Japan is en-route to opening up their racing program to horses trained outside of Japan as previously announced in Japan's internationalization program. In 2006, 70 group and 18 non-group races are open for participation by foreign trained horses and in 2007, the internationalization program will see 111, or 50 % of the black-type races opened to international competition, allowing Japan to be included as a Part I country in the ICS book.

On the flat, there are 35 Group 3 races which are open for foreign trained horses in 2006, and for both these and the non-group races, there is a wide range of races to choose from. There are dirt races, turf races, Fillies & Mares races, sprint races, distance races, handicap races, set weights with penalties races etc. The prizemoney for each individual race various slightly, but the minimum prizemoney to the winner for any of these Group 3 races is 39 million yen (approx. US$340,000).

There are also 21 Group 2 races open for international participation, and not surprisingly, the prizemoney is incredibly high, ranging between 55 and 65 million yen to the winner (approx. US$480,000 and US$560,000 respectively). These races are also run under various different conditions with something to suit every horse.

Then finally, the JRA has 12 Group 1s open for international participation in 2006. These races attract the best racehorses in Japan, and as there are only a limited number of Group 1 races in Japan, the winners of these races invariably go very close to being chosen as the Japanese champion in their respective division. All Group 1 races are run at set weights.

The first Group 1 race in 2006 open for foreign participation is the Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen to be run over 1200m on turf on Sunday March 26. The race is run at the Chukyo course just outside Japan's 3rd largest city - Nagoya, and is one of only two Sprint JRA Group 1 races in Japan each year and the only Group 1 race held at Chukyo. The total prizemoney for the race is over 202 million yen (approx. US$1,760,000), and the prizemoney for the winner is 95 million yen (approx. US$830,000).

The next International Group 1 race this year is the Group 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) over 3200m on turf at Kyoto racecourse. Last year this race received international attention when Australian mare Makybe Diva contested it, and this year the race will be held on Sunday April 30. It is open for 4yo&up horses (no geldings) and is worth over 280 million yen (approx. US$2,450,000) in all, with first prizemoney of 132 million yen (approx. US$1,150,000).

Next is a new Group 1 race, the Group 1 Victoria Mile for 4yo&up Fillies & Mares over 1600m on turf, to be run for the first time this year at Tokyo course in Tokyo on Sunday May 14. The total prizemoney for the race is over 192 million yen (approx. US$1,675,000), and the prizemoney for the winner is 90 million yen (approx. US$780,000).

The final leg of the Asian Mile Challenge this year is the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen over 1600m on turf at the Tokyo course in Tokyo to be held on Sunday June 4. This race has had significant international participation in the past with horses such as Heart Lake winning in 1995, and Silent Witness running a gallant 3rd last year. It is worth over 213 million yen (approx. US$1,850,000) in all, with first prizemoney of 100 million yen (approx. US$870,000).

The Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen is next, and although it is usually held at Hanshin racecourse in Osaka, it will be held at the Kyoto racecourse in 2006 due to construction at Hanshin. It will be held on Sunday June 25 and is a 2200m turf race open for 3yo&up. The total prizemoney for the race is over 280 million yen (approx. US$2,450,000), and the prizemoney for the winner is 132 million yen (approx. US$1,150,000).

The first Group 1 race of the Japanese Autumn carnival in 2006 is the Group 1 Sprinters Stakes. To be run over 1200m on turf at the Nakayama course in Tokyo on Sunday October 1, it will be the 6th leg of the Global Sprint Challenge this year, and will be known to many through the emphatic win of Hong Kong champion sprinter Silent Witness last year. It is worth over 202 million yen (approx. US$1,750,000) in all, with first prizemoney of 95 million yen (approx. US$830,000).

The first race of the prized "Older Horse Autumn Triple Crown" in Japan, the Group 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) is open for foreign participation in 2006. This race is open for 3yo&up (no geldings) and is run over 2000m on turf at the Tokyo track in Tokyo on Sunday October 29. Total prizemoney for the race is over 280 million yen (approx. US$2,450,000), and the prizemoney for the winner is 132 million yen (approx. US$1,150,000).

The second Fillies & Mares Group 1 of the year is the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup, and it will be held on Sunday November 12, over 2200m on turf at Kyoto racecourse for 3yo&up fillies & mares. It is worth over 192 million yen (approx. US$1,675,000) in all, with first prizemoney of 90 million yen (approx. US$780,000).

The week after, on Sunday November 19, the Group 1 Mile Championship will be run, again at Kyoto racecourse, over 1600m on turf. This race has also had some international exposure in the past with the participation of prominent European miler Rakti, and then of course last year's race winner Hat Trick going on to be successful in the Hong Kong Mile last December. Total prizemoney for the race is over 213 million yen (approx. US$1,850,000), and the prizemoney for the winner is 100 million yen (approx. US$870,000).

The Japan Cup weekend has been a huge international event now for some years, and again this year, Tokyo racecourse will be the scene for the 2006 versions of the Group 1 Japan Cup (Dirt) over 2100m on dirt on Saturday November 24 and the Group 1 Japan Cup over 2400m on turf on Sunday November 25. The Japan Cup has a long history of international participation with the last foreign victor being Alkaased last year, and the Japan Cup (Dirt) has also attracted numerous foreign performers in its shorter history, with Fleetstreet Dancer being the only foreign horse to win the event at this stage (in 2003). The Japan Cup is worth over 533 million yen (approx. US$4,600,000) in all, with first prizemoney of 250 million yen (approx. US$2,175,000), while the Japan Cup (Dirt) is worth over 277 million yen (approx. US$2,410,000) in all, with first prizemoney of 130 million yen (approx. US$1,130,000).

The Group 1 Arima Kinen - sometimes called the Grand Prix - is the biggest race of the year in Japan. In 2006, the race will be run on Sunday December 24, over 2500m on turf at the Nakayama track in Tokyo. Although the prizemoney is less than the Japan Cup, the prestige associated with winning the Arima Kinen in Japan cannot be exceeded. The 2005 running of the race saw over 160,000 fans pack into Nakayama racecourse to watch Japan's 2005 Horse of the Year Deep Impact be defeated for the first time in his career by the 2005 Champion Older Horse of the Year, Heart's Cry. The Arima Kinen is historically the race boasting the highest betting turnover in the world, and although the JRA is determined to open up as much of Japanese racing to international participation as possible, the Arima Kinen has always been a race bringing together the best performed horses in Japan that year. As a compromise, the JRA developed a new condition for the Arima Kinen - allowing the participation to any foreign trained horse who is able to win the Japan Cup that year. To this date, no foreign trained horses have attempted the double, but the option is there for the victor of the Japan Cup in 2006 and in future years. Total prizemoney for the Arima Kinen is over 383 million yen (approx. US$3,350,000), and the prizemoney for the winner is 180 million yen (approx. US$1,570,000).

There are two Group jump races, the Nakayama Grand Jump and its official lead-up race, the Pegasus Jump Stakes. The lead-up, to be held on Saturday March 25 this year, is over 3350m at Nakayama racecourse in Tokyo, and is worth 18 million yen (approx. US$156,000) to the winner. Then the main event - the Nakayama Grand Jump - is to be held on Saturday April 15 this year, and it is over 4250m for the 80 million yen first prize (approx. $US 700,000). This race has been won in the past by international participants St. Steven in 2002, and Karasi last year.

Source: A Guide to Horse Racing in Japan