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This is the 160th running of this Aututmn Classic and this year it has a special title – Tennoheika Gosokui Keisuku.
This is to celebrate the Emperor's enthronement this week. There are 2 Tenno Shos or Emperor's Cups with the other being run in the Spring over 3000m and this one over 2000m.
As usual it has attracted a star-studded field. Almond Eye, by Lord Kanaloa, is a super-star and was the Horse of the Year for 2018. Christophe Lemaire rides and he's 1.7 in Japan and unlikely to get any wider. Saturnalia is another product of Lord Kanaloa and is very smart – he won the Satsuki Sho earlier and this time will be ridden by visiting jockey Christophe Soumillon. Danon Premium by Deep Impact is not always the luckiest of horses but he has certainly got talent and is on 10.5.
Others worthy of note include Wagnerian, another Deep Impact who won the 2018 Derby,
Suave Richard who is by Heart's Cry and can cause an upset without any problem and is on 18.1 and the mare Aerolithe on 25.2 could well be worth a bit of each-way.
On Saturday in Kyoto there's the G2 Swan Stakes which is quite open. Diatonic, with Soumillon on board, is on 4.6. Guanciale is on 4.8, Mozu Ascot on 5.0, Amalfi Coast 7.7 and Smart Odin with Yutaka Take riding is on 8.8.