Chukyo Dirt Race 9 - #9 Dreyse 

This lightly raced filly has built a nice record of three wins from six starts.

After scoring with a bit in hand over this distance at Hanshin Dirt on 23 October she was turned out for a couple of months and resumed four weeks ago, again over the 1800m trip at Hanshin Dirt. Sent out as second favourite, she was there on the bend but folded quite badly and finished a well-beaten sixth. It was an out-of-character run but is worth overlooking as the stable is pressing on with her, a positive pointer that all is well. The engagement of Yuga Kawada, who has an impressive strike-rate when he rides for the Sugai stable, is another sign of intent from an in-form yard.

The four-year-old's best figures put her at the head of this field; we will trust that she is back to her best today and ready to build on that fine record.

Last-start winner Ater Astraea will be tough to beat. This filly started warm favourite last start here at today's trip but looked a forlorn hope on the bend before passing every runner to get up by 1.5 lengths. There is more depth to this line-up but she is going to prove very hard to hold out with a decent tempo likely.

Kokura Race 9 - #2 Dancing Needle 

This is a speedy filly who looks well placed.

Got off the mark with a soft maiden win three back then has raced in similar grade to today in the two subsequent runs. In the first of those she led over 1200m but found one better. Last time, when stepping up to 1400m for the first time, she again went forward and was there until late before being gunned down, finishing fourth and only a little over a length from the winner. Back to her preferred 1200m now and draws perfectly in gate two. Additionally, she filled a placing at her only run at this course and she looks hard to run down today.

Ruh is a progressive filly and looks the main threat. She was in the money at her first two runs then was off the mark with an easy maiden win at the last outing before a break. She is expected to return even better this time in work and on her figures to date she can certainly measure up to this while fresh.

Nakayama Race 10 - #6 Scintillation 

This daughter of Lord Kanaloa has not raced for ten months but has the class to despatch this field.

She opened last prep with a tough win over this course and distance then was tested at Grade 3 level and gave a great account, finishing well to get up for third as favourite in the Flower Cup, also an 1800m race at this venue. That was the last time we saw this sparingly raced four-year-old at the races.

The Ikegami stable has left no stone unturned for her long-awaited return, booking Lemaire to ride the filly for the first time. The gun French jockey's strike rate when he partners one from this stable sits at an impressive 22%. He has a nice mount in Scintillation to enhance that record. 

Best of the others is Grand Line who caught the eye when she flashed home into fifth when resuming here at this journey five weeks back, beaten just a length. The smaller field today will suit her racing pattern; watch for another big finish.

Nakayama Race 11 - #8 Rain From Heaven 

The Hori stable has been patient with this consistent entire, who last appeared eight weeks ago when he stormed home to grab second over 2000m at Tokyo, run in a scintillating 1.57.80. It was a career-high figure for this son of Duramente and a performance good enough to take out a race of today's calibre.

It is worth noting that he opened last prep off a slightly longer break with an inferior rating to the Tokyo effort, then went on to score second-up. Under a similar scenario today the five-year-old can win again in a race that looks to have plenty of speed, which sets things up perfectly. Kazuo Yokoyama is riding well and should take a sit behind the leading division then let loose in the run home.

Through Seven Seas has not won in almost two years and is back from a five-month spell today, but she is a classy mare who is more than capable of testing this field. She was beaten less than 5 lengths in the Japanese Oaks, and filled a minor placing at Grade 3 level, as a three-year-old. If near her best she will play a major role.

FP	Silk	Horse, Age & Sex Sire & Dam	Jockey Trainer	SP WT
1st		5. MEINER LAULEA (JPN) 3yo C GOLD SHIP (JPN) - MEINE BONHEUR (JPN)	Y KAWADA T MIYA	$4 56kg
		Thoroughbred Club Ruffian Co. Ltd.
2nd		1. ONE DIRECT (JPN) 3yo C HARBINGER (GB) - ONE TO ONE (JPN)	M DEMURO K FUJIOKA	$4.3 56kg
		Yoichi Aoyama
3rd		4. SESSION (JPN) 3yo C SILVER STATE (JPN) - MISS DUBAWI (GB)	RYUSEI SAKAI TAKASHI SAITO	$4.5 56kg
		Masamichi Hayashi
4th		7. SYRINGA VULGARIS (JPN) 3yo C ORFEVRE (JPN) - LILACS AND LACE (USA)	ATSUYA NISHIMURA MIKIO MATSUNAGA	$68.2 56kg
5th		3. SERENDIPITY (JPN) 3yo C DURAMENTE (JPN) - JEALOUSY (JPN)	KOHEI MATSUYAMA H OTONASHI	$2.3 56kg
6th		2. TWO M RUYI (JPN) 3yo F BAGO (FR) - CAT GIRL (JPN)	KATSUMA SAMESHIMA DAISUKE TAKAYANAGI	$60.5 54kg
7th		6. FOUR SIDE NINE (JPN) 3yo C SATONO DIAMOND (JPN) - TWIN TAIL (JPN)	DAVID EGAN Yutaka Okumura	$10 56kg