FILLIES and mares have been dominating the Japan Cup in recent years and Shonan Pandora’s win last Sunday continues what was already a pronounced trend.

In the last seven runnings of what is Japans’ flagship international race, five fillies have prevailed. Indeed, had Buena Vista, who crossed the line first with a comfortable two lengths to spare in the 2010 event, not been disqualified for what was deemed to be careless riding by Christophe Soumillon, the record would now read six out of seven for the fairer sex.

Another even more pronounced trend is the strong performance of the home team in recent years. Indeed, the last 10 Japan Cups have all been won by Japanese-bred, owned and trained horses.

Alkaased, who was trained by Luca Cumani in 2005, was the last foreign raider to capture the big prize but in the decade preceding that, Falbrav, Pilsudski, Singspiel and Lando all scored notable successes for Europe.

Team Japan had a weaker hand than usual to play this year. The absence of any Japanese runners in this year’s Arc emphasised the current lack of fit, world-class 12-furlong horses in the land of the Rising Sun.

Duramente, the sensational winner of this year’s Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and the Derby was Japan’s big hope for the 2015 Arc but a training accident at a spelling farm resulted in small fractures to both fore limbs and a forced prolonged absence from the track.

Nevertheless, the home team included Gold Ship, Lovely Day, One And Only, Mikki Queen and Shonan Pandora, all previous Group 1 winners. However, it was far from clear, which one of them if indeed any, would step up to the mark.

While the enigmatic Gold Ship has had a glittering career which includes no fewer than six Group 1 victories, the dazzle has been missing in recent outings and he actually finished last on his most recent start.

The race from a domestic point of view lacked the sizzle normally associated with the last Sunday in November and despite fine weather, resulted in a decreased turnout at the Fuchu track. While there were 103,000 in attendance on Sunday, it was nevertheless 10,000 less than last year.

Perhaps, sensing an opportunity, more foreign horses than has been usual in recent years made the pilgrimage to Japan for the 2015 renewal. They were headed by Erupt, the winner of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris in mid-summer. The son of Dubawi was considered the best of foreign raiders by the Japanese punters and he started as the sixth choice in the 18-runner field.

Nightflower, a Group 1 winner in Cologne on her last start represented Germany as did Ito who also won his last start which was a Group 1 contest over 12 furlongs on soft turf. The Ed Dunlop-trained Trip To Paris, winner of the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup earlier this year, completed the foreign raiding party.

There were in total nine individual Group 1 winners in the line-up which was two less than last year.

Nevertheless, it is certain that the Japan Cup will retain its rating as one of the world’s best turf races.

LIMELIGHT

While Erupt, who finished sixth, was the best of the invited horses, Ryan Moore, who was riding a Japanese horse, nearly stole the limelight.

The Englishman is currently on his annual sabbatical in Japan and struck a rich vein of form at Tokyo last Sunday by riding no fewer than four winners on the undercard. And he almost pulled off a shock result in the main race. He was on board the five-year-old colt Last Impact whose best previous performance was in the Group 2 Kinko Sho a year ago and who started at odds of 25/1.

Ridden patiently in the middle of the pack early on, Moore steered him on a charmed rail-side passage in the home straight and was leading with just meters to go.

However, he was caught on the line by Shonan Pandora and had to settle for runner-up prize. The winning distance was a neck and it was a further neck back to Lovely Day who started as favourite. Jungle Cruise, a 175/1 shot, was fourth.

Last autumn, Shonan Pandora, a daughter of Deep Impact, won the Group 1 Shuka Sho, the final leg of the fillies Triple Crown. It was in fact her first graded stakes win but it had not entirely been a surprise as she had been performing very well in listed class. This year she has continued to improve and had already proven herself capable of giving the colts a run for their money.

She won the Group 2 All Comers Stakes at the end of September by a comfortable one and a half lengths and on that occasion 11 colts or geldings finished behind her.

She also proved herself competitive against colts in Group 1 class and in the 18-runner Tenno Sho finished a very credible fourth, beaten in total by just a length and a quarter.

Fans were impressed and she started as the fourth favourite in the full field of 18 last Sunday. Kenichi Ikezoe, who is best known for his association with Orfevre, had not been on board when the dark bay scored her previous Group 1 success but of late has been Shonan Pandora’s companion of choice.

Ridden mid-division early on, the daughter of Deep Impact arrived with a perfectly-timed run to claim the lion’s share of the €4,400,000 (Yen 575,000,000) purse.

DOUBLE-HANDED

The winner is owned by Tetsuhide Kunimoto who is a well known JRA owner and last year in addition to Shonan Pandora enjoyed JRA Group 1 success with Shonan Adela. He was double-handed in this year’s Japan Cup and Shonan Bach also carried his colours.

Bred by Shadai Farm, Shonan Pandora is now a valuable breeding prospect. Not alone has she won two Group 1 races, she is also out of a half-sister to the very successful sire Stay Gold.

This year’s Japan Cup winner is trained by Tomokazu Takano who though just in his fifth year as a trainer is already making a significant impression.