Arima Kinen
Japan | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Arima Kinen is a Grade 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for open class stayers at Nakayama racecourse conducted by the Japan Racing Association.
The Arima Kinen is run over 2500m. It was first run in 1956 and was won by Meiji Hikari.
Originally only open to Japanese horses, in 2000 a Japan Cup winner was allowed and then in 2007, when it attained international Group 1 status, more overseas horses are allowed to run.
The Arima Kinen was worth JPY1,090,000,000 in 2025.
Nakayama is a right handed course with the 2500m start entering the home running.
The way the field is determined is the vast majority are voted on by fans and then the remainder are from prizemoney earned from the next nominated horses.
Regarding the vote leaders, since 1985 eleven times that horse has gone on to win the race with Efforia the most recent.
Six horses have won two Arima Kinens with the most famous of late being Orfevre (2011 & 2013).
You won't see a more impressive winner than the 5L romp by Lys Gracieux at her last run coming off her 2019 Cox Plate victory.
Equinox has been a global star including his big win in this race in 2022.
Three year olds have a tremendous record with 13 winners in the last 30 years, but 8 of the last 15.
Yasutoshi Ikee has won 4 runnings as trainer in the last 16 years. Yutaka Take joined Kenichi Ikezoe with 4 winners as a rider. Take's span of winners were 33 years apart.
Notable winners of the Arima Kinen include Do Deuce (2023), Equinox (2022), Chrono Genesis (2020), Lys Gracieux (2019), Kitasan Black (2017), Gentildonna (2014), Orfevre (2011/2013), Deep Impact (2006), Heart's Cry (2005), Zenno Rob Roy (2004), Symboli Kris S (2002/2003), T M Opera O (2000), Grass Wonder (1998/1999), Tokai Teio (1993), Oguri Cap (1988/1990), Symboli Rudolf (1984/1985) and Speed Symboli (1969/1970).
The 2024 Arima Kinen was won by Regaleira from Shahryar and Danon Decile.
Previous Arima Kinen Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
MUSEUM MILE
(JPN)
3C LEONTES (JPN) - MUSEUM HILL (JPN) HEART'S CRY (JPN) |
CRISTIAN DEMURO | 56.0 | DAISUKE TAKAYANAGI | 4 |
|
|
REGALEIRA
(JPN)
3F SUAVE RICHARD (JPN) - ROCA (JPN) HARBINGER (GB) |
K TOSAKI | 54.0 | TETSUYA KIMURA | 8 |
|
|
DO DEUCE
(JPN)
4H HEART'S CRY (JPN) - DUST AND DIAMONDS (USA) VINDICATION (USA) |
YUTAKA TAKE | 58.0 | Y TOMOMICHI | 5 |
|
|
EQUINOX
(JPN)
3C KITASAN BLACK (JPN) - CHATEAU BLANCHE (JPN) KING HALO (JPN) |
C P LEMAIRE | 55.0 | TETSUYA KIMURA | 9 |
|
|
EFFORIA
(JPN)
3C EPIPHANEIA (JPN) - KATIES HEART (JPN) HEART'S CRY (JPN) |
TAKESHI YOKOYAMA | 55.0 | Y SHIKATO | 10 |
|
|
CHRONO GENESIS
(JPN)
4F BAGO (FR) - CHRONOLOGIST (JPN) KUROFUNE (USA) |
YUICHI KITAMURA | 55.0 | TAKASHI SAITO | 9 |
|
|
LYS GRACIEUX
(JPN)
5M HEART'S CRY (JPN) - LILISIDE (FR) AMERICAN POST (GB) |
DAMIAN LANE | 55.0 | Y YAHAGI | 6 |
|
|
BLAST ONEPIECE
(JPN)
3C HARBINGER (GB) - TSURUMARU ONEPIECE (JPN) KING KAMEHAMEHA (JPN) |
K IKEZOE | 55.0 | MASAHIRO OTAKE | 8 |
|
|
KITASAN BLACK
(JPN)
5H BLACK TIDE (JPN) - SUGAR HEART (JPN) SAKURA BAKUSHIN O (JPN) |
YUTAKA TAKE | 57.0 | H SHIMIZU | 2 |
|
|
SATONO DIAMOND
(JPN)
3C DEEP IMPACT (JPN) - MALPENSA (ARG) ORPEN (USA) |
C P LEMAIRE | 55.0 | Y IKEE | 11 |
|
|
GOLD ACTOR
(JPN)
