HISTORICALLY, the Group 1 Arima Kinen is the closing spectacle of the racing season.

However, the addition of two extra JRA Group 1 races in 2017 has caused the fixture list to be slightly altered.

Held at Nakayama Racecourse, the Arima Kinen competes with the Japan Cup and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) for the biggest race day of the year.

This comparison is made in terms of betting turnover and attendance.

With over 100,000 fans in attendance on race day, thousands more influenced the starting line-up.

The majority of the runners for the 2500 metre contest is decided by the racing public casting their votes for the horses they want to see compete for the €2,250,000 winner’s purse.

The fragile and lightly-raced Blast Onepiece was sent off as 8/1 third favourite.

The three-year-old, under Kenichi Ikezoe, negotiated his way to the head of the field deep into the final furlong.

He passed the winning post with a neck to spare over the race favourite and fast finishing Rey de Oro. Cheval Grand finished a further length and a quarter behind in third.

After his first Group 1 win, Blast Onepiece was announced as the Champion Three-Year-Old Colt for 2018.

This award is historically claimed by the Tokyo Yushun winner.

Lemaire blazes a trail in rider’s rankings

JUST as Almond Eye dominated throughout the year it is fitting that her regular race rider Christophe Lemaire dominated the titles for jockeys. Of six possible titles for JRA riders the Frenchman claimed five.

Missing out in just the JRA Special Award category which was presented to veteran Yutaka Take in recognition of surpassing 4000 winners in the JRA. Lemaire capped off a simply sensational year in the saddle on the final day of racing in the JRA in December by bringing his total number of winners to 215 for the season.

This surpassed Yutaka Take’s record of 212 set in 2005.

Jumping specialist

competes with JRA

elites on the flat

IN the JRA awards, Oju Chosan was once again named as Champion

Steeplechaser in Japan. Connections of the seven-year-old surprised racing fans when deciding to run their four-time Grade 1 jumps winner in the Arima Kinen. He finished in a respectable ninth place.