The Grade 1 Mile Championship will be run for the 23rd time on Sunday 19th November. The race was established in 1984 to provide a mile race for the best Japanese milers to aim at in the autumn - a similar race to the spring Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen. Until that time, the majority of feature autumn races in Japan were for stayers.
The race has been won by many of the most famous gallopers in Japan over the years - from Nihon Pillow Winner's victories in the first two runnings, to one of most loved horses ever in Japan, Oguri Cap, to the internationally performed Taiki Shuttle, Agnes Digital, Durandal and Hat Trick in more recent years.
The 1600m course starts in the back straight, with a long run of approximately 700m to the long curving turn which leads them into the 404m home straight. The track is completely flat until a sudden 4m rise from the 1200m to the 800m mark. After reaching the top of the rise at the 800m, there is a downhill run until the 300m mark in the home straight where the course flattens out. The racecourse is a wide spacious one, the crowd record being 143,606 to watch this race - the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup in 1995.
This year, there is guaranteed to be 18 acceptors for the race, with 27 nominated Japanese horses, joined by the UK visitor Court Masterpiece, winner of the 2006 Group 1 Sussex Stakes and the 2005 Group 1 Prix de la foret. There does not to appear to be any standout performer in the Japanese nominations this year, and with Frankie Dettori expected to take the ride on Court Masterpiece on Sunday, he looks to have a wonderful chance in the race.
The likely favorite for the race is Daiwa Major. The son of Sunday Silence is always competitive, and although he was just run down in this race last year by Hat Trick, he showed he is in even better form this year, when he produced a dominant performance to win the Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) last start. He races handy and he looks certain to hit the lead at some point in the straight.
The second favorite will probably be the popular mare Dance in the Mood. Aimed at this race instead of last weeks Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup after connections felt she found the 2000m in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) too far last start, she has run well in this race in the past 2 years with a second placing in 2004 before finishing 4th last year behind Hat Trick, Daiwa Major and the ill-fated Rhein Kraft. One interesting piece of data against her is that she has not finished ahead of Daiwa Major in 5 attempts since last year.
The third favorite may well be the promising 3yo Maruka Shenck. This son of Sunday Silence burst onto the scene as a 2yo with three wins in a row, all as odds-on favorite. Unfortunately, after an injury-forced spell, he has yet to even place in his 4 starts this year. However, he has a huge finish and he has been just behind the placegetters in top quality races such as the Japanese Derby and the Grade 2 Mainichi Okan over 1800m which was won by Daiwa Major.
Other 3yos adding interest to the race are top juvenile Super Hornet, Grade 1 Mile winning Logic and the Australian born Kinshasa no Kiseki.
Super Hornet went within a neck of claiming the Champion 2yo of Japan title when finishing 2nd behind Fusaichi Richard in the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1600m) last December. He seemed to lose form when tried over further distances this year as a 3yo, but was back to his brilliant best over this course last start with an amazing finish to down a promising field of gallopers.
Logic won the 3yo Grade 1 NHK Mile in May before finishing a credible 5th in the 2400m Derby three weeks later. He has had two runs back this preparation and has failed badly in both, but it appears as if he still has plenty of condition on him, so if he can return to his racing weight of around 490kgs (he weighed 510kgs last start) by Sunday, there is a chance he could regain his form.
The Australian born Kinshasa no Kiseki has shown flashes of immense ability throughout his career so far, but the six month handicap due to being bred in the Southern Hemisphere appears to have been too much for him in major races so far. However, he won impressively last start against older horses last start, and although this is harder, it looks as if he may well be catching up in maturity.
Of the remaining older horses, there are several talented horses who have been out of form recently and will be looking to return to their best here.
Hat Trick stormed down the outside to just pip Daiwa Major on the post in this race last year, and then went on to win the Hong Kong Mile in impressive fashion. However, this year, the horse is not finishing well at all and his best result in his 6 starts this year was a well beaten 7th behind Deep Impact in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen.
Asakusa Den'en won the 2005 Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen beating Sweep Tosho and Silent Witness, but has not won since. He did finish powerfully for 2nd in this year's Yasuda Kinen behind Bullish Luck, but apart from that he has not even finished in the placings since that 2005 Yasuda Kinen victory.
Telegnosis has been one of Japan's best milers over the past 4 years, including one Grade 1 win and 3 Grade 1 placings over the distance. However he seems to be clearly past his best now having not won for 2 years. He did finish well for fourth in the Grade 2 Mainichi Okan over 1800m behind the likely two favorites for this race two starts back, but was easily beaten in an easier Grade 3 race last start.
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