THE Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen marks the end of the first half of the year’s top-tier races on Japan’s racing calendar. Group 1 action is set to return in the JRA on September 29th with the Sprinter Stakes, which is the eighth leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.

Along with the Arima Kinen, the final Group 1 of the calendar year, the Takarazuka Kinen is the only other Grand Prix ‘All-Star’ race. This means the line-up is determined by votes from racing fans as to which horses are invited to compete.