The is a
horse race
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...
held twice a year in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "
Emperor of Japan
The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...
". The races are both International
Grade 1 races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Grade 1 races.
Spring
The Spring Tenno Sho is held at
Kyoto Racecourse
is located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is used for horse racing. It has a capacity of 120,000. The current stand was built in 1999.
History
Kyoto Racecourse opened at its current location in December 1, 1925.
In prepara ...
, in late April or early May. It is run over a distance of , making it the longest Grade 1 race in Japan.
Deep Impact won the 2006 version of the race setting the world record for a 3,200-metre race with a time of 3:13.4, beating the World Record set in the 1988
Wellington Cup by Daria’s Fun, held for almost 20 years of 3:15.59, the closest time run in The
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the ...
is 3:16.3. Deep Impact's record stood until
Kitasan Black won in 3:12.5 in 2017.
The average time 1990-2018 of the Tenno Sho is 3:16.7, while the same for the Melbourne Cup is 3:21.1, a difference of 4.4 seconds.
Winners since 1990
The 1994 race was contested at
Hanshin Racecourse
is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After World War II, GHQ orde ...
.
The 2021 and 2022 races were contested at
Hanshin Racecourse
is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After World War II, GHQ orde ...
, due to construction at Kyoto Racecourse.
Earlier winners
* 1938 - Hase Park
* 1939 - Sugenuma
* 1940 - Toki no Chikara
* 1941 - Marutake
* 1942 - Minami Mor
* 1943 - Grand Lite
* 1944 - Hiro Sakura
* 1945 - ''No race''
* 1946 - ''No race''
* 1947 - Olite
* 1948 - Cyma
* 1949 - Miharu O
* 1950 - Owens
* 1951 - Takakura Yama
* 1952 - Mitsuhata
* 1953 - Leda
* 1954 - Hakuryou
* 1955 - Taka O
* 1956 - Meiji Hikari
* 1957 - Kitano O
* 1958 - Onward There
* 1959 - Tosa O
* 1960 - Kuripero
* 1961 - Yamanin More
* 1962 - Onslaught
* 1963 - Korehisa
* 1964 - Hikaru Pola
* 1965 - Asahoko
* 1966 - Hakuzuikou
* 1967 - Speed Symboli
* 1968 - Hikarutakai
* 1969 - Takeshiba O
* 1970 - Riki Eikan
* 1971 - Mejiro Musashi
* 1972 - Bell Wide
* 1973 - Tai Tehm
* 1974 - Take Hope
* 1975 - Ichifuji Isami
* 1976 - Erimo George
* 1977 - Ten Point
* 1978 - Green Grass
* 1979 - Kashuu Chikara
* 1980 - Nichidou Taro
* 1981 - Katsura no Haiseiko
* 1982 - Monte Prince
* 1983 – Amber Shadai
* 1984 – Monte Fast
* 1985 -
Symboli Rudolf
* 1986 - Kushiro King
* 1987 - Miho Shinzan
* 1988 -
Tamamo Cross
* 1989 - Inari One
Autumn
The Autumn Tenno Sho is held at
Tokyo Racecourse
is located in Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan. Built in 1933 for horse racing, it is considered the "racecourse of racecourses" in Japanese horseracing. It has a capacity of 223,000, with seating for 13,750.
Tokyo Racecourse hosts numerous G1 (Grade 1) ...
, in late October. It is run over a distance of . It is considered the first leg of the Japanese Autumn Triple Crown (the other two are the
Japan Cup
The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...
and the
Arima Kinen
The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Conditions races, Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds three-years-old and above and the world's largest betting horserace. It is run in late December each year, over ...
).
Originally, the Autumn Tenno Sho was run over a distance of , but was shortened to its current distance to promote middle-distance horses and to promote 3-year-old horses as a shorter-distance alternative to the
Kikuka Sho, the Japanese St. Leger, which is .
Winners since 1990
*
Mejiro McQueen
was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. He was a late-maturing horse who did not emerge as a top-class performer until the autumn of his three-year-old season when he won the Kikuka Sho. Over the next three ...
finished first in 1991 but was demoted to last place following a Stewards' Inquiry.
@ The 2002 Autumn Tennō Shō was contested at Nakayama Racecourse, due to construction at Tokyo Racecourse.
