Christmas comes early, as usual, for fans of horse racing in Japan. This Sunday once again sees the Group 1 Japan Cup run at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, just a short distance away from the hustle and bustle of the capital.
This year marks the 44th time for the autumn showpiece, and it is part of the Japan Racing Association’s Autumn International Series of races, which comprises four weekends of Group 1 races.
First run back in 1981, the Japan Cup started as a challenge for Japanese horses to see how they would measure up against other top horses from different countries around the world. The first Japan Cup was won by the 5-year-old American-bred mare named Mairzy Doates, and was ridden by globe-trotting American jockey Cash Asmussen. It took the local horses a few years to match up to the might of the foreign runners, but sure enough, in 1984 — the year the race became officially recognized as an international Group 1 — Katsuragi Ace surprised at big odds and carried off the spoils for Japan.