| Grade 1 race | |
  ジャパンカップ (Japan Kappu) Japan's most prestigious horse race | |
| Location | Tokyo Racecourse Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1981 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
| Website | Japan Cup - Racing Information |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2400 meters (About 12 furlongs / 1+1⁄2 miles) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | 3-y-o & Up, Thoroughbreds (safety factor: 18 horses; up to ten foreign-trained starters are allowed in the race) |
| Weight | 3-y-o 56 kg \ 4-y-o & up 58kg Allowances 2 kg for fillies and mares 2 kg for S. Hemisphere 3-y-o |
| Purse | ¥ 1,085,000,000 (as of 2023) 1st: ¥ 500,000,000 |
| Bonuses | Additional money awarded if winner won in qualified international races (see below) plus ¥3,500,000 to the winning owner Winner of Tenno Sho (Autumn), Japan Cup, Arima Kinen[1] Domestic: ¥ 200,000,000 International: ¥ 100,000,000 |
The Japan Cup (ジャパンカップ, Japan Kappu, JPN G-1) is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about 1+1⁄2 miles) run under weight for age conditions with a maximum of 18 horses on turf (grass). With a purse of ¥1,085 million (about US$8.3 million), the Japan Cup is one of the richest races in the world.[2]
The Japan Cup is an invitational event. During a relatively short history, the race has established itself as an international contest with winners from Japan, North America, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy.
The Japan Cup has produced some of the most memorable finishes seen in Japanese racing. Along with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Melbourne Cup and the Breeders' Cup, the race ranks as one of the great end-of-year events.
The Japan Racing Association established the Japan Cup as an international invitational race in order for local racehorses to have the opportunity to compete against horses of an international calibre and to promote goodwill within the racing community worldwide.
- ^ "同一年度に本会が定める競走に優勝した馬に対する褒賞金交付基準" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Racing Association.
- ^ "Prize Money & Bonuses｜Japan Cup｜Horse Racing in Japan". Horse Racing in Japan. Retrieved 2019-01-11.