The Group 1 Tenno Sho Autumn (2000m) is the highlight of the racing season in Japan and Sunday’s race in Tokyo is no exception. A field of 15 will compete in one of Japan’s most coveted and prestigious races, including 2022 Group 1 Japanese Derby (2,400m) winner Do Deuce and 2023 Triple Tiara hero Liberty Island. The Tenno Sho Fall also features a showdown between top Japan Horse Racing Association jockeys Christophe Lemaire and Yuga Kawada.
The latter is in second place, 30 wins behind the Frenchman. Kawada, who was withdrawn from last Sunday’s Group 1 Kikuka Sho (3000m) after a fall the previous day, returned to continue his excellent partnership with Liberty Island. Tenno Show Autumn is his second race of the year after taking a break after finishing third in the Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m) in March.
A surprising display! 😱
Rebel romance heats up at @Longines Dubai Sheema Classic for @godolphin 🔵#DWC24 pic.twitter.com/xOmpglb5UrYuya Katayama, assistant trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida, rode the mare Duramente over Ritto Wood Chips on Wednesday morning, covering 1200 meters in 11.3 seconds and covering the last 200 meters in 1 minute. I finished the race in 25.5 seconds. “The field was bad, but the final adaptation was good. I let him move as much as I wanted, and lately he’s been stretching well. “It’s better than last week,” he said. Last week, Kawada ran a 1:20.2 pace and covered the last 200 meters in 10.8 seconds covering the same distance on Liberty Island. He won another 30kg in the Group 1 Japan Cup (2,400m) last November and finished second, four lengths behind Super Name Equinox.
Lemaire is chasing his sixth Tenno Sho fall win in seven years, as well as his third Group 1 win in as many weeks. Lemaire’s partner, the four-year-old stallion Lebenstiel, has yet to win a Group 1 and the Tenno Sho Autumn will be his first major test in Japan.
Junko!!! 🇫🇷 🥳
G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase returns to France. #HKIR pic.twitter.com/YoEvykZOXcLebenstil started the year with a poor performance in the Group 1 Hong Kong Basse (2,400m) at the end of May before bouncing back to finish 8th in the Group 1 Hong Kong Basse (2,400m) but becoming a winner in the Group 3. . Epsom Cup. (1,800 m) in Tokyo with new partner Lemaire. He won again in the Group 2 Sankei Sho All Commerce (2,200m) at Nakayama last month with Lemaire in the saddle. Lemaire rode Lebenstil for the second straight week Wednesday at the Miho Training Center in the East. He and his training partner ran 1,200 meters on the flat with a time of 1:17.5.
“The jockey rode him last week but said the horse needed more, so we let him ride again this week,” trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka said. “He is fine and responding well now. He is ready.””He’s yet to win a Group 1 and I’m excited to go into this race as a challenger,” added Lemaire. “I want to challenge Dodeus and Liberty Island. “I think Lebenstil is in good shape and can do his best,” he said.Tenno Sho Fall is for Jockey Club betting between races four and five at Happy Valley on Sunday.
