“With 400 left to go, Ravel on the inside is in the lead! Ravel is in the lead – Here she comes from the outside! It’s the red cap! Liberty Island is in the lead! She’s already in the lead! 200 to go! Ravel in second place is pursuing! From the outside, no. 12 Harper! No. 13 Dura also moves up, but she breaks away! She breaks away! There’s none that can compete! There’s none that can compete! She’s truly on a different level! How can one be so strong? Liberty Island!”

(Translation by Turf Parfait with editing done by me)

The grand coronation comes at this time of the month; the Tokyo stretch awaits the crowning of the princess of the generation. The premiere race for 3-year old fillies lies in wait for anyone to become one of the faces of Japan’s horseracing scene in the years to come. Ambitious milers will aim to go over the distance. Blue-blooded prodigies sought to fly beyond the restraints of their bloodline. And dreamers vie for a lifetime gallop that leaves even the dreams of Rocky to dust. The crowning jewel of the Triple Tiara beckons the most audacious of the female racehorses.

Introduction & Context

Also known as the Yushun Himba (Yushun being a Romanised version of a Japanese word which is similar to a derby, Himba meaning female horses), the Japanese Oaks is among the 5 Classic races in the country. For a bit of extra context on what a Classic race is, it’s usually a statewide-significant race, often graded as Group 1, that’s restricted to 3-year olds that are regarded as being among the most prestigious in the age group which is modelled mostly after the United Kingdom’s format. Aside from the Oaks, you also have the 2000 Guineas (the Satsuki Sho in Japan), the 1000 Guineas (Oka Sho), the Derby, and the St. Leger (Kikuka Sho). Much like the Derby, the Oaks tend to be seen as one of the most valuable achievements a racehorse could achieve although given its limitation to being filly-only, it’s not regarded in the same level of acclaim.

The Japanese Oaks was first held in 1938 with a victory by Asteri Mor who went on soon after to place 3rd in the Japanese Derby according to JBIS Search. In 1943, a unique breakthrough in horseracing history happened when unbeaten supermare Kurifuji claimed both the Oaks and the Derby before moving on to win the Kikuka Sho, causing fans to regard her unique achievement as being an unconventional type of a Triple Crown champion. 

More than 2 scores later in 1986, Mejiro Ramonu (yes, the MILF-looking one you might know of in the franchise) became the first filly in the country to claim the Fillies’ Triple Crown (now remembered by fans as the Triple Tiara). She claimed the trio of the Oka Sho, the Oaks, and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup as the Shuka Sho didn’t exist then and had since remained the only champion to earn the accolade from the exact same races. Other champions after include Gentildonna in 2013, who soon claimed 4 other G1 titles including an iconic Dubai Sheema Classics win; Almond Eye in 2018, who scored a whopping 6 extra G1s to become the most successful in the country; and Apapane in 2010, whose 2 other G1s include the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies a year before and the Victoria Mile after the achievement.

Other winners who didn’t achieve the Triple Tiara include: Loves Only You in 2019 on record finishing time, who reached stardom later on with her 2021 Breeder’s Cup Filly and Mare Turf victory; Cesario in 2005, who later added another Oaks win in the United States before retiring to become one of the country’s greatest ever broodmares; and Air Groove in 1997, who soon established a reputation for her competitive performances in many G1s against a mixed-sex field. The previous champion of the Japanese Oaks last year was Kamunyak who’s able to ride on 3 graded stakes in a row with this in the middle before bombing out of the Shuka Sho. 

Race Layout and General Assumption

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been looking at most of the G1s from Tokyo Racecourse so this layout is going to be familiar. However, a major point of contention to keep in mind is that the Japanese Oaks’s distance is 2400 metres as it encompasses just over 1 lap of running around the track from the inside ring. It’s 4 furlongs longer than the Oka Sho which makes for a massive shock for those who are more naturally attuned to running in shorter distances and will thus be a major target of contention among trainers who want to ready their fillies who did well in the previous G1. The main challenge isn’t really going to be the undulations from the top straight to the first quarter of the final straight although it might well be a nail on the coffin for those whose stamina isn’t up to par.

