Dark Shadow

Dark Shadow (5yo, Horse)Mirco Demuro (jockey)
“I rode him for the first time today and he looks to be in good shape. Also, because he’s 5 years old, he knows very well what he needs to do. In any case, he’s in good shape and his movement is good. I don’t think there’ll be any problem with either the distance or the track. It was decided from before, that Eishin Flash, whom I won with in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), would be paired with Christophe Lemaire in the Japan Cup and I thought I wouldn’t have a ride in the Japan Cup. I’m very happy to have gotten such a good horse.”

Noriyuki Hori (trainer)
“The training up to last week had him just about ready, so today I just concentrated on tweaking the finish of his workout. Demuro told me that the horse felt good. (Dark Shadow‘s) last run in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) was a proper run and we had aimed him at that race all along so getting fourth was frustrating. When we run him at longer distances than 2,000 meters, the finish isn’t bad though, he likes the Tokyo venue. He’s still looking sharp so I really hope he’ll be able to run his own race and I hope he can do his best. I’d like if possible to at least once be able to give the staff something to really celebrate.”

Eishin Flash

Eishin Flash (5yo, Horse)Christophe Lemaire (jockey)
“I think the horse has gained a lot of confidence after winning such a big race as the Tenno Sho (Autumn). He’s nearly reached his full potential and I think that he’ll be able to run a good race in the Japan Cup. The Japan Cup gets a lot of attention from around the world, so I hope that the best horse can win it well.”

Hideaki Fujiwara (trainer)
“We decided our fall rotation with our sights set on the Tenno Sho (Autumn) so I think he may be tired, but from the outside all looks well. The venue is the same and he’s won the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) as well as the Tenno Sho, so I don’t think he’ll run an ungainly race. Mentally, he’s a strong horse and I have him in good shape, so my expectations are high.”

Fenomeno

Fenomeno (3yo, Colt)Yoshinori Saito (assistant trainer)
“I was really surprised that he was the favorite in his last run, the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and was wondering how he would do up against older horses for the first time. It was a good clean race so the finish was frustrating, but I think for a 3-year-old it was really a great race. I think that if that had gone neck and neck the results would have been different. Last week, we had Masayoshi Ebina ride to check how the horse felt. And today we checked how his responses in the finish were. I would say he was at his very best last time out so he couldn’t be any better. He is in good shape and can make it a good run. He hasn’t won a G1 race yet and he’s only 3 years old on top of that, so we’ll be going into with him as a challenger.”

Gentildonna

Gentildonna (3yo, filly)Yasunari Iwata (jockey)
“It is an honor to be racing in a Tokyo 2,400, the pinnacle of racing, along with such members asOrfevre, to name one. We will be going into it as a challenger. With our weight of 53 kg, I think we have a chance. As a 3-year-old filly, it is a potentially history-making challenge, but she has the potential to win and I think we can turn in quite a performance.”

Sei Ishizaka (trainer)
“She claimed the Filly Triple Crown, so compared to the pressure we’ve had all fall, this is a lot less. I think she can feel that too and I believe we can take on the challenge feeling a bit more relaxed. And I think that only having to carry 53 kg gives us quite an advantage. She certainly stacks up to all the 3-year-old fillies who have taken on the Japan Cup before and I think she can run a good race.”

Orfevre

Orfevre (4yo, Colt)Kenichi Ikezoe (jockey)
“I rode him in work for the first time since the Takarazuka Kinen and afterward his breathing was good and, in a good sense, his running had not changed. When I moved him out alone, he did waver a bit, but he does that, so I’m not concerned. Everybody knows this horse, so as a jockey it’s rewarding to be riding him. I’m looking for results and I’m going to be riding to win.”

Yasutoshi Ikee (trainer)
“I think our loss in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was a typical loss for this horse. If he would just run normally, he would be the No. 1 horse in the world. I want him to run a race that won’t be embarrassing for a horse that represents Japan. I’m betting on this horse’s potential and I’m taking on this challenge believing in him.”

Tosen Jordan

Tosen Jordan (6yo, Horse)Yasutoshi Ikee (trainer)
“He had a layoff and we also had to care for his cracked hoof, and I think that is still giving him a bit of concern when he runs. Still, he has been improving with each workout he’s gotten and, other than his hoof, there are no problems. We’re hoping to finish better than we did last year.”