4H SCREEN HERO (JPN) - HEILONG XING (JPN) KYOWA ALYSHEBA (USA) |
HAYATO YOSHIDA | 57.0 | TADASHIGE NAKAGAWA | 7 |
|
|
GENTILDONNA
(JPN)
5M DEEP IMPACT (JPN) - DONNA BLINI (GB) BERTOLINI (USA) |
K TOSAKI | 55.0 | S ISHIZAKA | 4 |
|
|
ORFEVRE
(JPN)
5H STAY GOLD (JPN) - ORIENTAL ART (JPN) MEJIRO MCQUEEN (JPN) |
K IKEZOE | 57.0 | Y IKEE | 6 |
|
|
GOLD SHIP
(JPN)
3C STAY GOLD (JPN) - POINT FLAG (JPN) MEJIRO MCQUEEN (JPN) |
H UCHIDA | 55.0 | N SUGAI | 13 |
|
|
ORFEVRE
(JPN)
3C STAY GOLD (JPN) - ORIENTAL ART (JPN) MEJIRO MCQUEEN (JPN) |
K IKEZOE | 55.0 | Y IKEE | 9 |
|
|
VICTOIRE PISA
(JPN)
3F NEO UNIVERSE (JPN) - WHITEWATER AFFAIR (GB) MACHIAVELLIAN (USA) |
M DEMURO | 55.0 | KATSUHIKO SUMII | 1 |
|
|
DREAM JOURNEY
(JPN)
5H STAY GOLD (JPN) - ORIENTAL ART (JPN) MEJIRO MCQUEEN (JPN) |
K IKEZOE | 57.0 | Y IKEE | 9 |
|
|
DAIWA SCARLET
(JPN)
4M AGNES TACHYON (JPN) - SCARLET BOUQUET (JPN) NORTHERN TASTE (CAN) |
KATSUMI ANDO | 55.0 | K MATSUDA | 13 |
|
|
MATSURIDA GOGH
(JPN)
4H SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - PAPER RAIN (USA) BEL BOLIDE (USA) |
M EBINA | 57.0 | SAKAE KUNIEDA | 3 |
|
|
DEEP IMPACT
(JPN)
4H SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - WIND IN HER HAIR (IRE) ALZAO (USA) |
YUTAKA TAKE | 57.0 | YASUO IKEE | 4 |
|
|
HEART'S CRY
(JPN)
4H SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - IRISH DANCE (JPN) TONY BIN (IRE) |
C P LEMAIRE | 57.0 | K HASHIGUCHI | 10 |
|
|
ZENNO ROB ROY
(JPN)
4H SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - ROAMIN RACHEL (USA) MINING (USA) |
O PESLIER | 57.0 | K FUJISAWA | 1 |
|
|
SYMBOLI KRIS S
(USA)
4H KRIS S (USA) - TEE KAY (USA) GOLD MERIDIAN (USA) |
O PESLIER | 57.0 | K FUJISAWA | 12 |
|
|
SYMBOLI KRIS S
(USA)
3C KRIS S (USA) - TEE KAY (USA) GOLD MERIDIAN (USA) |
O PESLIER | 55.0 | K FUJISAWA | 1 |
Related News
After Cavalierizzo won the Futurity last week two more are favoured to win the Hopeful.
The 70th running of the Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix) will be held on Sunday, 28th December and it is a 2,500m inner turf event at Nakayama Racecourse.
The 42nd running of the Hopeful Stakes will be held on Saturday, 27th December and it is a 2,000m turf event at Nakayama Racecourse.
One of the world’s great staying races is the Arima Kinen run at Nakayama on Sunday.
Class into the future comes from the Hopeful Stakes run at Nakayama on Saturday.
The males get their opportunity to run in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes run at Hanshin on Sunday.
Sunday’s (14 December) HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) is certainly high on quality, but what makes it an intriguing race is how tightly grouped the leading contenders are on ratings.
Selections and analysis for Sunday's (14/12/25) 10-race fixture at Sha Tin
“I want to give it a try in the future”
The 45th running of the Japan Cup will be held on Sunday, 30th November and it is a 2,400m turf event at Tokyo Racecourse.
Regaleira wins this year’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Kyoto.
Christophe Lemaire will be Japan’s representative at the 2025 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley on 10 December, as he returns to compete at the event for the first time in seven years.
But before Sunday's G1 we have Saturday's G2, the Daily Hai Nisai over 1600m.