# Also Japanese record of flat racing for oldest horse winning first G1 race.
Earlier winners
* 1937 – Happy Might
* 1938 - Hisatomo
* 1939 - Tetsumon
* 1940 – Rocky Mor
* 1941 - Estates
* 1942 - Ni Patois
* 1943 - Kuri Hikari
* 1944 - ''No race''
* 1945 - ''No race''
* 1946 - ''No race''
* 1947 - Toyo Ume
* 1948 - Katsu Fuji
* 1949 - Newford
* 1950 - Yashima Daughter
* 1951 - Hatakaze
* 1952 - Track O
* 1953 - Queen Narubi
* 1954 - Opal Orchid
* 1955 - Dainana Hoshu
* 1956 - Midfarm
* 1957 - Hakuchikara
* 1958 - Cellulose
* 1959 - Garnet
* 1960 - Ote Mon
* 1961 - Takamagahara
* 1962 - Kurihide
* 1963 - Ryu Forel
* 1964 - Yamato Kyodai
* 1965 -
Shinzan
* 1966 - Korehide
* 1967 - Kabuto Ciro
* 1968 - Knit Eight
* 1969 - Mejiro Taiyo
* 1970 - Mejiro Asama
* 1971 - Tomei
* 1972 - Yamanin Wave
* 1973 - Tani no Chikara
* 1974 - Kami no Tesio
* 1975 - Fujino Parthia
* 1976 - Eyeful
* 1977 - Hokuto Boy
* 1978 - Tenmei
* 1979 - Three Giants
* 1980 - Pretty Cast
* 1981 - Hoyo Boy
* 1982 - Mejiro Titan
* 1983 - Kyoei Promise
* 1984 -
Mr. C.B.
Mr C B (Japanese language, Japanese : ミスターシービー, April 7, 1980 - December 15, 2000) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing#Japan, Japanese Triple Crown in 1983. He was the first Tri ...
* 1985 - Gallop Dyna
* 1986 - Sakura Yutaka O
* 1987 - Nippo Teio
* 1988 -
Tamamo Cross
* 1989 - Super Creek
Multiple winners
Prior to 1980, a horse winning a Tennō Shō races was not allowed to participate in future editions of the race but this ban was lifted in 1981. Only two horses won the prize three times:
*
Kitasan Black (2016 Spring, 2017 Spring and Autumn)
*
T M Opera O (2000 Spring and Autumn, 2001 Spring)
Apart from Kitasan Black and T M Opera O, four horses to date have won consecutive runnings, either by winning both the Spring and Autumn races in the same year or by winning the Autumn race, and following year's Spring race.
*
Tamamo Cross (1988 Spring, Autumn)
*Super Creek (1989 Autumn, 1990 Spring)
*
Special Week
Special Week (, 2 May 1995 – 27 April 2018) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire (horse), sire. From 1997 to 1999, he won ten of his seventeen races including four at Graded stakes race, Grade I level. After winning his only start as ...
(1999 Spring, Autumn)
*
Meisho Samson (2007 Spring and Autumn)
Five horses have won two non-consecutive runnings.
*
Mejiro McQueen
was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. He was a late-maturing horse who did not emerge as a top-class performer until the autumn of his three-year-old season when he won the Kikuka Sho. Over the next three ...
(1991, 1992 Spring, finished 1st in 1991 Autumn but demoted to last)
*
Rice Shower (1993, 1995 Spring)
*
Symboli Kris S
Symboli Kris S (, foaled January 21, 1999 in the United States – December 8, 2020) was a Japanese Thoroughbred race horse and sire. He was voted Japanese Horse of the Year in 2002 and 2003. He was retired at the end of 2003 and was syndicat ...
(2002, 2003 Autumn)
*
Fenomeno (2013, 2014 Spring)
*
Fierement (2019, 2020 Spring)
*
Almond Eye (2019, 2020 Autumn)
*
Equinox
A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...
(2022, 2023 Autumn)
See also
*
Horse racing in Japan
is a popular equestrian sport in Japan, with more than 21,000 horse races held each year. Three types of racing take place in Japan - flat racing, jump racing, and Ban'ei Racing (also called Draft Racing).
In Japan, horse racing is organized b ...
*
List of Japanese flat horse races
This is a list of notable Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse races which take place annually in Japan. Except for the Tokyo Daishoten, all graded races are operated by Japan Racing Association, including all conditions races which currently hold ...
References
Spring
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*
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing, and sports betting publisher published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 60,629 ...
:
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Autumn
*Netkeiba:
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*
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing, and sports betting publisher published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 60,629 ...
:
**, , , , , , , , ,
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{{Authority control
Turf races in Japan
Open middle distance horse races
Open long distance horse races