AUSTRALIANS with a desire to ‘Getaway and Go Racing’ continue to rate Japan as one of the most popular overseas destinations despite the fact that the last local to win the Cup there was Better Loosen Up in 1992.

Their interest was no doubt boosted in more recent times when Japanese raiders, Delta Blues and Pop Rock, fought out the finish of the 2006 Melbourne Cup providing the land of the rising sun with its first win in our biggest race.

Melbourne-based Tailor Made Travel has made a huge success out of Japan Cup tours, which have been hosted by high profile Melbourne racing media identity, Keith Hillier, who will this year make his 22^nd visit.

“Like any big city there is an amazing price range for food and drinks. A five-star hotel meal can cost three times more than a local bar or restaurant. There are over 47,000 restaurants in Tokyo and the top floors of most department stores are occupied by restaurants serving a wide variety of foods.

“On our tour it is possible to join Japanese office workers and business people at tiny, yet spotless restaurants, and enjoy beef or chicken soup with noodles for as little as $6. For only $10 to $12 you can enjoy a sushi-train meal with the locals.

“At night we dine Japanese style at affordable prices at one of the hundreds of restaurants within walking distance of our hotel. Shinjuku, where our hotel is located, is a fascinating and lively area of Tokyo, which offers many places to eat and drink,” Hillier says.

“There are many different ways to get around Tokyo. The slowest and most expensive is by taxi. Traffic jams can mean a two-hour trip and a $200 taxi fare to get from one side of Tokyo to the other. The train service however will take 25 minutes for about $3!

“This year will be my 22^nd trip to the Japan Cup. Haydn Thompson, our tour co-ordinator, is a frequent visitor to Tokyo and previously lived in Japan for nearly two years. Haydn speaks fluent Japanese.”

Taylor Made Travel’s schedule includes a comprehensive taste of Japanese culture, from the Meiji Shrine to the ever-changing snow-capped face of the sacred Mt. Fuji, Japan's most recognizable feature. The highlight of course is the racing with reserved seating for the $5 million Japan Cup on the Sunday.

JAPAN CUP – WORLD’S RICHEST HORSE RACE

The Cup is Japan’s premier horse racing event of the year run at the prestigious Tokyo Racecourse. As part of the World Racing Series, it showcases a wide array of international entries most years.

The New Zealander Horlicks from the O’Sullivan stable won the Japan Cup in 1989 while Australians Naturalism and Shaftesbery Avenue ran second and third respective in 1991 and

Japan conducts more than 21,000 horse races a year in three categories: flat racing, jumps racing and Ban’ei, also known as draft racing.

There are 30 racetracks in Japan, 10 of which are known as ‘central tracks’ where most of the country’s top races are run. Races at these 10 tracks are conducted by the Japan Racing Association (JRA), which operates under the oversight of the Japanese Government. The remaining 20 tracks are operated by municipal racing authorities and run under the affiliation of the National Association of Racing (NAR).

The JRA prizemoney structure is one of the best in the world with the major feature races run in the spring and autumn.The Japan Cup, worth more than $US$5 million, is the world’s richest race.

Other major feature races include the February Stakes, Takamatsunomiya Kinen, Yasuda Kinen, Takarazuka Kinen, Arima Kinen and the Tenno Shot. The Satsuki Sho, Tokyo Yushun and Kikuka Sho comprise the JapaneseTriple Crown.

Japan's top jumps race is the Nakayama Grand Jump, run every April at Nakayama Racecourse. Instead of running over a large course as is the case in other countries, the course for the 4,250m Nakayama Grand Jump follows a twisted path on the inside portion of Nakayama's racing ovals. The race carries a purse about US$1.4 million.

The leading jockey in Japan is Yutaka Take, who is a multiple champion in his homeland and regularly rides Japanese horses in stakes races around the world. Yutaka Take was the regular jockey for Dual Horse of the Year, Deep Impact.

The top American galloper, Sunday Silence, was the leading sire in Japan for about 10 years, with his progeny winning the Japan Cup many times, the Hong Kong Vase and the Melbourne Cup.

