TL;DR
- The Japan Cup (G1, 2400m) at Tokyo Racecourse features 18 participants, including eight Grade 1 champions.
- European Horse of the Year Calandagan is the sole international entrant, starting from gate 8.
- Derby champions Croix du Nord, Danon Decile, and Tastiera are among the strong contenders.
- Danon Decile is the leading contender, with Masquerade Ball, Shin Emperor, Admire Terra, and Durezza also considered strong contenders.
One of the biggest horse racing events to close out November, the Japan Cup (G1, 2400m) takes place at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday.
The JRA has revealed the lineup for the 18 participants, featuring eight champions from Grade 1 races. Despite only one contender arriving from abroad, that entrant is the European Horse of the Year Calandagan.
Masquerade Ball, who secured his inaugural G1 triumph in the Autumn Emperor's Cup, will start from gate 15, whereas this year's Derby champion, Croix du Nord, is assigned gate 2.
Calandagan will start from gate 8, and Tastiera, the 2023 Derby champion, is assigned gate 18. Meanwhile, Danon Decile, who triumphed in the 2024 Derby, will be in gate 14. The full lineup is available for viewing below.
Japan Cup 2025 Overview
- Race Name (Grade): The 45th Japan Cup (G1)
- Date: Sunday, 30th November 2025 (Japan Time)
- Start Time: 15:40 (06:40 UK time)
- Venue: Tokyo Racecourse (Fuchu City, Tokyo)
- Distance: Turf 2400m
- Conditions: 3 years+
EXPLAINED: Win vs Each-Way Betting | What is a NAP? | Cheltenham Odds
Japan Cup Entries and Draw
| Horse No. | Horse Name | Sex | Age | Weight | Jockey | Stable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Palace | Gelding | 6 | 58.0 | Cristian Demuro | Haruki Sugiyama |
| 2 | Croix du Nord | Colt | 3 | 56.0 | Yuichi Kitamura | Takashi Saito |
| 3 | Cosmo Kuranda | Gelding | 4 | 58.0 | Yuji Tannai | Shizuya Kato |
| 4 | Deep Monster | Gelding | 7 | 58.0 | Kohei Matsuyama | Yasutoshi Ikee |
| 5 | Sunrise Earth | Gelding | 4 | 58.0 | Kenichi Ikezoe | Koichi Ishizaka |
| 6 | Ho O Biscuits | Colt | 5 | 58.0 | Yasunari Iwata | Takeshi Okumura |
| 7 | Danon Beluga | Colt | 6 | 58.0 | Daisuke Sasaki | Noriyuki Hori |
| 8 | Calandagan | Gelding | 4 | 58.0 | Mickael Barzalona | F-H Graffard |
| 9 | Seiun Hades | Colt | 6 | 58.0 | Akihide Tsumura | Shinsuke Hashiguchi |
| 10 | Struve | Gelding | 6 | 58.0 | Akira Sugawara | Noriyuki Hori |
| 11 | Admire Terra | Colt | 4 | 58.0 | Yuga Kawada | Yasuo Tomomichi |
| 12 | Yoho Lake | Gelding | 7 | 58.0 | Mirai Iwata | Yasuo Tomomichi |
| 13 | Brede Weg | Mare | 5 | 56.0 | Tom Marquand | Keisuke Miyata |
| 14 | Danon Decile | Colt | 4 | 58.0 | Keita Tosaki | Shogo Yasuda |
| 15 | Masquerade Ball | Colt | 3 | 56.0 | Christophe-Patrice Lemaire | Takahisa Tezuka |
| 16 | Shin Emperor | Colt | 4 | 58.0 | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshito Yahagi |
| 17 | Durezza | Colt | 5 | 58.0 | Alexis Pouchin | Tomohito Ozeki |
| 18 | Tastiera | Colt | 5 | 58.0 | Damian Lane | Noriyuki Hori |
Japan Cup: Verdict
This year’s Japan Cup brings together three generations of Derby winners together with Europe’s Horse of the Year, Calandagan, in a truly elite lineup.
The race will again be run over 2400 meters at Tokyo Racecourse, a stage long known for favouring horses carrying the blood of Tony Bin, a stallion whose influence on this course has been felt for decades. Recent results underline that trend: Do Deuce (1st) and Durezza (2nd) filled the top two spots last year, while Liberty Island (2nd) and Stars on Earth (3rd) did the same the year before.
Three horses in the current lineup share Tony Bin's lineage: Ho O Biscuits, Danon Beluga, Admire Terra, Masquerade Ball, and Durezza. However, the initial pair haven't secured victories beyond 2400 meters and don't demonstrate sufficient endurance for this distance, thus they are removed from contention. The remaining trio exhibit the necessary ancestry and past performance to contend with this challenging track.
The leading contender for victory in this contest is Danon Decile. His commanding performance in the Dubai Sheema Classic, where he outshone Calandagan and Rebel’s Romance, was of international caliber and notably occurred before he reached his peak. His prior fifth-place showing can be disregarded due to the unusual turf surface and the substantial 61kg weight he carried. His capacity to perform at his best after a rest period was demonstrated in last year’s Derby, thus the interval is beneficial rather than problematic.
Among the main contenders are Croix du Nord, who secured the Japanese Derby title this year; Masquerade Ball, a horse adept at racing in Tokyo and carrying the lineage of Tony Bin; Shin Emperor, who was the second-place finisher in the Japan Cup last year; Admire Terra, possessing exceptional endurance within this group; and Durezza, who finished third last year and also benefits from Tony Bin's influence, performing well on this track.
Despite Calandagan being among the most skilled equines in the competition, his capability on Japan's considerably quicker terrain is yet to be demonstrated. Considering the recent difficulties encountered by European contenders in the Japan Cup, he has been intentionally excluded from the ultimate lineup.