THE colts’ classic will be the main race at Nakayama Racecourse tomorrow, with a post time of 7:40am Irish time. However, it may well be a filly who could etch her name into the history books, as the 84th winner of the Satsuki Sho, the Japanese 2000 Guineas. Unlike its European equivalents, the colts’ Guineas is run over 10 furlongs. The last filly to win the Satsuki Sho was Hide Hikari in 1948.

Winner of the Group 1 Hopeful Stakes, also against the boys, Regaleira (Suave Richard) will be the sole filly among the full field for the Satsuki Sho. She will be accompanied by a new jockey for her Guineas engagement. Christophe Lemaire had partnered her on her three racecourse starts, but the Frenchman is still recovering from injuries sustained in a fall at Meydan on World Cup night.

There is no shortage of high-class colts in opposition. Meishio Tabura (Gold Ship) made all to run out a stylish six-length winner of the Group 3 Mainichi Hai with the highly touted Noble Roger in second. The French-bred Shin Emperor (Siyouni), a full-brother to Arc winner Sottsass, will need to improve on his last two starts when still showing signs of greenness behind Regaliera in the Hopeful Stakes and Cosmo Kuranda in a Guineas Trial. Group 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes winner and 2023 champion juvenile colt, Jantar Mantar (Palace Malice), lost his unbeaten record in the Group 3 Kyodo News Cup to a smart performance by Justin Milano (Kizuna) in February.

JAPANESE racing is in mourning, as Kota Fujioka passes away at the age of 35.

The JRA announced on April 11th what the Japanese racing fraternity had feared, Kota Fujioka had succumbed to the injuries suffered from a fall at Hanshin on April 6th.

Kota had suffered head and chest injuries, and had remained unconscious since the accident.

The news of Fujioka’s passing has sent shockwaves throughout the entire racing industry, with tributes quickly flooding various media sources from weigh room colleagues, trainers and fans.

Kota was the son of JRA trainer Kenichi and younger brother of JRA jockey Yusuke.

Fujioka had ridden 28 JRA winners this year, and sits 10th in the overall leading JRA rider rankings.

He was on track to achieve a career-high number of victories, surpassing his previous best of 63 set last year.

His highest profile success came when partnering Namur to win the 2023 Group 1 Mile Championship.

In his 17-year career, Fujioka recorded 803 winners in the JRA.

Kota Fujioka’s untimely passing marks a second tragic loss in quick succession for Japanese jockeys.

Yudai Tsukamoto, died from injuries sustained in a horror fall at Kochi on March 24th.