Just A Way, the Japanese champion challenging Treve as Timeform’s top rated horse of 2014, is the one to beat in the 64th running of the Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo on Sunday.
His superb win in the G1 Dubai Duty Free in March put him in the world spotlight and another top class performance is expected in Sunday’s mile event at Tokyo racecourse.
Just A Way looked more than ready when working over the uphill course at the Ritto Training Centre in western Japan last week.
The 5-year-old was reported not to have shown any sign of fatigue following his return from Dubai and is reportedly in fine condition.
Trainer Naosuke Sugai paired up with his globe-trotting training colleague Katsuhiko Sumii and enlisted the help of an open class horse from the latter's string to work with Just A Way.
Starting behind the other horse, Just A Way caught and overtook him at the top of the hill and passed him by half a length with an overall time of 52.1 seconds over 800m and a final 200m time of 11.9 seconds.
"He moved better than I'd ever imagined and he seems to be even better than he was before Dubai,” Sugai reported.
The question is whether Just A Way can cope with the drop in trip to a mile as his last three wins have come at 1800 and 2000 metres.
His last start over the mile saw him finish second in a G3 at Niigata last August, when he flew home over the final 600m in a time of 33.2 seconds.
The Tokyo mile, with its long straight and uphill home straight, is expected to suit him far better than Niigata.
The question of who would be riding Just A Way was answered on Tuesday.
With his rider from Dubai, Yuichi Fukunaga, knocked out of the Yasuda with a suspension the ride has gone to Yoshitomi Shibata, who piloted Just A Way four races back in the G2 Mainichi Okan at Tokyo last October.
Shibata also rode the horse in that race in 2012. In both years Just A Way finished second in that 1800m event.
The opposition is top class, including World Ace to be ridden by Craig Williams.
From the stable of Yasutoshi Ikee, the 5-year-old son of Deep Impact ran fourth in the Japanese Derby in 2012 before he was sidelined for over a year due to tendonitis.
He made his race return back in February and in his second start of the season won the G2 Yomiuri Milers Cup in record time at Kyoto on 27 April.
Under Williams, World Ace put in a nice bit of work last week up the hill at Ritto when he looked eager and quickened nicely towards the end.
Tosen Ra is also getting after he worked over the woodchip course at Ritto last week. Wnner of the G1 Mile Championship at Kyoto last autumn, he came back this year to finish second in the 2200m G2 Kyoto Kinen in February.
Others to watch are the 6-year-old mare Whale Capture, who ran fourth in the G1 Victoria Mile on 18 May at Tokyo, Clarente, who hails from the stable of last Sunday's Derby winning trainer Kojiro Hashiguchi, Fiero and the 3-year-old Mikki Isle, winner of the G1 NHK Mile Cup.
Hong Kong’s representative Glorious Days continued his build-up to the Yasuda Kinen with an easy canter at Tokyo racecourse on Wednesday.
This son of Hussonet trotted for a quarter of a lap and cantered for a lap and three-quarters on the dirt track.
“He looked very strong this morning,” said John Size.
“He really enjoys the quarantine and Tokyo facilities and also the climate here. He's honest and diligent and will give whatever he's got at the races.”
