The is a

Grade 1 First grade (also called Grade One, called '' Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade. Examples b ...

flat

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

in Japan open to

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

s which are three-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres (approximately 6 furlongs) at

Nakayama Racecourse is located in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 165,676. It was built in 1990. Physical attributes Nakayama Race Course has two grass courses, a dirt course, and a jump course. The turf's measures 1 ...

, and it takes place annually in late September or early October. It was first run in 1967, and was given Domestic Grade 3 status when race grading was introduced to Japan in 1984. This was elevated to Domestic Grade 2 in 1987, Domestic Grade 1 in 1990, and to its present level in 2006. Horses trained outside Japan have been eligible to run in the race since 1994. Prior to 2000 the race was run in December, the week before the

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above and the world's largest betting horserace.

(Grand Prix). It is now the seventh leg in the nine race Global Sprint Challenge series, preceded by the

July Cup The July Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metre ...

and followed by The Age Classic. The 2014 running of the Sprinters Stakes was held at

Niigata Racecourse is located in Kita-ku Niigata, Niigata. It is used for horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance fo ...

, since Nakayama Racecourse was closed for renovations to the grandstand. The race was previously held in Niigata in 2002.

Winners since 1994

The 2002 race took place at

Earlier winners

* 1967 - Onward Hill * 1968 - Suzu Hayate * 1969 - Takeshiba O * 1970 - Tamami * 1971 - Kensachi * 1972 - Noboru Toko * 1973 - Kyoei Green * 1974 - Sakura Iwai * 1975 - Sakura Iwai * 1976 - Jumbo King * 1977 - Meiwa Kimiko * 1978 - Meiwa Kimiko * 1979 - Sunny Flower * 1981 - Sakura God * 1982 - Sakura Shingeki * 1983 - Shin Wolf * 1984 - Happy Progress * 1985 - Marutaka Storm * 1986 - Dokan Tesco * 1987 - King Frolic * 1988 - Dyna Actress * 1989 - Winning Smile * 1990 - Bamboo Memory * 1991 - Daiichi Ruby * 1992 - Nishino Flower * 1993 - Sakura Bakushin O

References

Racing Post ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of ...

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External links

Horse Racing in Japan

{{Japanese Grade I horse races Open sprint category horse races Horse races in Japan Turf races in Japan 1967 establishments in Japan Recurring sporting events established in 1967

Winners since 1994

Earlier winners

See also

References

External links