A have a look at the previous two editions of the Japan Cup (G1) suggests the up to date bonus scheme put in place in 2020 is undertaking its objectives.
After the 2019 Japan Cup failed to draw a single worldwide runner, the Japan Racing Affiliation determined to think about a brand new strategy to its purse construction. It settled on a profitable bonus program that encourages native horses to enterprise abroad for prime worldwide races forward of the Japan Cup whereas offering an motive for worldwide runners to journey to the Far East to compete within the race.
The three worldwide runners on this yr’s area Nov. 24 at Tokyo Racecourse will race for a handbag that may very well be value as a lot as ¥1.085 billion (US$7,004,000 million), with about half of that purse, $3 million if the race is gained by a world starter, coming from the bonus program. Native runners are competing for a base purse of ¥500 million however they are often eligible for as much as an extra $2 million by bonus- qualifying victories in chosen worldwide races.
“We developed the the bonus system through the years, however in 2019, sadly, there have been no abroad runners within the Japan Cup,” mentioned Araki Ryusuke, a deputy supervisor in JRA’s Worldwide Division. “That was a giant second for JRA to consider tips on how to appeal to abroad trainers. That was a giant occasion that made us really feel like we would have liked to do one thing.”
Beneath this new plan, Japan-based Equinox traveled out of Japan and dominated the 2023 Dubai Sheema Basic (G1T). With that victory underneath his belt, he secured the total Japan bonus when he gained final yr’s Japan Cup by 4 lengths.
This yr’s $3 million winner’s bonus for worldwide runners has helped appeal to a robust trio of runners in Auguste Rodin , Goliath , and Improbable Moon . Moreover the $3 million bonus for victory, they’re additionally eligible for a $1.2 million bonus for second and $750,000 for third.
For worldwide runners, Japan Cup qualifying races that make runners eligible for the bonus are contested in seven nations. Auguste Rodin punched his ticket by a victory within the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1), Goliath certified by his win within the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1), and Improbable Moon grew to become bonus-eligible by profitable the Grosser Preis Von Baden (G1).
Qualifying races that have been provided this yr in the USA have been all grade 1 stakes on the turf: the Manhattan, Arlington Million, Sword Dancer, Joe Hirsch Turf Basic, and Breeders’ Cup Turf.
John Stewart’s Resolute Racing is almost all proprietor of Goliath. The Lexington resident famous that moreover the profitable purse construction and bonus program, the Japan Cup presents terrific advantages for homeowners.
“I believe it is superior. I imply, we make $270,000 (in purse cash) irrespective of how we do within the race, and so they paid for every part,” Stewart mentioned. “One factor I’ll say concerning the JRA is that they’ve been very hospitable. Not solely did they provide to pay for us to return over and our inns, however they did that for even the minority proprietor (Baron Philip von Ullmann), for the coach, for all of the workers, for everyone.”
Stewart loves worldwide racing and want to see extra American trainers think about these choices.
“The one means we will actually take a look at ourselves is to open up the competitors and compete towards one another,” Stewart mentioned. “People are horrible. I’ve obtained prime trainers in America, and I had horses that I needed to go to Royal Ascot. None of them would go, proper? They will not go. They’re going to say, ‘Effectively, the prize cash shouldn’t be what it ought to be.’ I do not care concerning the prize cash.
“What I’ve little interest in doing is taking a horse and profitable a bunch of races one yr after which simply racing in the identical races the subsequent yr, which appears to be what we do in America. When I’ve a horse that is been profitable like that, I need to take into consideration, ‘OK, will we go to Australia? Will we go to Japan? Will we go to those different locations and actually take a look at them.’ “
In London to honor Equinox’s recognition because the World’s Finest Racehorse in January, JRA president and CEO Masayoshi Yoshida mentioned he want to see extra worldwide runners within the Japan Cup.
“We want to have extra worldwide racing in Japan—we’d have favored to have seen them race towards Equinox in Japan,” Yoshida mentioned. “We want to see the perfect horses from all over the world come compete with the perfect Japanese horses. We would like extra Japanese followers to look at the excessive stage of racing that worldwide runners convey.”
With the bonus program in place, it seems Japan is making progress on that aim.
