Takamatsunomiya Kinen
Japan | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Takamatsunomiya Kinen is a Grade 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for four year olds and above at Chukyo racecourse conducted by the Japan Racing Association.
The Takamatsunomiya Kinen is run over 1200m.
It was started as the Takamatsunomiya Hai when the victory cup was designed by Prince Takamatsu in 1971.
Given Domestic Grade 2 status when race grading was introduced to Japan in 1984, it was run over a distance of 2000m. It was then shortened to 1200m and elevated to Domestic Grade 1 in 1996 and now to its present level in 2006.
Horses trained outside Japan have been eligible to run in the race since 2001. It was renamed in 1998 because the family of Prince Takamatsu stopped designing the victory cup.
It is also the only JRA Grade 1 race not run in their 4 major racecourses of Tokyo, Nakayama, Hanshin and Kyoto.
The Takamatsunomiya Kinen was worth JPY368,200,000 in 2024.
Chukyo racecourse is a left handed course with the sprint start halfway up the back straight.
The 2011 Takamatsunomiya Kinen was run at Hanshin.
The five year olds have dominated in the last 26 years with 13 taking it out.
One of the great Japanese sprinters Lord Kanaloa won the race in 2013. He also won Sprinters Stakes x 2, Hong Kong Sprint x 2 and Yasuda Kinen in a sensational 15 month period.
Hong Kong's Aerovelocity for Paul O'Sullivan and Zac Purton scored in 2015. The gelding won in three different countries in four starts after a Hong Kong Sprint and Krisflyer in Singapore surrounded his Takamatsunomiya Kinen.
There was controversy in the 2020 Takamatsunomiya Kinen as roughie Mozu Superflare was awarded the race following a protest when Kurino Gaudi caused interference to multiple runners.
The most successful recent jockeys are Shinji Fujita and Yuichi Fukunaga with three wins.
Mitsuru Hashida, Noriyuki Hori, Takayuki Yasuda and Hidetaka Otonashi have multiple recent victories as a trainer.
Notable winners of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen include Danon Smash (2021), Fine Needle (2018), Big Arthur (2016), Aerovelocity (2015), Lord Kanaloa (2013), Curren Chan (2012), Kinshasa No Kieseki (2010/2011), Suzuka Phoenix (2007), Admire Max (2005), Believe (2003), Shinko Forest (1998) and Shinko King (1997).
The 2024 Takamatsunomiya Kinen was won by Mad Cool from Namura Clair and Victor The Winner.
Previous Takamatsunomiya Kinen Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
MAD COOL
(IRE)
5H DARK ANGEL (IRE) - MAD ABOUT YOU (IRE) INDIAN RIDGE (IRE) |
RYUSEI SAKAI | 58.0 | Manabu Ikezoe | 2 |
|
|
FIRST FORCE
(JPN)
7H LORD KANALOA (JPN) - RUSH LIFE (JPN) SAKURA BAKUSHIN O (JPN) |
TAISEI DANNO | 58.0 | MASAYUKI NISHIMURA | 13 |
|
|
NARAN HULEG
(JPN)
6H GOLD ALLURE (JPN) - KELLEY'S BEAUTY (JPN) BRIAN'S TIME (USA) |
KYOSUKE MARUTA | 57.0 | Y MUNAKATA | 2 |
|
|
DANON SMASH
(JPN)
6H LORD KANALOA (JPN) - SPINNING WILDCAT (USA) HARD SPUN (USA) |
YUGA KAWADA | 57.0 | TAKAYUKI YASUDA | 14 |
|
|
MOZU SUPERFLARE
(USA)
5M SPEIGHTSTOWN (USA) - CHRISTIES TREASURE (CAN) BELONG TO ME (USA) |
FUMA MATSUWAKA | 55.0 | H OTONASHI | 16 |
|
