How Japan Has Earned the Respect of the Horseracing World

Japan has been trying to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for over 50 years. The country's first runner was Speed Symboli who finished out of contention in 1969. El Condor Pasa was beaten half a length into second by Montjeu 30 years later. Nakayama Festa was beat by just a head in 2010. Orfevre finished second 12 months later and was almost the winner in 2012.

Japan has enjoyed a lot of success at the international level. They won the Melbourne Cup in 2006. Loves Only You became Japan’s second ever Breeders Cup winner when taking the $2 million Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November. Marche Lorraine took the Distaff in December.

Major money was won in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. Loves Only You won the Hongkong Cup and Hishi Iguazu won a £3 million prize. Authority won an unchallenged victory in a Group-3 race in Saudi Arabian. Songline and Dancing Prince collected the same purse. Stay Foolish won £1.1 million in the marathon contest. Sekifu and Consigliere finished second and third in their respective races.

Japan has been showing its horses' prowess in the World Cup in Dubai. Japanese horses won five out of nine races on that day. They include Bathrat Leon, Panthalassa, Shahryar and Chuwa Wizard.

Japan's success starts with breeding. Teruya and Katsumi Yoshida have bought the best broodmares from around the world. Their late father, Zenya Yoshidai, laid the foundations for a breeding empire. Sunday Silence was the 1989 North American Horse of the Year. Four of Japan’s five 2022 Dubai winners were sired by sons and grandsons of Sunday Silences.

Japan has earned the respect of the world's horse racing world. Japanese betting revenues are in the neighborhood of $25 billion per year. The Japanese Racing Association undertakes various initiatives to disseminate and develop equine culture.  Lessons are there to be learned by other racing nations.