Nov. 24 Japan Cup Preview: European Challengers and Japan’s Hopefuls
Japan Cup 2023 Preview
The Japan Cup, set for November 24, will feature three European horses:
- Auguste Rodin
- Goliath
- Fantastic Moon
These horses have collectively won nine graded or group 1 stakes.
For 18 years, Japanese horses have dominated the race. Japan aims to maintain this record.
Do Deuce is the key horse for Japan. This 5-year-old has won four top-level races, including the Tenno Sho Autumn on October 27. In the 2022 Japanese Derby, he defeated Equinox. Jockey Yutaka Take, who has won the Japan Cup four times, rides him.
Cervinia is the only 3-year-old filly in the race, ridden by Christophe Lemaire. She won the Japanese Oaks in May and recorded a time 0.3 seconds faster than the Japanese Derby winner, Danon Decile, who ran the same distance one week later.
Recent history shows that 3-year-old fillies can be competitive. For instance, Gentildonna and Almond Eye won the Japan Cup in 2012 and 2018. Curren Bouquets’or and Liberty Island finished second in 2019 and 2023, respectively, while Daring Tact placed third in 2020.
As the race approaches, all eyes will be on how these horses perform on November 24.