The tempo in the race is typically slower compared to other races in Japan although by worldwide standards, it’s still a tad bit quick. The average finishing time is around 2:25.0 which puts a lot more weight on how well the entrant can accelerate with ease. This is especially important given that the final straight’s length rewards those who are capable of pulling off a strong spurt to the point of it being their signature strength. Winners like Kamunyak and Almond Eye are often seen as having the best spurts of their generation. Since 2003, only 2 winners are positioned towards the front with Soul Stirring running on-pace in 2017 and Daiwa el Cielo in 2004 who ran as a pacesetter by the last 2 corners. 

From the jockeying perspective, the Japanese Oaks is likely going to be a big target as it’s a Classics race which makes it especially prestigious for a G1 race. Jockeys who won a graded race in Tokyo in the past few months like the G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup or the NHK Mile Cup are likely warmed up to win the Oaks as well with more recent examples being Christophe Lemaire in 2018 who won the former on Moonquake before following up with claiming the G1 soon after on Almond Eye or Mirco Demuro in 2019 with the latter prior race on Admire Mars and the Oaks win on Loves Only You. The combination of micromanaging the stamina of the filly to ensure that they are able to stretch out their distance aptitude and the timing on when to swing wide for the perfect spurt will be displayed at its fullest here.

Entrants

Favourites

Often well into the single-digits with their betting odds, the favourites possess the credentials, sky-high individual performances, and the pedigree which should allow them to deliver in the race.

Gate 10 – Star Anise, Beyond the Mile (Filly 3)

Over the past few years, it’s not an uncommon occurrence for those who won the Oka Sho to find the massive jump in distance to be too vast for their own good as they tire out on the final corner. Favourites whose fanbase had rooted for as Triple Tiara prospects like Sodashi in 2021 or Let’s Go Donki in 2025 enter the Oaks as a clear single-digit favourite only to bomb out of the race in double digits placement.

Star Anise is the aspiring star who wants to set out to break through the hurdle. Her pedigree didn’t scream medium-distance with the longest one being her broodmare sire Daiwa Major who claimed the Autumn Tenno Sho at 2000m along with solid placements in the Arima Kinen at 2500m. Her prior experiences point toward her being suited for shorter distances with her longest being at a literal mile. And her assistant trainer’s comment even gives off the impression that they’re a bit wishful in believing that she’s able to handle the extra distance without double-checking her stamina.

All that being said, Star Anise’s performances are one of clean dominance. She won the Oka Sho in the second fastest finishing time while enjoying a 2.5 length lead over others and had similarly claimed the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies with over a length lead. Her turn of foot is potent and her training video especially shows her not being willing to let the uphill battle strike her down before she even reaches the final corner. Will she be able to chase her dream as the best of her generation with Kohei Matsuyama as her main jockey who rode Daring Tact to the Triple Tiara six years ago?

Gate 12 – Dream Core, The New Norm(al) (Filly 3)

If there’s a filly whose perks look especially stacked, Dream Core is the one to go for. Her main jockey is Lemaire whose success is unfathomable, her father is Kizuna who is among the country’s most reliable studs with a horde of graded winners and a reputation of widening his progenies’ distance, her mother is experienced miler Normcore whose biggest achievement lies in claiming the 2020 Hong Kong Cup as her swan song, even her trainer who passed away recently has shown clear knowledge around Tokyo given that much of his graded wins were in the racecourse. Her graded win in the G3 Queen Cup looks especially clean which lands her into the single-digit favourites for the Oka Sho.

All that hype got bottled up on her first G1 attempt when, despite being in a solid position by the final straight, she didn’t appear to spurt quickly enough at Lemaire’s nudge which put her in 9th place. He later claimed that she didn’t quite like Hanshin Racecourse’s turf although some observers have noted that she also lost a previous race with a rightward turn that suggests a quirky difficulty in adjusting to different turns. The Japanese Oaks sits as a second chance for Dream Core to show that she’s definitely great and is not simply a flash in the pan. Her training time points toward readying her turn of foot and the extra few months’ worth of rest should allow her body to mature more fully without some strain. Will Dream Core redeem herself and claim the glory of being the Oaks champion?

Gate 13 – Enne, Third Time’s the Charm (Filly 3)

Another Kizuna filly to throw into the mix, Enne is really interesting as a single-digit favourite given that this is only her third ever start. Her inexperience however shouldn’t dissuade fans from doubting her because in her first graded attempt in the G2 Flora Stakes, she claimed 2nd place while sharing the same L3F time as the top favourite Laughterlines – 32.8 seconds. The limited number of races she took part in shouldn’t be regarded as a disadvantage, but rather an x-factor that could easily throw others off-guard should she be able to produce yet another electrifying spurt on the final straight after enduring the longer distance.

