Nakayama Racecourse will host the 69th running of the G1 Arima Kinen (2500m) this Sunday (22 December), the most beloved race of Japan’s racing fans.

Following the shocking withdrawal due to lameness of expected heavy favourite Do Deuce  late Friday afternoon (20 December), racing fans are rushing to refigure their selections for the big event.

This year's Arima Kinen lineup includes ages spanning from three to eight, the most senior being Hayayakko , a strikingly beautiful white horse from the stable of veteran trainer Sakae Kunieda and the first pure-white horse ever to participate in the Arima Kinen.

The 2024 Arima Kinen field is packed with star horses, many of them on the receiving end of ballots cast from the fans, all vying for the Arima Kinen first-place prize of JPY500 million (approx. HK$25.85 million).

And the spotlight shifts quickly to those names, with two talented three-year-olds out in front. Urban Chic was the winner of the G1 Kikuka Sho (3000m), the final and longest of the Japanese Triple Crown. A son of Suave Richard, Miho-based Urban Chic  has yet to go up against older horses, but he's finished first, second and fourth at Nakayama from three runs, and most importantly, he's got Christophe Lemaire in the saddle.

Yesterday, following his final fast work on Thursday (19 December), Lemaire's comments were a strong reminder of just how far back his experience goes in Japan. His experience in the Arima Kinen, with 17 times around and three wins, five seconds and two thirds, make him by numbers alone a good pick.

Lemaire said, "he's (Urban Chic) still young, but he has fantastic ability, so I have my hopes up."

The same goes for Danon Decile, who won the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby, 2400m) this year. He's fresh and relatively well-prepared returning from an sixth-place finish in the Kikuka Sho. He also won over the Nakayama 2000m earlier this year. His trainer, Shogo Yasuda, is low-key in commenting on his chances of winning a tough race like the Arima Kinen.

"There are going to be new speeds and new paces he hasn't experienced before. I hope they'll stand him well in the future." Yasuda said.

And, Bellagio Opera has moved closer to the spotlight with the sudden changes. A four-year-old colt, he, like Danon Decile, will be shipping east from Ritto. The colt is fresh and looking much more on his toes.

His wins have come at 1800m-2000m, but trainer Hiroyuki Uemura believes he'll be able to handle the Nakayama 2500m.

"There'll be no problem. He starts well. He's highly maneuverable and he has good racing sense," Uemura said.

Bellagio Opera also finished a respectable fourth in the Tokyo Yushun.

Stars On Earth and Stunning Rose are also seen as solid contenders. Stunning Rose is coming off a win of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2200m) at Kyoto on 10 November. She'll have a new partner up in Ryan Moore and trainer Tomokazu Takano is confident.

"She came out of the QEII well and is still fresh and maintaining that heading in to the Arima. She's up against males and strong horses, but she has won two Group 1 events and we're going in with confidence," Takano said.

Stars On Earth returns from a seventh in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) under Yuga Kawada and comes back off a long layoff. Trainer Mizuki Takayanagi is still going into the Arima Kinen with high hopes.

"Last year, she was at a disadvantage with the wide draw (gate 16)," Takayanagi said. This year, she drew the lucky gate seven. Stars On Earth finished half a length behind Do Deuce in last year's Arima Kinen under Lemaire, but this time will be paired again with Kawada, who rode her win of the filly Classic G1 Oka Sho (1600m) in early 2022.