Anne Marie Duff

TOKYO Racecourse will see horses representing four nations vie for one of the biggest purses in the world of horse racing tomorrow. The total purse of the 37th Japan Cup is 648 million yen with 300 million yen going to the winner.

No foreign trained horse since Alkaased in 2005 has triumphed in the Japan Cup and this year there are four overseas runners: Idaho (Ryan Moore) from Aidan O’Brien, Guignol and Iquitos from Germany and Boom Time from Australia.

Idaho finished fourth in the Canadian International after his eighth in the Arc and the Japan Cup is his seventh start of the season. There has been a lot of rain in Japan and he is drawn wide in 14 so faces a stiff task.

The past 11 Japan Cup winners have come from the home team and, in the past 10 runnings, Japanese runners have managed to sweep the top three spots.

The 18 home runners include three Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) winners and two double Grade 1 winners in addition to the standout Kitasan Black, winner last year. He is aiming for his seventh Grade 1 victory and is well drawn in four. He did not disappoint in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) last time out, and held off an advancing Satono Crown to win by a neck.

Satono Crown captured the Hong Kong Vase last year in a late dash from Highland Reel. This year he won the Takarazuka Kinen beating Kitasan Black but the tables were turned once in the Tenno Sho (Autumn). With an extra furlong this time out, Satono Crown may pose the biggest threat to Kitasan Black. Mirco Demuro rides.

Rey De Oro has won five from six and is this year’s Japanese Derby winner. Last out, he topped Kiseki in the Kobe Shimbun Hai and Kiseki went on to win the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger). Christophe Lemaire, who currently leads Japan’s jockeys with 173 wins, is in the saddle.

Makahiki won the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) last year and went on to win the Grade 2 Prix Niel in France before disappointing in the Arc. His four starts this year, two at the top level, two at the Grade 2 level, have reaped him a third, fourth, sixth and fifth.

Rainbow Line finished sixth in last year’s Japan Cup and finished third in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), his best result in his four starts since the 2016 Japan Cup. If it comes down to late speed, this son of Stay Gold is a good bet to round out a wager.

Soul Stirring became Frankel’s first Group 1 winner in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) in May. Last time out she was sixth in the Tenno Sho behind Kitasan Black.

Guignol won the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Bayern in a close finish with Iquitos last time out in Munich.

Boom Time sprung a shock in the Caulfield Cup. His trainer David Hayes won the Japan Cup with Better Loosen Up in 1990.