Adrian Webber

Keiba Diary: gift-wrapped Equinox

Adrian Webber sees the Takarazuka Kinen as a perfect summer gift, Lemaire and leading sire Lord Kanaloa maintain their hot form, and Imamura returns with a win.

Homan Ho

JRA Blackbook: Derby longshot rattles into autumn calculations

Star jockey Damian Lane dominated Derby day with a four-timer, but behind Tokyo Yushun winner Tastiera another colt served notice of a promising future.

Yushun Himba G1 Guide

The second leg of Japan's Triple Tiara for three-year-old fillies, the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) is a test of stamina that has been won by past greats including Almond Eye, Gentildonna and Loves Only You.

莫瑾賢

【從練首次】Red Mon Reve為蛯名正義帶來首個級際賽冠軍

這匹由第二季成為練馬師，前頂尖騎師訓練的級際賽頭馬，將以下月安田紀念賽為目標。

David Morgan

Red Mon Reve earns Ebina a notable first

The Yasuda Kinen is the next target as the former top jockey gets his Group race tally as a trainer up and running in only his second season.

NHK Mile Cup G1 Guide

Tokyo's NHK Mile Cup in May provides a still-testing 1600m Group 1 option for those perhaps lacking in the requisite stamina to take on Japan's best staying three-year-olds over the Classic distances.

David Morgan

Liberty Island makes Yankee Rose the height of fashion

Japanese breeders have sourced top international broodmare prospects for decades but in recent years they have cherry-picked Group 1-winning mares from Australia and the latest rising star is rich reward for that approach.

Asian Racehorse Rankings

2023 Tokyo Yushun rankings: Opera singing Derby tune?

Unbeaten Lord Kanaloa colt Bellagio Opera enters the top 18 in our expert panel's Tokyo Yushun Rankings after a strong win in the G2 Spring Stakes at Nakayama.

Adrian Webber

Keiba Diary: cherry blossoms signal the first Classic is almost here

It’s springtime in Japan and Adrian Webber has his eye on emerging talents ready to bloom, recaps the Dubai action, and looks ahead to the Osaka Hai and the Oka Sho.

Takamatsunomiya Kinen G1 Guide

The Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo is one of only two Grade 1 sprint races in Japan, and is the only JRA Grade 1 not held at one of the 'big four' tracks Tokyo, Nakayama, Kyoto or Hanshin.

David Morgan

Lord Kanaloa has the edge as the old sires give way to the new

Japan’s greatest sprinter might not be its greatest sire, but as his son Panthalassa is emphasising, he can produce versatile, top-class types, and for now he is the front-runner in the post-Deep Impact stallion rankings.

Adrian Webber

Keiba Diary: Japan’s stars are all set for Dubai and the Takamatsunomiya Kinen

This week we have crash helmets and flying taxis as Adrian Webber rounds up what’s been happening in Japan and looks ahead to the JRA’s first Group 1 of the year.

David Morgan

Japan’s stallions in 2023: freshman sires to watch, new North American influences and the Deep Impact dilemma

This week's Asian Bloodstock Report analyses Japan’s stallion landscape as the freshman sires that entered the breeding sheds in the immediate wake of Deep Impact’s passing will soon have their first runners in Japan.