse racing that are more progressive than Japan at the moment. Racing in the country has always been exceptionally popular, as it is the second most wagered-on sport in the country with Japanbets.com. However, global dominance is now the target for many of the leading trainers in the country, and they have…

The Irishman saddles both Stone Age and Broome in the 12-furlong Vase, a race he won twice with Highland Reel in 2015 and 2017, while relying on Order Of Australia in the 10-furlong Cup. The Ballydoyle handler also won the Vase in 2020 with Mogul and appears to hold a strong hand again in the Group One contest. Stone Age, a son of the late…

With Japan's top international race taking place at the weekend, Nicholas Godfrey looks at the task facing overseas runners in Tokyo - and traces the nation's emergence as a racing superpower One of the world's foremost international races takes place on Sunday [Nov 27] with the 42nd edition of the Japan Cup at Tokyo racecourse, the Japan Racing…

The Coolmore operation have plenty of entries across the two days of the meeting and the O'Brien string were able stretch their legs on the track for the first time since arriving after their quarantine period elapsed. O'Brien has two runners in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, with the globetrotting Broome set to line up against stablemate Stone…

Take, a prolific winner for more than three decades, captured a trio of Japan Dirt Derby titles in a five-year stretch aboard Gold Allure (2002), Big Wolf (2003) and Kane Hekili (2005). The Kyoto native secured the winning prize of ¥60 million JPY (about $432000 USD). In winning Wednesday's featured race under the lights at Oi Racecourse, Take…

Race replay plus all the details as Sodashi, the all-white Thoroughbred cult heroine of Japanese racing, masters a talent-laden field to win the G1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo racecourse - a'Win and You're In' race for the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland. Tokyo: Victoria Mile G1 ¥281.8m ($2.45m/£1.78m) 1m, turf, 4yo+ f/m Sodashi (Naosuke Sugai/Hayato…

The 2000-meter Dubai World Cup concluded the day's festivities at Meydan Racecourse, with American trainer Bob Baffert's Country Grammer, ridden by Italian Frankie Dettori, securing a 1¾-length victory over Hot Rod Charlie in 2 minutes, 4.97 seconds. Country Grammer returned to competition after a nine-month layoff following the Saudi Cup in…

There was no stopping Contrail once his burst of speed propelled him to the front with about 200 meters remaining. With a few hundred meters remaining, Contrail, Shahryar and Authority all appeared to have a shot at outsprinting the rest of the field to claim the marquee victory. As Kiseki disappeared from the front, Contrail zoomed past Authority,…

A race for the champion of champions, the Japan Cup is worth well over £4million and the international invitational contest run over a mile and a half at Tokyo has once again attracted overseas performers with Aidan O'Brien running Broome and Japan, while Gianluca Bietolini has sent over Grand Glory from France. The Japan Cup helped forge the…

This Sunday, Nov. 28, Tokyo Racecourse hosts the Grade 1 Japan Cup, the iconic invitational gala that has been instrumental in boosting Japan's horses and horsemen to the heights of international competitiveness they now enjoy. Some JPY 648 million, over USD 6 million, is up for grabs. Japan's horses have monopolized the winner's circle for the…

Loves Only You and Marche Lorraine changed the storyline on a glorious Saturday afternoon in Southern California. Jockey Yuga Kawada, one of the premier riders on the Japan Racing Association circuit (currently No. 2 in wins and overall earnings in 2021, trailing only Christophe Lemaire in both categories) guided 5-year-old Loves Only You, the…

Flip a coin when deciding which was more surprising Saturday at Del Mar - Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi winning two Breeders' Cup races or his 5-year-old mare, Marche Lorraine, scoring a shocking 49-1 upset in the $2 million Distaff. The Distaff, traditionally one of the most formful of the Breeders' Cup races, was hardly that on this day as…

In the days leading up to the 38th Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in California, usracing.com is publishing profiles on the horses in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (Saturday, Nov. 6). The profiles will be updated following the post-position draw on Monday, Nov. 1 (5:30 p.m. ET) By Ed McNamara In 1999 I was there at Longchamp, along with thousands…

A 5-year-old mare who was a Group 1 winnerlast spring in Hong Kong may be the best hope for a Japan-based horse to breakthrough for the first time ever in the Breeders' Cup. Loves Only You, who has amassed $5453602 inpurse earnings with a record of 14: 6-2-3, is expected to lead seven horsesbeing shipped from Japan to the Nov. 5 and 6 championships…

Newly crowned Triple Crown winners Contrail and Daring Tact will go head to head in their country's most prestigious all-aged race, the Japan Cup. The match which every Japanese racing fan has yearned for will happen at Tokyo on November 29 after trainer Yoshito Yahagi said he had been pleasantly surprised at how well Contrail - the dominant colt…

For the second time in as many weeks, Kyoto Racecourse staged a race in which the final leg of a Triple Crown triumph was accomplished. Contrail, ridden by Yuichi Fukunaga, won the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) by a neck on Sunday, October 25, edging jockey Christophe Lemaire and Aristoteles, while Satono Flag, also a son of Deep Impact, placed…

The 2006 Japan Cup was a chance at redemption for Deep Impact, whose previous exploits on the racetrack made him akin to the Secretariat of Japanese horse racing. A trip to France had not gone according to plan, and he was returning home to rebuild his reputation. In the Japan Cup, he delivered an emphatic two-length victory, and now, 13 years…

The significance of the Arima Kinen to Japanese racing, and the enormous public interest that makes it by far the biggest betting race -- not just in Japan but in the world -- needs explaining to outsiders. The first thing to know is that for citizens of Japan, the most important day is New Year's Day, as this is when we celebrate the renewal of…

Arc winner Solemia (IRE) will take on Arc runner-up and Japanese Triple Crown winner Orfevre (JPN) in tonight's (tomorrow's) 2012 Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse. The Japan Cup is an approximately 1 1/2 mile (2400 meters) race on the lawn run in an "American-style" counter-clockwise manner. You can check out a diagram of the course and other…