Birdie Birdie (4yo, colt)

Yasutoshi Ikee (trainer) "We were expecting to race here and that's the way we've been working him. He ran a shorter race his last time out and we're hoping that will work to his benefit."

 Chryso (5yo, horse)

Shigeyuki Kojima (trainer) "His condition is getting better bit by bit. He's been racing mostly at longer distances so we'll see how he adapts here. But we're excited about how he'll compete here."

Daisho Jet (8yo, horse)

Hiroyuki Oneda (trainer) "He accelerated really well today. He's in the same shape he's always in, which is what we want to see from him. He faded over the last 50 meters in his last start which was a mile, so we're a little concerned about the distance of 1,800 meters."

Danon Come On (5yo, horse)

Yuichi Fukunaga "He takes his foot off the pedal the moment he's out in front so I'm hoping to have him in a position where he can chase the two favorites. The distance will certainly be a key for him, but the potential is there. He will need a clean race, though."

Yasutoshi Ikee (trainer) "He worked on the upslope last week and worked over a long distance on the woodchip course this week. His movement has been good, and he continues to be in good shape. I don't know if he's lacking the competitive fire but he tends to come up short at the finish. I can't deny there is a gap between our horse and the two favorites, but he ran hard in the (Mile Championship) Nambu Hai and I'm anxious to see by how much he can close that gap. I'd really like to see him win the big one."

Espoir City (6yo, horse) (pictured)

Tetsuzo Sato "He's a completely different horse compared to the way he's been over the past year. You can see it in his eyes. When he's in form, he's got that vibe, that attitude which intimidates other horses and that's how he is right now. We were out for a fast time today. It's hard to compare his condition now to what it was during his peak, but I'd give him a 100 out of a 100 at the moment. He's in good enough shape to take the race to him; I've got no complaints about his condition. It was important to win the Nambu Hai but more than that, it was nice to see Espoir City back at his best. We're challengers here, but if he can run to the best of his ability, then we've got nothing to worry about. We're very determined about beating (Transcend). I think the horse himself wants to win another Grade 1 badly."

Akio Adachi (trainer) "He was in really, really good condition two years ago and I'd say he's close to that right now. It's definitely the best he's been over the last year."

La Verita (5yo, mare)

Hirokazu Makiguchi (assistant trainer) "She was good. We're happy she's come out of her final workout in one piece. She's just as good as she was for her last start (JBC Ladies' Classic). She's grown up a lot over the years. She's been second in a graded race at Hanshin before so we're not concerned by the hill."

Makani Bisty (4yo, colt)

Takahide Ando (assistant trainer) "He wasn't all that sharp but it looked like he had his lungs so we're pinning it down to his mood on the day. He went all out today so we're counting on that to sharpen him up by the day of the race."

Miracle Legend (4yo, filly)

Hideaki Fujiwara (trainer) "Her workout partner is a good training horse so I'm not that bothered about finishing behind. Her action was good. She's been racing on a consistent basis since the summer, and it's clear that she is improving. 1,800 meters is just right for her. We'd have no room for an excuse is she was going up against only female horses but here, we're looking to see how she stacks up against the best."

Nihonpiro Ours (4yo, colt)

Manabu Sakai "He was letting up near the end so I had to crack the whip to make sure he knew how he had to finish. He's put on a lot of strength in his hind legs, and he's shaping up to be a good dirt horse at around this distance."

Solitary King (4yo, colt)

Hiroki Matsubara (assistant trainer) "We've never been worried about his time working on the upslope. We just want him to get into the flow of the race and run as well as he possibly can. We'll find out where he is compared to the best of the best at this point in time. We wouldn't mind a wet track, too."

Testa Matta (5yo, horse)

Akira Murayama (trainer) "We were able to work him hard and he seemed to be breathing just fine. He had put in a lot of work for his previous start (Musashino Stakes) but things didn't turn out too well (seventh place)."

Tosho Freak (4yo, colt)

Akio Tsurudome (trainer) "He put in the maximum amount of work possible today. Everything has gone like clockwork up to this point. We somehow managed to hang on to second place in the Miyako Stakes but this time, there's a horse who is as good as Espoir City – at the least."

Transcend (5yo, horse)

Takayuki Yasuda (trainer) "He looked really comfortable out there. His time probably wasn't what it used to be but apart from that, the workout was perfect. He worked fast on the artificial surface a week ago and coasted on the upslope on the week of the race. This is the way he always gears up for a race. He's matured so much, mentally. He's probably at his best when he's on the lead but he proved in his last start and the one before that he is capable of coming off the pace. Given his form right now, I think he'll be fine regardless of how the race unfolds. We were the underdogs a year ago to this day, but we're the champion this year and we want to defend our title. If we win here, we have a shot of winning dirt horse of the year. We've got our hopes up and I expect nothing less than a victory. Our goal is to win the Dubai World Cup next year."

Wonder Acute (5yo, horse)

Ryuji Wada "He's got his lungs after going all out last week. He worked fast today but he still had a lot left in him. I thought he was at the top of his game back in the spring, and I think he's pretty close to that right now. We'll be more than competitive as long as he can run to the best of his ability. He was young two years ago but he's got the class of a mature thoroughbred now. Hanshin is clearly a better track for him. I'm going to think long and hard about how we can beat the big two."

Masao Sato (trainer) "The jockey said he felt fine. He's the type of horse who gets better with each race. He's definitely on the rise. He's not the horse he was two years ago (when he finished sixth). Physically, he'll be completely different to what he was from his last start (in the Miyako Stakes when he finished fourth). He'll race just off the pace. We're praying the big two somehow cancel each other out."

Yamanin Kingly (6yo, horse)

Hiroshi Kawachi (trainer) "We thought he was a little bit on the heavy side, hence the whip. He doesn't work as fast as he used to but we're happy with the output. He finished faster than he did a week ago and we like to think he'll be much better after this workout. He's a son of Agnes Digital, and I've always wanted to try him on dirt given the way he ran during workouts. He'd struggle to hit top speed on a spacious turf course but when he won, it was always at a tight track like Hanshin where a horse who quickens fast benefits. We're going up against the best of the best here so I don't expect things to be easy. But we've never raced against them, and I'd love it if he turned the tide on everyone. I'm really looking forward to it."