This G1 feature shares not only another race with the same name in the Autumn but shares the trip of the Melbourne Cup - 3200m.

The Spring version is run at Kyoto and features the 2011 Horse of the Year Orfevre, who stunned fans on his seasonal debut in the Hanshin Daishoten in March when he veered to his left and then was pulled up by his jockey who finally let him go into the race again from the back of the field and with no distance in which to make up the ground miraculously finished second by half a length. He should have won that race by at least 5 lengths and while this is tougher and he's drawn out in 18, he should be able to do it.

Gustave Cry was the horse who beat him at Hanshin but that seemed a freak result so we prefer Tosen Jordan, who won the Autumn version and then ran well in the Japan Cup, Jaguar Mail who can get the trip and Hiruno d'Amour who seems to be returning to form.

Many Japanese eyes will be on Rulership who is carrying the flag for Japan in the QEII in Hong Kong and he would seem to have quite a good chance in that race, which will be discussed in the Hong Kong section.