This year,
the Japan Cup will be held at Nakayama Racecourse because of the
reconstruction of Tokyo Racecourse.
The race
will be telecast live from Nakayama Racecourse to racegoers at Sha
Tin and Happy Valley on Sunday, 24 November. The event has been
scheduled as the fourth race on the day's programme at Sha Tin and
will start at 2:25 p.m.
The 2,200-metre
Japan Cup is a Group One invitation race open to horses aged three
years and over worth approximately US$3.96 million in total prize
money.
To help improve
the quality of Japanese racing and foster international goodwill
within the racing community, the Japan Racing Association introduced
the Japan Cup in 1981. The Cup has since grown in international
stature and has produced some of the most memorable races ever held
in Japan.
Japanese
contenders have won the last four Japan Cups with El Condor Pasa
(1998), Special Week (1999), T.M. Opera O (2000) and
Jungle Pocket (2001). Last year, with Olivier Peslier on
board, Jungle Pocket won by a neck from the defending champion
T.M. Opera O.
There are 16 runners in this year's
line up with seven overseas challengers (one from North America,
one from Hong Kong and five from Europe) taking on the home contingent.
