Japanese horses have been in a rich vein of form in recent overseas races as decades-long efforts to improve domestically bred thoroughbreds have narrowed the gap with horses bred in Europe and the United States.
Japan-bred horses won five of the nine races at March's Dubai World Cup, including two Grade 1 turf titles. Last year's Japanese Derby winner Shahryar won the 2,410-meter Dubai Sheema Classic and Panthalassa the 1,800-meter Dubai Turf.
"There are lots of good horses in Japan. We can win wherever we go in the world," said Italian jockey Cristian Demuro, who won the Dubai Sheema Classic aboard Shahryar.
Panthalassa's trainer, Yoshito Yahagi, who also looks after Loves Only You, a three-time overseas G1 winner last year, said "the standard in Japan as a whole is on the rise."
The development of Japanese horses has been a long, slow effort since Hakuchikara became Japan's first overseas entry in 1958. But the industry has been making steady strides since Seeking the Pearl won in France in 1998 to become the first Japanese-trained horse to win a G1 race in Europe. In 2019, Japanese horses won a record eight G1 races abroad.
One part of the effort to breed horses that can compete on the world scene has been the Japan Cup. Launched in 1981, the race has given Japan the chance to invite the world's best horses to the country and thus heightened the awareness of the domestic industry.
Domestic farms and training centers were revamped during the same period, while Japanese went abroad to study training and riding techniques.
In a sport influenced significantly by breeding, the import of retired multiple U.S. G1 winner Sunday Silence as a stallion in the early 1990s was the next turning point, reflected in the ensuing success enjoyed by Deep Impact, sired by Sunday Silence, and their descendants in races home and abroad.
"By importing fast bloodlines from America, we've bred horses that can cope with fast tracks," said former trainer Kazuo Fujisawa, whose charges won 35 G1 races, including one overseas.
Zenya Yoshida founded the Shadai Thoroughbred Club, which brought Sunday Silence to Japan. Shadai Farm breeds and raises its own foals, while its head, Yoshida's eldest son Teruya, brings in breeding mares and stallions from abroad.
The Japan Racing Association generated 3 trillion yen ($23.3 billion) in revenue last year despite the pandemic, and Teruya's younger brother Katsumi, who runs Northern Farm, points out that handsome potential profits drive the growth.
"You can expect a return on your investment thanks to the good betting ticket sales and prize money. That's the wonderful thing about Japanese horse racing," he said.
The 400 million yen purses for winning the Japan Cup or Japan's Arima Kinen are among the world's highest single-race prizes.
Success, however, has yet to materialize in a victory at Europe's premier turf races such as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, where Japanese horses have only managed four runner-up finishes. A win at America's Kentucky Derby, on dirt, also remains elusive.
But on the back of strong performances of late, Katsumi Yoshida is hopeful the wait will soon be over. Japanese-trained Crown Pride, who won a G2 title in Dubai, is entered in the May 7 Kentucky Derby, while Shahryar is eyeing a spot in Paris this fall.
"Before too long, Japanese horses will be standing on top of the world," he said.
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