About The Champion’s Cup
The Champion’s Cup is one of the younger mega races for thoroughbred horses. It was first ran in 2000. Then it was known as the Japan Cup Dirt. This name stuck with the race for 13 years until it was given its current title in 2013. On Japan’s racing calendar the event follows the prestigious Japan Cup.
Only three-year-old horses are allowed to compete in the Champion’s Cup. The race is ran at a distance of 1,800 meters, or about 9 furlongs. It is held at the Chukyo Racecourse. The purse is approximately $2.4 million dollars, with over $1 million going to the winner.
Japan has been raising the purse money that is available in the Champion’s Cup in an effort to make the race more competitive with the Dubai World Cup and Pegasus World Cup. At the time of this writing, the race is more in line with the Triple Crown series when it comes to purse money.
Getting Into the Champion’s Cup
This is a very competitive horse racing event. This means that guidelines have been established for which horses are able to participate. The Champion’s Cup uses a qualifying system that is similar to the one used to determine the entrants to the Kentucky Derby.
Horses that want to compete in this Japanese racing event are able to earn points qualifying events. The horses that earn the most points are invited to enter the race. There are also some races that give the horse an automatic entry. These include the Kentucky Derby, Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Dubai World Cup. In addition, the winners of these events are given a bonus if they also win the Champion’s Cup.
The bonus is a good way to entice participation from foreign race horses. While horses that are not bred or based in Japan are welcome to qualify for the race, there are measures in place to restrict the number of foreign entrants. This helps to keep spots open for Japan’s own horses to compete.
Champion’s Cup Restrictions
There are some very significant restrictions that are placed on the Champion’s Cup. One of these is that the race is limited to 16 starters. This is done for safety reasons. Many industry experts applaud this and wish that other important races would follow the same rule.
In contrast, the Kentucky Derby is open to 20 participants each year. The field is so large that an auxiliary starting gate has to be used. The regular gate holds 15 starters while 5 are placed in the secondary gate. Some claim that this is an unsafe practice. In Japan there is more room for the horses to break from the starting gate without interfering with other horses or being hurt in the process.
Another restriction that is in place for the Champion’s Cup is the limitation of foreign starters to half of the field. Only 8 of the horses in this race can be from foreign countries. This helps to make sure that there are a minimum of 8 spots for Japanese horses.
The Timing of the Champion’s Cup in Japan
A secret to success for major horse races is timing. Races should be placed on the calendar in such a way that they do not conflict with other major races. Scheduling a race at the same time as the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, for example, would not be wise. Most owners and trainers would choose the Breeders’ Cup over another race. This would take the most talented horses out of play.
The Champion’s Cup is held in late December, a perfect time for the race. It is after the Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown events. It is before the Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup. This allows more horses to consider entering the event.
Luring Horses With Large Purse Money
We are currently living in the era of the mega race. These races include the Champion’s Cup, Triple Crown series, the Saudi Cup, and Dubai World Cup. The Pegasus Cup is also a new entrant in this category. Mega races offer massive purses in an effort to lure the best horses to run in the event.
The most talented horses in thoroughbred racing are managed by talented horse trainers. A trainer has to use discretion when it comes to placing talented horses in a race. Owners of these horses are going to demand that they have a chance to get the highest possible return from their investment. This means running in races which offer the most money.
A champion race horse can only compete so many times each year. Some of these horses have been entered exclusively in mega events. A horse can now win two mega events and earn as much money as horses in the past were able to earn in an entire career. This has angered some people who don’t believe that the horse with one or two major wins to its credit should outrank other horses on the all-time money list.
Whether you like them or hate them, mega racing events are probably the trend of the future for horse racing.
How to Watch and Bet on the Champion’s Cup
A trip to Japan may not be possible for most horse racing fans and bettors. The good news is that you don’t have to if you want to watch and wager on the Champion’s Cup. You can use an online racebook like AmWager to make your bets from home.
Online racebooks allow you to use a computer, phone, or tablet to bet. You can also receive bonus cash when you make your first deposit, free bets, and other special promotions.
More topics on Japan horse Racing:
- How to Bet the JRA – Japan Racing Association
- Japanese Horse Racing Live Stream
- Japan Horse Racing Odds
- Tokyo Horse Racing
- Japan Horse Racing Tips
- Japanese Virtual Horse Racing
- The Legendary Tokyo Racecourse
- Why Is Horse Racing So Popular in Japan?
- Japanese Horse Racing Classes