Today we will preview Japan’s biggest race, Saturday's Group 1 Arima Kinen (3yo+, 2500m), as well as Australia's Gr-II C.B. Cox Stakes on Wednesday.  Come Thursday, we will complete the international scene also in Australia with the Gr-II Villiers Stakes.  We will then also include a list of upcoming graded stakes for the week of Dec 24- 30, as G-t-W will be closed for Christmas.

This year’s Arima Kinen is exceptionally deep, and lines up as an almost virtual replay of the recent Japan Cup.  That race’s winner, Admire Moon, has since been retired, leaving as the likely race favorite  the third place finisher, Meisho Samson.  The four time Group 1 winner has been in top form this year, and is about 1 combined length from bagging two more this year.  If he has a clear run when he starts his finishing kick he will be very tough to beat.  In the process, he will likely have to pass Pop Rock as they get close to the wire. Always consistent and placing in all the major races, Pop Rock will once again play a big  factor, but expect his case of seconditis to continue. But the toughest challenge to ‘Samson might come from the sibling duo of Daiwa Major and Daiwa Scarlett, Japan’s top miler and top filly.  They are coming off big wins in the Group 1’s Mile Championship and Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup, and certainily have the talent to win.  But both face major question marks, as the ‘Major is best at a mile and has never won this far, while ‘Scarlett has never run this far period.  Others to keep an eye but that need to improve back to their form from last year are ’06 Japan Derby winner Vodka, ’06 Melbourne Cup winner Delta Blues and ’06 Singapore Airlines International Cup winner Cosmo Bulk.

To wrap up our Japan feature, we need to point out Goshawk Ken’s get to wire victory in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes on Sunday, in all likelyhood wrapping up Japan’s 2yo championship.

video: Asahi Hai Futurity