Despite there being nearly 30 horses and six Japan-based jockeys in Dubai for Saturday's racing gala at Meydan, there's big action to be seen back home as well.
On Sunday, March 26, Chukyo Racecourse hosts the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, Japan's first turf Grade 1 of the year. The 53rd running of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, a sprint over 1,200 meters at the left-handed venue, has attracted 20 nominees vying for 18 berths and a chance at the top prize of JPY170 million.
Open to 4-year-olds and up, those nominees' range in age from 4 to 8, with seven fillies and mares in the mix.
Drawing the lion's share of the attention are top earners Meikei Yell, Namura Clair, Win Marvel and Pixie Knight, who is back racing after a layoff of over a year. Also garnering favor are relative newcomers Aguri and Vento Voce, who earned their Grade 1 berths with wins in the Hankyu Hai and Ocean Stakes, respectively.
The Takamamatsunomiya Kinen is a difficult test worthy of its status. It starts in the Chukyo backstretch and once the field straightens for home, there remain 412 meters and a hill rising two meters over 100 meters. Power and stamina, not only speed, are crucial.
The Takamatsunomiya Kinen is Chukyo's No. 11 race on the Sunday card of 12. Post time is 15:40 local time.
Here are some of the field's likely favored choices.
Namura Clair : Four months after her fifth place in the Sprinters Stakes, Namura Clair returned to scoop the Grade 3 Silk Road Stakes. Run over the same conditions as the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, the Silk Road Stakes saw her carry an assigned weight heavier than many of the other participants and a half kilogram more than she'll carry on Sunday. Considering a fleet final three-furlong time of 32.9 seconds in the Silk Road Stakes to her points, the 4-year-old Mikki Isle filly will most likely emerge the race favorite on Sunday. Winner of last year's Summer Sprint Series, Namura Clair has won four of her six career 1,200-meter starts and has proven an extremely consistent performer. She has only figured out of the Top 3 twice in her 11-race career. With three Grade 3 wins to date, top prize this week looks well within reach.
Aguri : This Japan-born 4-year-old son of Caravaggio has climbed steadily through the ranks on a four-way winning streak that saw him clinch the Grade 3 Hankyu Stakes last out at the end of February. The win handed him a ticket to the big time. His five victories thus far have been notched in the 1,400-1,600 meters range and the Takamatsunomiya Kinen will be only his second time over six furlongs after finishing fourth over the distance last summer. Key, of course, will be how he handles less ground, but a shorter time between races in this 1,200-meter bid. Trainer Takayuki Yasuda, in his last year before retirement, is gunning for one last chance to add another Takamatsunomiya Kinen victory to his current record of three, the highest among current JRA trainers.
Meikei Yell : Another progeny of Mikki Isle is the 5-year-old mare Meikei Yell. Fifth place in last year's Takamatsunomiya Kinen after being disadvantaged by an outside gate, Meikei Yell followed that up with two Grade 2 wins before a very disappointing and puzzling performance in the Sprinters Stakes. She then took on the Hong Kong Sprint in December, finished fifth of 14, and returns to the track for the first time since. The latter of her two Grade 2 wins last year (the Sankei Sho Centaur Stakes) is the more notable here, as it is run over the same conditions and she won it in record time. Proven with three wins over a left-handed track, and six graded-stakes victories to her name, Meikei Yell is most definitely in the running for her first Grade 1 victory.
Pixie Knight : Pixie Knight returns to the track for the first time in over a year following his run in the Hong Kong Sprint of 2021. The now 5-year-old son of Maurice had been on a roll heading into the Hong Kong Sprint, with a second in the Grade 3 CBC Sho, another in the Centaur Stakes, then a win in the Sprinters Stakes. Injured in the accident at Sha Tin, Pixie Knight escaped with his life, but a radial carpal fracture demanded time off. New partner Keita Tosaki is expected up on Sunday.
Naran Huleg : The now 7-year-old Gold Allure-sired Naran Huleg surprised (as eighth pick) when he captured last year's Takamatsunomiya Kinen by a neck over heavy ground. In fact, the huge upset of 2022 saw none of the race top four choices on the board. Naran Huleg went on to finish third in the Sprinters Stakes in October, which indicated his success was no fluke. However, last year he'd figured in the top three in all his four starts prior to the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, including a second in the Ocean Stakes. This year, on the other hand, following the Sprinters Stakes, he was 10th in the Hong Kong Sprint and was ninth last out in the Ocean Stakes, and finished 0.7 seconds behind the winner. Regular rider Kyosuke Maruta will be in the saddle on Sunday.
Win Marvel : A 4-year-old son of I'll Have Another, Win Marvel displayed consistency with last year. Returning this year after four months off, he only managed a seventh in the Silk Road Stakes, but a poor start and an assigned weight of 59kg (1kg more than this time) were surely strikes against him. With a smooth trip and improvement expected, his second Grade 1 bid could prove a winner.
Others to watch include:
The 6-year-old Vento Voce, disadvantaged by an outside trip, disappointed in his first Grade 1 bid last year (an 11th in the Sprinters Stakes). Early this month, however, he scored his second Grade 3 win in the Ocean Stakes. This will be his first time racing to the left on a track with turns. How he executes them will be key.
Not to be ignored is Lotus Land, a 6-year-old American-bred mare who grabbed second place in last year's Takamatsunomiya Kinen only a neck behind Naran Huleg. This year, she finished 0.2 seconds off the winner in the Grade 3 Kyoto Himba Stakes in February and is improving.
