The G1 Tenno Sho is one of Japan’s most prestigious races and the autumn version over 2000m is considered one of the toughest elite contests Japanese racing has to offer. Winning the “Emperor’s Prize” goes beyond pocketing the JPY200 million (HK10.7 million) prize – it’s one of racing’s greatest honors.

This Sunday’s (30 October) test at Tokyo Racecourse features talent galore.

The Tenno Sho has traditionally been a stronghold of older horses, with six five-year-olds having made the winner’s circle in the last decade. Last year, however, the three-year-old colt Efforia and his young rider Takeshi Yokoyama brazenly topped the field, a feat 24 others his age had failed to achieve for 19 years. This year again, the older crowd has serious competition from the three-year-old talent.

The most established contender is arguably four-year-old Shahryar, who last year had topped G1 Satsuki Sho (2000m) champ Efforia by a nose to win the G1 Japanese Derby (2400m). After a third in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) in 2021, the Deep Impact colt traveled to Dubai and captured the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m), then was sent to Ascot, where heavier ground played a factor in his fourth-place finish, nonetheless a Japan best. Shahryar has been training diligently since his return to Ritto in mid-September and is to be paired with Cristian Demuro, who was up for both starts overseas and will ride in Japan on a short-term licence.

Likely to take the lead Sunday is another who shone abroad this year, five-year-old Panthalassa. In the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) in late March, he went wire to wire to finish in a dead-heat alongside Lord North. A son of Lord Kanaloa, six-time Group 1 winner and a familiar name to Hong Kong fans, Panthalassa has six wins from 1800m-2000m, including a win over the Tokyo 2000m at the Listed level. Last out in mid-August, he was beaten by a neck in a Sapporo Group 2 contest over the same distance by another Tenno Sho heavyweight – Jack d’Or. 

Jack d’Or has reaped seven victories and two seconds from 11 starts, all of them over 2000 metres. Though he has excellent early speed, he has other options than to lead. Returning in mid-August nearly five months from his fifth-place performance in the G1 Osaka Hai (2000m), his only previous Group 1 bid, he stalked the frontrunners to win the G2 Sapporo Kinen (2000m). Jack d’Or is sired by Maurice, who finished second in the Sapporo Kinen in 2016 and went on to win the Tenno Sho the same year.

The three-year-old brigade this year is headed by Equinox, who teams with Christophe Lemaire. The lightly-raced Kitasan Black colt, winner at the Group 2 level, attempts to land his first Group 1 after finishing second in two of the classics, the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby.

His four starts (1-1-2-2) have demonstrated his ability to race from any position and to prevail over less-than-ideal draws. In both classics, he broke from the No. 18 gate. Equinox hails from the Miho barn of Tetsuya Kimura, who also fields Geoglyph, this year’s Satsuki Sho winner. He, too, returns first-up from the 29 May Derby, where a difficult trip and the distance factored in his seventh-place finish. Also highly versatile, his three wins from six starts have all come over 1800m-2000m and a return to the distance will be a plus, as will having veteran Yuichi Fukunaga in the saddle.

Completing the trio of three-year-olds and likely the most interesting of the top picks odds-wise, is the Heart’s Cry colt Danon Beluga, a G3 winner over the Tokyo 1800. His career experience is similar to that of Equinox and Danon Beluga also goes to the gate for only the fifth time. But, he trailed Equinox in both the Satsuki Sho and Derby in fourth place, two and a half lengths off the winners. With more room to run at the spacious Tokyo venue and back at 2000 metres, it would be no surprise if Miho-based Danon Beluga could reel in a big one.