While some of Japan’s best are in Dubai, there’s big money to be had back home in the G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin Racecourse on Sunday, 31 March .

Though only in its third year since becoming a G1 race, the 2000m Osaka Hai has been around for over six decades. The Osaka Hai attracts not only top middle distance gallopers but also horses suited to longer distances and is often used as a prep for the spring version of the Tenno Sho (G1 3200m) at Kyoto.

Eight G1 champions will start in the race, including two Japanese Derby (2400m) winners – Makahiki and Wagnerian; two Satsuki Sho (2000m) winners – Epoca d’Oro and Al Ain; and one winner of the Kikuka Sho (3000m) – Kiseki. Two Mile Championship winners — Persian Knight and Stelvio – are also participating, as is the winner of last year’s Arima Kinen (2500m) – Blast Onepiece.

Runners put in their final fast work on Wednesday morning at Ritto and Miho training centres.

Blast Onepiece returned to the track for the first time since his Arima Kinen run and he looked in fine shape as he worked in tandem on the Miho woodchip flat course.

Jockey Kenichi Ikezoe said, “He was very calm and relaxed and his running was smooth. He has got better with each bit of work and I think he’s come along nicely.” Blast Onepiece clocked 49.7 seconds over 800m.

The four-year-old son of Harbinger returned to the training centre one week earlier than his usual three weeks before a race. “I’ve given him more workouts than usual, and given him more time to come up to peak,” said trainer Masahiro Otake.

Wagnerian, who has not raced since his win in the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai on 23 September at Hanshin, worked solo up the hill course at Ritto under assistant trainer Yusuke Oe. He looked sharp in his work with no urging and clocked 54.2 seconds over 4 furlongs, with a final furlong time of 12.4 seconds.

“I focused on the finish, but he felt good all around,” said Oe. “He’s in good shape, relaxed and nicely toned now.”

Yuichi Fukunaga, who rode the winner in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen last week, will be in the saddle on Sunday. “His breathing isn’t bad and he’s moving well,” Fukunaga said. “I personally am looking forward to this race and am going to give it my best.”

In the Derby, Wagnerian battled fiercely in the heated final stages, ultimately winning by half a length under Fukunaga. It was a gutsy show of strength in a race that saw five horses, including Epoca d’Oro and Blast Onepiece, finish within 0.2 seconds of him.

The spotlight Wednesday was also on Kiseki, winner of the 2017 Kikuka Sho, the final leg of the Japanese Triple Crown. Kiseki finished fifth after leading the field in the Arima Kinen last year. It was his third G1 in two months, following a third in the Tenno Sho Autumn (2000m) and a second in the Japan Cup (2400m).

Now a five-year-old, Kiseki worked solo on the woodchip flat course at Ritto under assistant Yasuyuki Tsujino and clocked 68.2 seconds over 5 furlongs with no urging. He looked sharp.

“We gave him a hard workout last week, so today we just gave him a blowout to see how he felt,” said Tsujino. “He seems fit and has matured physically. I think he’ll go to the gate in the same shape as he was for the Arima Kinen.”

Yuga Kawada has the ride on Sunday and spoke on Wednesday, “He really raced well last year and gave his all. The change of racecourse isn’t a problem and with this strong lineup, I’m hoping he’ll show us his best.”