R acing fans will be treated to a must-see today at Tokyo Racecourse. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Japan Racing Association, two of the biggest Grade I events of the year -- the Japan Cup Dirt and the Japan Cup -- both international invitationals, follow each other in a one-two, top-level combination that constitutes a Japan racing first.
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| Warrsan breezes down the Tokyo turf under Kieren Fallon Thursday in preparation for the Japan Cup. Warrsan is trained by Clive Brittain, who, in his sixth bid, is hoping for his second Japan Cup win. |
The Japan Cup, run over 2,400 meters of turf, is nearly a quarter of a century old. Inaugurated with the aim of raising the level of Japanese racing and its racehorses, the Japan Cup did just that. Though in the early years it was extremely rare for a local horse to win, the past 12 runnings have seen the money stay at home seven times. And big money it is. The total purse of the Japan Cup is now 476 million yen, with 250 million yen going to the winner.
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