Narukami

Flying the flag for the National Association of Racing (NAR) circuit, Diktaean emerged from Monday's G1 Tokyo Daishoten as a popular winner after the son of King Kamehameha produced a brave effort to deny hot favourite Mikki Fight (Drefong) at Ohi Racecourse. Trained locally by Katsunori Arayama, Diktaean raced enthusiastically in mid-division through the early stages, before enjoying the perfect tow from Mikki Fight when that rival began to engage top gear on the home turn. Everything appeared to be going to plan for the market leader when Christophe Lemaire...

Billed as Japan's richest race, the ¥960,040,000 (€5.2m) G1 Arima Kinen sees a slew of Group 1 winners vying for its ¥500,000,000 (€2.7m) first-place prize. Leading the way in the advance markets and by total votes delivered by the voting public is four-year-old mare Regaleira. The three-time Group 1 winner by Suave Richard will carry the silks of Sunday Racing. Christophe Lemaire will ride the daughter of Roca (Harbinger), who claimed the 2023 Hopeful Stakes--won today by Lovcen--the 2024 Arima Kinen, and last month's Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Assistant trainer...

Sunday, Chukyo, Japan, post time: 15:40, CHAMPIONS CUP-G1, ¥232,860,000, 3yo/up, 1800m Field: William Barows (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), W Heart Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), Meisho Hario (Jpn) (Pyro), Seraphic Call (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), Helios (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), Hagino Alegrias (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), Ramjet (Jpn) (Majestic Warrior), Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), Outrange (Jpn) (Regalo {Jpn}), Tenka Jo (Jpn) (Thunder Snow {Ire}), Sixpence (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), Narukami (Jpn) (Thunder Snow {Ire}), Sunrise Zipangu (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), Peptide Nile (Jpn) (King Kamehameham {Jpn}), Perriere (Jpn) (Henny Hughes), Luxor Café (American Pharoah)....

The Champions Cup on dirt has attracted a field of 16, and Narukami (Thunder Snow) holds pride of place in the advance markets on the back of his Listed Japan Dirt Classic victory in October. Chukyo's 1800-metre affair, a rare Japanese top-level event on dirt, is also the site of the favourite's only loss in six starts. Assistant trainer Hiroyuki Yamazaki said of the Godolphin homebred who is booked in post 12 with Keita Tosaki aboard, "Since the Kozukata Sho, he's been a bit tense when taking the bit and...