This week’s big race – the G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) – is the last top-level event in a six-week Group 1 streak at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan.

No overseas challengers are in the mix this year and Japan-based nominees for the turf mile number 21, ranging in age from three to seven and including six Group 1 winners and four fillies or mares. Eighteen hopefuls will go to the gate, with stakes higher than ever in the 72-year history of the Yasuda Kinen, with a newly increased purse and top prize of JPY180 million.

The Yasuda Kinen is known for surprises not only in the top three but also in the winner’s circle, including last year when Danon Kingly stole the show from favourite Gran Alegria and captured his first Group 1. The race is also known as a stage for new talent to shine. In the last 10 runnings, six horses have notched their first Group 1 victory here.

This year, with both Danon Kingly and Gran Alegria retired, 2021 third-place finisher Schnell Meister is expected to emerge as the favourite on Sunday (5 June). The German-bred colt is returning directly from a poor showing in Dubai. Trainer Takahisa Tezuka says he’s ready after a two-month “reset” at the farm.

Elusive Panther is among those considered most likely to be among the top finishers. The four-year-old colt has shunned stiffer competition with four consecutive wins since a disappointing showing in last year’s G1 Satsuki Sho (2000m). He’s chasing a fifth consecutive win, with his most recent coming in the G3 Tokyo Shimbun Hai (1600m) at Tokyo in February.

A filly or mare has finished in the money every year for the last four years and there was a one-two by Gran Alegria and Almond Eye in 2020. Three girls are coming directly off the recent G1 Victoria Mile (1600m), held at Tokyo on 15 May.

Songline and Fine Rouge are most favoured. Songline, by Kizuna, is looking to avenge her loss by a nose to Schnell Meister in the 2021 G1 NHK Mile Cup (1600m) and the two youngsters will be meeting for the first time since then. Songline has had five starts since then, including a Group 2 win over the Tokyo mile and a win in the 2022 G3 1351 Turf Sprint (1351m) at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

Back home, she steps out after finishing fifth in the Victoria Mile, her first start in three months. Racing in ninth position in the field of 18, she managed to gain ground admirably to come within just over two lengths Sodashi. Trainer Toru Hayashi says she was disadvantaged by the slow pace and interference coming out of the backstretch.

“She put up a good fight and her second in the NHK Mile Cup tells me she can do well against male horses,” Hayashi said.

Fine Rouge finished second in both her Tokyo mile bids, including the Victoria Mile and the Tokyo Shimbun Hai. She’ll have a new partner this time in Yutaka Take, who just last week won a record sixth G1 Japanese Derby (2400m). A win Sunday would give him his fourth Yasuda Kinen crown – a new record.

Cafe Pharoah is one of two horses hailing from the Miho stable of Noriyuki Hori, who has notched four Yasuda wins. Cafe Pharoah claimed back-to-back wins of the G1 February Stakes (1600m, dirt).

But, all his success has come over dirt and his only start on turf was a ninth-place over 10 furlongs. Two-time Yasuda Kinen winning jockey Yuichi Fukunaga hops in the saddle and that may give him that winning edge, much as what’s hoped for Hori’s other runner Salios (eighth in this race last year). He’s back with Damian Lane, who rode Salios early in the five-year-old’s career. Lane and Salios finished third in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) in December and the two together have yet to figure out of the top three.