Enne does have a good bit of concerns to clear up. Her main jockey Ryusei Sakai is mostly known for his preference of riding towards the front and while he did ride her from the back on her debut race, much of his experiences tend to be found from on-pace racehorses with the most notable being Forever Young. There’s also no guarantee that she’ll be able to replicate her stunning breakthrough in the Flora Stakes with the extra caveat being placed on her mood for racing. Last but not least, her training video shows a slightly sluggish time compared to Star Anise on running up the slope. At least there’s that prep work being done, but her showing can differ drastically should the layout of the race differ from what is normally expected like a blazing speed from the pacesetter.

Gate 16 – Juryoku Pierrot, Orfevre’s Siring Swan Song (Filly 3)

Since his luxurious career as one of the country’s best racehorses of the 2010s, Orfevre’s career as a stud is respectable but is a tad bit below expectations. His best-known foals like Lucky Lilac or Ushba Tesoro are either a clear distant second compared to an all-time great in Almond Eye or are notably more successful on dirt than on turf. At the time of writing, his age is going to reach the point where his carers might either restrict his mare intake per year which is already low or even retire him. Fans have long awaited for someone who might take up the mantle of resembling his heights the most.

Enter Juryoku Pierrot, a filly whose initial flirtations with dirt races soon pivot to an electric bit of dominance on turf once connections struggled to turn her end-closing ways into domination. She is the kind of racehorse who could be a main character in a making even barring her father. Her main jockey Seina Imamura is one of a few female jockeys in the Japanese Racing Association with only a graded win in the 2022 CBC Sho. Her trainer Ryo Terashima is quietly on the rise with his biggest win being a domestic G1 in 2024 with even big plans to send her to the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe based on the preliminary registrations. 

And her last win in the listed Wasurenagusa Sho? The cleanest spurt you ever see from last place to first on Hanshin Racecourse. It’s a performance that looks so commanding that Imamura even slowed her down for the last hundred metres once she knows that she’s gone far enough to not get overtaken. Even if it’s not a graded race, the Wasurenagusa Sho does act as a notable predictor of who will do well in the Japanese Oaks. Loves Only You and Mikki Queen won the race soon after in 2019 and 2015 respectively while Win Mighty placed third as a clear long shot in 2020. Will the stars align for Juryoku Pierrot to claim the glory?

Gate 18 – Laughterlines, Flash in an Instant (Filly 3)

Laughterlines is someone who is worth the praise as having a high chance at being the best filly of her generation. Since her debut in August of last year, she garnered a reputation of having what is arguably one of the very best spurts of her generation right now with 3 consecutive races showing her L3F time going just below 33 seconds. Her sharpness is so noted that a fan account of her father Al Ain on Twitter even signalled his availability as a sire should breeders want to produce foals with potentially high ceilings like Laughterlines.

Her last start (and first graded win) in the Flora Stakes highlighted the possibility of her stunning performance in the Japanese Oaks. The sheer ease of which she’s able to pick up her speed on the final stretch is comparable to the best of Europe’s while needing the whip only at the last 200 metres for an insurance check against Enne. The only 2 major question marks simply are how she’ll be able to handle the extra 2 furlongs in the race and whether she’ll be able to navigate around having the outermost gate opening. Her pedigree which lines up towards 2000m as a baseline suggests that she wouldn’t mind the extra distance.

Dark Horses

With odds between 10 and 30-40 depending on the favourites, they look unremarkable compared to the top favourites. They do however have a notable history of placing well in graded titles and should the entries be stacked enough, even win at least 1 themselves. They simply appear to lack the “X-factor” needed to win the biggest championships in the country.

Gate 3 – Alankar (Filly 3)

Once one of the most-hyped 2YOs from last year, Alankar is struggling to convert her flashy debut into a verifiable win in her generation. She’s able to place in the top 5 in 2 G1s at the least, but that showing falls well under her hopeful expectations. At least she has an excuse that the mile-long distances are too short for her liking. She’ll be running with Yutaka Take as her main jockey who’s able to snag 4th on Erika Express in the NHK Mile Cup. As one of the prospective foals of top sire Epiphaeneia and the daughter of the Oaks champion Sinhalite in 2016, will Alankar finally break through to claim her first graded title in a powerful statement?

