Arima Kinen S1 - 5, 24/12/2017, Sunday Post Time 14:25
| 1 | Yamakatsu Ace | Good effort when 4th in this race last year. Two of his five graded stakes wins came at this course. Took G2 Kinko Sho (2000m) at Chukyo in March, before 1.3L 3rd to Kitasan Black in the G1 Osaka Hai (2000m) in April. Fair 8th latest in the G1 Japan Cup in November. Best on sound surface. |
| 2 | Kitasan Black | Received most votes from fans to run in this race, which will be the final run of his career. Held off Satono Crown by a neck on sloppy going in the Tenno Sho Autumn (2000m) two starts back. Lost a shoe when 3rd behind Cheval Grand in the Japan Cup (2400m) latest on 26 November. No track worries. Can lead or sit handy. |
| 3 | Queens Ring | This 5yo mare only hit the board once in 4 starts this season. Failed to defend her crown in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200m) in November. Two wins from two starts at the course. Tactically versatile. Favours an inside draw to save ground. |
| 4 | Bless Journey | Twice G3 winner as 2yo at 1600m & 1800m. Missed placing only once in 6 starts when 12th in the G1 Kikuka Sho (3000m) in October. Showed big improvement when 0.5L 3rd behind Satono Chronicle in the G3 Challenge Cup (2000m) early this month. Usually held up. No ground issue. |
| 5 | Tosen Victory | Claimed her first graded stakes at this course in March when taking the G3 Nakayama Himba Stakes (1800m). One-paced when 10th latest in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200m) at Kyoto in November. Tactically versatile. |
| 6 | Satono Chronicle | Twice placed at G2 level this year, in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai (2200m) in May and St Lite Kinen (2200m) at this course in September. Flopped when 10th in the G1 Kikuka Sho in October, before scoring his first graded stakes win in the G3 Challenge Cup (2000m) at Hanshin on 2 December. Usually settles midfield. Handles firm and good. |
| 7 | Sciacchetra | Finished second in the G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai (2400m), before taking his first graded stakes title over the course and distance in the G2 Nikkei Sho (2500m) in March. Career best when 4L 4th behind Satono Crown in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) in June. Out of sorts in two starts this autumn, including 11th in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) latest. Hold-up runner. No track worries. |
| 8 | Rainbow Line | Winless since the G3 Arlington Cup (1600m) in February 2016 but 2nd behind Satono Diamond in the 2016 G1 Kikuka Sho (3000m). Best performance from 5 starts this season was 2.8L 3rd behind Kitasan Black in the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn (2000m) in October. 6th latest in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) in November, covering the last 600m at a joint-fastest time of 34.6s. No track worries. Held-up for a late run. |
| 9 | Sakura Empereur | Won his first graded stakes this year in the G2 Sapporo Kinen (2000m) at Sapporo in August. Untested beyond 2000m, but proven on this track with 3 wins over 1800m & 2000m. Usually settles midfield, sometimes close to speed. No track worries. |
| 10 | Cheval Grand | Repeatedly proven competitive at top level and over longer distance, when 3rd and 2nd in the G1 Tenno Sho Spring (3200m) in 2016 and 2017. Breakthrough first G1 title in the Japan Cup (2400m) latest on 26 November. Versatile type of horse. No ground concern. |
| 11 | Rouge Buck | Runner-up to Mikki Queen in the G1 Japanese Oaks (2400m) in 2015. Unplaced in her first 2 starts in 2017, before taking the G2 All Comers (2200m) on this track in September. Finished 9th under Ryan Moore in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200m) in November latest. Usually settles back. Tested only on firm and good. |
| 12 | Satono Crown | Winner of the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) last year. Notched his first domestic G1 title in the Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) in June, before his narrow neck defeat to Kitasan Black in the subsequent G1 Tenno Sho Autumn (2000m) in October. Failed to kick when 10th in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) latest. Ryan Moore will be back on board this time. |
| 13 | Mikki Queen | Winner of the G1 Japanese Oaks (2400m) and Shuka Sho (2000m) in 2015. Decent efforts against opposite sex when 5th in this race last year, and 3rd in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) in June. Spelled for five months then ran a neck 3rd in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200m) at Kyoto latest on 12 November. Usually races held up. No ground concern. |
| 14 | Suave Richard | 0.8L 2nd behind Rey de Oro in the G1 Japanese Derby in May. Returned from 5-month spell to win the G2 Copa Republica Argentina (2500m) at Tokyo on 5 November latest. Only previous start at Nakayama was 6th in the G1 Satsuki Sho (2000m) in April. Races held up. No track concern. |
| 15 | Curren Mirotic | This 9yo has been winless since taking the G2 Kinko Sho (2000m) in 2013. Only started twice this term, finishing 8th in the G2 Kyoto Daishoten (2400m) in October and 5th in the G2 Copa Republica Argentina (2500m) latest in November. Usually leads or races close to the speed. |
| 16 | Sounds Of Earth | Second-place seven times in graded stakes, including this race in 2015, but yet to win a graded race. Below-par in two starts this autumn, including latest when 12th in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) in November. Hold-up runner. All runs in Japan have been on a firm track. |
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