Two fantastic races are due to take place across Japan this weekend, with the renewals of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup 2023 and Fukushima Kinen.
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is one of Japan’s most prestigious races and a whole host of superb horses are set to contend for this top prize.
Set to start as the favorite is Brede Weg. Making just her fifth start, this will be her first foray into Grade 1 company but she arrives with high hopes following her second place in the 2023 Rose Diva.
In the Fukushima Kinen, a wide open betting contest awaits, with both Schilthorn and Ho O Emmy’s expected to start at the top of the market.
Queen Elizabeth II Cup
Grade 1, 1 mile and three furlongs, turf, open to fillies and mares aged three and older. Total prize pool: $850,000
Fresh off her second place finish in the 2023 Rose Stakes, Breda Weg will be hoping to mark her Grade 1 debut with a win. Highly talented, she was only narrowly denied in the Rose Stakes by the Classy Masked Diva, who has since finished second in the Shuka Sho.
With her efforts in the Rose Stakes looking like an exceptionally strong piece of form, she could take all of the beating.
Hoping to cause the favorite problems and inflict a second successive defeat is last year’s winner Geraldina.
Since her famous victory in last year’s contest, she has struggled for form – going winless in her last five starts and finishing outside of the top three in her last four.
Needing something to click, her trainer Takashi Saito has called on the services of top jockey Ryan Moore. Seemingly lacking pace, she may need the ground to be soft to be considered a serious challenger.
Likely to round out the top three in the pre-race betting is Harper. Like Brede Weg she has form lines which tie in with Masked Diva as she finished one place behind her in the 2023 Shuka Sho.
A Grade 1 race, that form stacks up nicely in this field. Likely to start at a price, she looks to be the best value angle of the contest.
Hoping to go one place better in this year’s contest is Lilac, who finished behind Geraldina in 2022’s edition.
Since that defeat she has posted some mixed results, finishing third in the 2023 Fuchu Himba Stakes before finishing well down the field in the 2023 Meguro Kinen. Although looking for a spark, her chances can’t be discounted.
The same can be said of Divina and Saliera.
Divina heads into the race thriving, courtesy of her victory last time out in the 2023 Fuchu Himba. That win should set her up for a real challenge and her connections will be hopeful of another big run.
Saliera has yet to run a Grade 1 race but shouldn’t be out of place in this lineup. A placed performer at Grade 2 and Grade 3 levels, she could start as a decent outside bet.
Queen Elizabeth II Cup 2023 Odds
Despite the threat of several others, Breda Weg should have too much class for this field and should mark her first Grade 1 start with a win. Expect Harper to run a big race at a bit of a price.
| Horse | Jockey | Odds from JazzSports |
| Brede Weg | C. Lemaire | +150 |
| Rouge Eveil | K. Matsuyama | +1400 |
| Harper | Y.Kawada | +720 |
| Roselite | R. Wada | +16000 |
| Izu Jo no Kiseki | Y. Iwata | +8500 |
| Divina | M.Demuro | +1300 |
| Geraldina | R.Moore | +400 |
| Shinryokuka | H.Kowata | +5600 |
| Art House | R.Saka | +1800 |
| Kukuna | S.Hamanaka | +9200 |
| Lilac | K.Tosaki | +760 |
| Gold Eclipse | M.Iwata | +3400 |
| Saliera | T.Marquand | +1250 |
| Maria Elena | K.Miura | +1450 |
| Big Ribbon | A.Nishimura | +3900 |
Fukushima Kinen
Grade 3, 2000 meters, turf, open to horses aged three and older. Total prize pool: $580,000
A highly competitive renewal of the Fukushima Kinen awaits, with several horses in with a real chance of victory.
Set to head the betting is Schilthorn, who will be hoping to go one place better than his second place finish in the 2023 Radio Nikkei Sho.
Having found life tricky when last seen in the 2023 Grade 2 Asahi Hai St.Lite a return to these slightly calmer waters should see him return to his best.
Hoping to make a real race of it will be Ho O Emmy’s. A consistent performer at this level, he finished third in both the 2023 Mermaid Stakes and 2023 Tanabata Sho. Both Grade 3 contests, he should be a major challenger once again but could be vulnerable to one or two.
Win Pyxis will head into the race fresh off the best effort of his career when finishing second in the Hokkaido Shimbun Hai Que Stakes. A Grade 3 contest, that should set him up nicely for a real shot at victory. The only concern is that his last start came back in July and there are several others who could be race fitter.
North the World is another potential contender, but will need to significantly step up if he is to land this contest. Finishing well down the field in the 2023 Grade 1 Osaka Hai, he could then only finish sixth in the 2023 Grade 2 Mainichi Okan. For those looking to back a horse at a price he could be an option, but he will need to produce a lifetime best effort.
Of those at bigger prices, Curren Leciel Bleu may make some appeal. Having raced in Grade 3 company in his last three starts he has yet to place, but hasn’t been without hope. Whilst a win seems unlikely, he could be capable of the upset.
With many in this year’s Fukushima Kinen are looking to find some form, one horse who heads into the race fresh off the back of a victory is Cantor.
A winner of the 2023 Kokura Nikkei Open, this will be his first Grade 3 start.
Likely to start at a huge price, few will expect Cantor to win, but the booking of Hollie Doyle is an interesting one and he could be capable of running a big race.
Fukushima Kinen 2023 Odds
There are several potential winners of this year’s Fukushima Kinen but it’s hard to look beyond Schilthorn and Ho O Emmy’s. Both have been consistent at this level, but it could be Ho O Emmy’s who may have the slight edge courtesy of his two thirds in this grade earlier in the season.
| Horse | Jockey | Odds from JazzSports |
| Another Lyric | G.Maruyama | +1810 |
| Curren Leciel Bleu | H.Yoshida | +1000 |
| Dante’s View | S.Ishibashi | +1730 |
| T O Sirius | Y.Fujioka | +1520 |
| Schilthorn | T.Ono | +460 |
| Ho O Emmy’s | H.Tanabe | +500 |
| Dandyism | A.Tomita | +1610 |
| North the World | T.Danno | +640 |
| Vin Quet Domingo | Y.Tsunoda | +7500 |
| Gruner Green | T.Nagano | +1900 |
| Achernar Star | Y.Tannai | +1000 |
| Naimama | M.Muto | +13500 |
| Win Pyxis | M.Matsuoka | +650 |
| Babbitt | H.Uchida | +1420 |
| Cantor | H.Doyle | +1660 |
| Unicorn Lion | Y.Kokoburn | +2400 |
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