Four meetings around Japan on Thursday with racing at Sonoda, Nagoya, Urawa and Kanazawa. We've done the form and landed on our best bets for the day.

Sonoda Race 7- #6 Alchera

Horses coming over from the JRA are always very hard to beat on the NAR circuits given the wide difference in class and Alchera looks one that can make a winning debut at Sonoda. The three-year-old colt has placed on five occasions from twelve starts and and horse capable of running second at Tokyo should be going close at Sonoda. He's had one start on dirt and ran third at Niigata so the surface should hold no concerns and he should just be too good for them. #7 La Purcelle is lightly raced and can improve off a strong maiden win two back.

Nagoya Race 5- #12 Glatten Haare

This three-year-old filly takes on the older horses but looks well placed having run very strong ratings at her last three starts, all of which would go very close to winning this. She was a good winner over 920m three starts ago before two solid second placings over 1400m, rating within a length all three starts. She now steps to 1500m which is fine given one of her two wins have come at the trip (again rating within a length of her best) and she should stride forward to race on the pace. #3 Kitano Portions looks the main danger from a nice draw but has a couple of lengths to find on Glaten Haare.

Urawa Race 11- #7 Apollo Bibi

Easily the race of the day in Japan with a handful of stakes performed horses going around and Apollo Bibi fits that bill having won the January, Chiba and Hatsuharu Stakes over his career. He resumed from a spell with a bold effort at Kasamatsu on muddy ground, leading at a fast tempo and just being overrun late over 1400m. He was forced to make an early mid-race move, sweeping to the lead before going down by just 0.5 lengths. With that run under the belt I think he can go one better and his peak ratings are the best in the field. #6 Luce D'oro beat him at Kasamatsu and is a big chance again, as is #5 Smile We who is proven over a mile and is established at a very high level.

Kanazawa Race 2- #2 Andare

Looks a race in two in Race 2 at Kanazawa and I'm with #2 Andare who had his winning streak of three broken last start, only able to manage second on muddy ground, beaten 2 lengths. His three wins prior were very good and have him marginally the highest rated horse going into this. I expect he'll vie for favouritism with #7 Pearl Again who started $1.30 last time out and was beaten. There isn't much between them but Andare rates slightly ahead and I doubt the market will have much between them.