|
MR MELODY
(USA)
4H SCAT DADDY (USA) - TRUSTY LADY (USA) DEPUTY MINISTER (CAN) |
Y FUKUNAGA | 57.0 | H FUJIWARA | 3 |
|
|
FINE NEEDLE
(JPN)
5H ADMIRE MOON (JPN) - NEEDLECRAFT (IRE) MARK OF ESTEEM (IRE) |
YUGA KAWADA | 57.0 | Y TAKAHASHI | 9 |
|
|
SEIUN KOSEI
(JPN)
4H ADMIRE MOON (JPN) - OBSERVANT (USA) CAPOTE (USA) |
H MIYUKI | 57.0 | H UEHARA | 6 |
|
|
BIG ARTHUR
(JPN)
5H SAKURA BAKUSHIN O (JPN) - SIYABONA (USA) KINGMAMBO (USA) |
Y FUKUNAGA | 57.0 | K FUJIOKA | 4 |
|
|
AEROVELOCITY
(NZ)
7G PINS (AUS) - EXODUS (NZ) KAAPSTAD (NZ) |
Z PURTON | 57.0 | P O'SULLIVAN | 4 |
|
|
COPANO RICHARD
(JPN)
4H DAIWA MAJOR (JPN) - HIGASHI LYNX (JPN) TONY BIN (IRE) |
M DEMURO | 57.0 | T MIYA | 5 |
|
|
LORD KANALOA
(JPN)
5H KING KAMEHAMEHA (JPN) - LADY BLOSSOM (JPN) STORM CAT (USA) |
Y IWATA | 57.0 | TAKAYUKI YASUDA | 11 |
|
|
CURREN CHAN
(JPN)
5M KUROFUNE (USA) - SPRING TICKET (JPN) TONY BIN (IRE) |
K IKEZOE | 55.0 | TAKAYUKI YASUDA | 10 |
|
|
KINSHASA NO KISEKI
(AUS)
7H FUJI KISEKI (JPN) - KELTSHAAN (USA) PLEASANT COLONY (USA) |
UMBERTO RISPOLI | 57.0 | N HORI | 4 |
|
|
KINSHASA NO KISEKI
(AUS)
6H FUJI KISEKI (JPN) - KELTSHAAN (USA) PLEASANT COLONY (USA) |
H SHII | 57.0 | N HORI | 6 |
|
|
LAUREL GUERREIRO
(JPN)
5H KING HALO (JPN) - BIG TENBY (JPN) TENBY (GB) |
S FUJITA | 57.0 | M KON | 13 |
|
|
FINE GRAIN
(JPN)
5H FUJI KISEKI (JPN) - MILL GRAIN (GB) POLISH PRECEDENT (USA) |
H MIYUKI | 57.0 | H NAGAHAMA | 4 |
|
|
SUZUKA PHOENIX
(JPN)
5H SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - ROSE OF SUZUKA (IRE) FAIRY KING (USA) |
YUTAKA TAKE | 57.0 | M HASHIDA | 8 |
|
|
OREWA MATTERUZE
(JPN)
6H SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - CURLY ANGEL (JPN) JUDGE ANGELUCCI (USA) |
Y SHIBATA | 57.0 | H OTONASHI | 11 |
|
|
ADMIRE MAX
(JPN)
6H SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - DYNA SHOOT (JPN) NORTHERN TASTE (CAN) |
YUTAKA TAKE | 57.0 | M HASHIDA | 18 |
|
|
SUNNINGDALE
(JPN)
5H WARNING (GB) - KADIZADEH (IRE) DARSHAAN (GB) |
Y FUKUNAGA | 57.0 | TSUTOMU SETOGUCHI | 3 |
|
|
BELIEVE
(JPN)
5M SUNDAY SILENCE (USA) - GREAT CHRISTINE (USA) DANZIG (USA) |
KATSUMI ANDO | 55.0 | SHOICHI MATSUMOTO | 1 |
|
|
SHONAN KAMPF
(JPN)
4H SAKURA BAKUSHIN O (JPN) - SHONAN GRACE (JPN) LUCKY SOVEREIGN (USA) |
S FUJITA | 57.0 | Y OKUBO | 5 |
Related News
Hong Kong representatives Victor The Winner and Mugen will return from Japan to target the HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) on 8 December at Sha Tin after the pair were unplaced in today’s (29 September) G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama.
And at 28/1 could be called a bit of an upset.
Satono Reve is centre stage and in the spotlight heading in to his first top-level test – the G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama Racecourse on Sunday (29 September).
The 58th running of the Sprinters Stakes will be held on Sunday, 29th September and it is a 1,200m outer turf event at Nakayama Racecourse.
Gearing up for his second attempt at securing Group 1 glory in Japan, Victor The Winner got a first feel for Nakayama’s turf course on Wednesday morning (25 September) with jockey Joao Moreira in the plate for trainer Danny Shum.
