Leading sprinter Satono Reve will carry the hopes of a nation as he looks to provide Japan with an historic first victory at Royal Ascot in the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Satono Reve will carry the hopes of a nation at Royal Ascot (Pic – John Hoy)
Gold Cup ninth Ingrandire was Japan’s first runner at the meeting in 2004, with 2022 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes fourth Shahryar faring best of a further nine Japanese raiders since then.
Satono Reve arrives at the top of his game, having landed the Gr1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo and finished second to Ka Ying Rising in Hong Kong’s Gr1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize.
With trainer Noriyuki Hori in attendance, the six-year-old powered clear of his lead horse in a workout on Newmarket’s July Course on Wednesday.
Hori said of his first Royal Ascot runner: “After arriving from Hong Kong, Satono Reve had some time to recover before steadily building up his training.
“Today, we completed his final gallop before the race – a five-furlong piece on the July Course at Newmarket, ridden by Ryan Moore.
“Although it is a different environment from what he is used to, he has been coming along well thanks to the warm support of James Horton, his team and everyone involved.”
Record of Japanese-trained horses at Royal Ascot: No winners from 10 runners
- 2004 Ingrandire, Gold Cup, 9th
- 2005 Keeneland Swan, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, 10th
- 2011 Grand Prix Boss, St James’s Palace Stakes, 8th
- 2015 Spielberg, Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, 6th
- 2015 Super Moon, Wolferton Stakes, 10th
- 2016 A Shin Erwin, Queen Anne Stakes, 10th
- 2016 A Shin Hikari, Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, 6th
- 2019 Deirdre, Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, 6th
- 2022 Shahryar, Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, 4th
- 2022 Grenadier Guards, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, 19th