TOKYO’S STATE OF THE ART FUCHU RACECOURSE

TOKYO Racecourse, located in Fuchu city, was built in 1933 and is considered the 'racecourse of racecourses' in Japanese horse racing.

The JRA began to renovate the grandstand in 2000 in order to create a 21^st century racecourse that met the diversifying needs of fans. A grand opening was held in 2007 after the completion of seven years renovation work.

The course has become emblematic of the next-generation racecourse with the multi-screen ‘Turf Vision’, recognized as the world’s largest TV screen, which displays sharp, powerful images and a wealth of information on its three High Definition screens.

The major races run here are the Japan Cup (GI), the Tokyo Yushun (the Japanese Derby), the Tenno Sho (autumn; GI), the Yasuda Kinen (GI), the Yushun Himba (the Japanese Oaks), the February Stakes (GI), the NHK Mile Cup and the Victoria Mile.

HISTORY OF HORSE RACING IN JAPAN

THE horse has played an important part in Japanese history since antiquity. Fighting horseman often became clan leaders based on the prowess of their mounts. When dignitaries from the mainland visited the ancient Japanese court, gifts of horses were often exchanged.

Horse racing (kurabeuma) began in Japan during the 6th century AD, when riders competed against each other at religious ceremonies or festivals. Races were held annually at the Imperial Court and at various shrines.

The races were an integral part of the festival to pray for an abundant harvest. Western-style racing, similar to that seen at race tracks in Japan today, was first introduced at Yokohama in the 1860’s.

Today, horse racing in Japan is considered a wholesome leisure activity for the whole family. Each week the country’s outstanding array of modern racecourses serve as hosts to the full spectrum of Japanese society. The proceeds from horse racing contributes greatly to both the improvement of native livestock and also the betterment of social welfare.

Japanese horses and jockeys participating in top races throughout the world is now a common sight. With the establishment of such outstanding international races as the Japan Cup, and the development of an excellent domestic horse breeding program, Japan now stands as one of horse racing’s international powers.

The first western-style horse race meeting was organized by foreign residents of Yokohama in 1862. The Japanese organized their first western-style races two decades later. In 1895 14 horses were imported from Australia.

Government approval was secured for horse racing and betting to encourage a breeding industry in 1905. The Horse Racing Law was enacted in 1923, giving rise to the establishment of 11 horse racing clubs that were permitted to bet at their meetings.

Horse racing was suspended in 1943 due to the intensifying hostilities of World War II. It was restarted in Tokyo and Kyoto in 1946. The enactment of the Japan Racing Association Law occurred in 1954.

The first Asian Racing Conference was held in Tokyo in 1960 and the NAR was established in 1962 to implement a nationally co-ordinated framework for registration and licensing of Racing by Local Governments.

The first Japan Cup was run in 1981. New Zealander Lisa Cropp was the first overseas jockey to receive a short-term license to ride in Japan in 1994. Japan’s first female jockeys, Maki Tamura, Yukiko Makihara and Junko Hosoe, began their riding careers two years later.

By the late 90s the quality of Japanese horses had increased to such a degree that they were winning on the international stage. In 2000 Agnes World became the first Japan-trained horse to win a G1 race in the United Kingdom.

Then in 2006 the Japanese stablemates Delta Blues and Pop Rock ran the quinella in the Melbourne Cup. It was the first time Japan had won the big Flemington two-miler. In 2007 Admire Moon won the G1 Dubai Duty Free and Japan ran the quinella in the G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup with Shadow Gate and Cosmo Bulk.

For many years Japan has imported superior thoroughbreds from overseas for racing and breeding purposes as part of its efforts to improve the locally-bred horse. It has also worked hard to secure acceptance as one of the leading horse racing nations of the world. This has prompted a worldwide appreciation for the capabilities of Japanese horses.

PHOTOGRAPHS RUN WITH THIS ARTICLE COURTESY OF THE JRA