Gate 8 – Smart Priere (Filly 3)

An earnestly consistent filly who’s best known for winning the G3 Flower Cup against a major hyped prospect in Exceed, Smart Priere is hoping to build on her graded breakthrough. Similar to Alankar, she’s the daughter of Epiphaeneia with a pedigree which points toward medium distance as being her comfort zone. All that being said, her advantages feel like a fog of war in knowing how well she’ll be able to perform in the race. How well will she perform with a jockey who isn’t a top-notch performer like Yusuke Hara even barring his 2 graded wins so far this year? Will she actually be able to run at a longer distance? How strong is her spurt without relying on the country’s typically fast pacing?

Gate 9 – Trinity (Filly 3)

A seeming sacrificial lamb as the frontrunner, Trinity is hoping to be one of a few who’s able to conquer a long final straight. She’s able to claim a win in Kyoto on her allowance race as her last start where she’s able to produce a pretty quick L3F time of 34 seconds which shares a similar trait as in Tokyo’s. Her designated jockey Atsuya Nishimura did win a few graded races riding either on-pace or as the pacesetter with his G1 breakthrough being on Lugal in the 2024 Sprinter’s Stakes where he ran in 3rd place up until after the final corner. Trinity has the signs to show that she can pull off a win, but she’s in a delicate balance on what tactics are worth implementing to increase every bit of chance she has.

Gate 15 – Ange de Joie (Filly 3)

A daughter of Kitasan Black whose impressive resume as a stud are too male-centric admittedly speaking, Ange de Joie didn’t enjoy the spotlight that Exceed’s been hogging up a lot of. However, with the latter opting to clear up some allowances instead, Ange de Joie’s upswing showings are not to be trifled with. Her training video shows her being able to run up the slope at a respectable time. Her jockey Mirai Iwata is collecting a lot of wins this year with 2 graded titles to boot. Her trainer Yuichi Fukunaga is on a rapid ascent as he throws in his experience as a top-notch jockey to improve his horses. Last of all, her last start is a hint at her potential as she combines a fast L3F time of 34.1 seconds on Hanshin with a convincing 2.5 length lead over others. She might not catch the public attention like Juryoku Pierrot, but she has every reason to not be underestimated.

Handicapping

Essentially my predictions of who will go into the top 3 with 1 extra mention going to a contender outside the single-digit favourites who has a high chance at an upset, I feel that they are in the best possible form to win the race.

1 – Laughterlines

Laughterlines is a pick that feels too good to pass. The combination of her near-mythic L3F times that she’s able to consistently achieve, well-optimised pedigree, sharp training time, flexibility in jockeys with Damien Lane being her go-to in the meantime, proven experience in Tokyo Racecourse, and even a great bit of showing despite a late start in the G3 Kyodo News Hai are all traits that conjure up into a hopeful star of the future.

2 – Juryoku Pierrot

Juryoku Pierrot’s turf performances so far are notable indications of someone who could well pop off in one of the biggest races in the country. Her stunning spurt in Wasurenagusa Sho might bring to mind the likes of Equinox where even the jockey had opted to slow their ride down for safety reasons once they know how dominant they are in reality. Her training time, while not as impressive as Laughterlines’, have shown her spurt capability to be no lie. Her inexperienced main jockey and lack of experience in a racetrack that favours strong surges like Tokyo might be notable areas of concern, but her showings so far might pipe down the worries for a moment.

3 – Dream Core

Dream Core’s Oka Sho performance is certainly underwhelming, but at least you can chalk that up to her preference in leftward turns so far. The Japanese Oaks have lined up in ways that would have favoured her well. Her pedigree gives her both the much-needed stamina to go a bit further and the acceleration needed to go for top speed from a more average tempo. And she has the top jockey in the JRA to boot who had just won a G1 in Tokyo last week! This race might be her time to shine well enough.

Upset – Ange de Joie

Ange de Joie is in a very similar spot with Enne. However, while it’s hard to say whether Enne will be able to unleash her spurt in the Oaks, Ange de Joie’s pedigree might be the x-factor that could benefit her. The possible combo of having some stayer-level stamina from her father and a good bit of European ancestry along with a gradual improvement in acceleration and a much-needed bit of training on the slope points toward a kind of filly who might electrify more than what some would expect…