Champions Cup (horse race)

The Champions Cup (JPN G-1, formerly the Japan Cup Dirt until 2013) is a thoroughbred horse race contested in Japan in early December. It is run for three-year-olds and older at a distance of 1,800 meters. In recent years, the race has followed the Japan Cup on the Japanese racing calendar.

Race information

 * Racecourse: Chukyo Racecourse
 * Distance: 1,800 meters (About 9. furlongs), Dirt, Right-handed
 * Qualification to run: 3-y-o & Up
 * Weight: 3-y-o colts & geldings 55 kg
 * 3-y-o fillies 53 kg
 * 4-y-o & up horses & geldings 57 kg
 * 4-y-o & up mares 55 kg
 * Safety Factor: 16 (There will be a maximum of 8 foreign-trained starters)

2008 changes
The race was moved from Tokyo Racecourse to Hanshin Racecourse in 2008. The Japan Cup Dirt had been overshadowed by its turf counterpart (the Japan Cup) in recent years, because turf racing in Japan typically remains more popular and attracts better horses. Attendance for the 2007 Japan Cup Dirt was 56,052, while the attendance for the turf race the following day was 103,545.

With the move to Hanshin, the Japan Cup Dirt was shortened from its original distance of 2,100 meters (about $10 1/2$ furlongs) to 1,800 meters (about 9 furlongs). Now run one week after the Japan Cup, the Japan Cup Dirt shares the weekend with the "World Super Jockeys Series" featuring jockeys from around the world.

2014 changes
The Japan Cup Dirt was moved to Chukyo Racecourse in 2014 and renamed the Champions Cup. According to the Japan Racing Association, the decision to make changes to the race was because of a lack of international participation. The new Champions Cup race will be run left-handed, as opposed to the right turns run since the race moved from Tokyo to Hanshin in 2008. The purse of the race will be reduced to ¥94 million - compared to ¥130 million for the 2013 running - and it will no longer be an invitational race. The 2014 running is scheduled for Sunday, December 7.

Purse
(For the 2007 running)

Total JPN ¥277,900,000 (U.S$. 2,416,000)
 * 1st JPN ¥130,000,000 (U.S$. 1,103,000)
 * 2nd JPN ¥52,000,000 (U.S$. 452,000)
 * 3rd JPN ¥33,000,000 (U.S$. 286,000)
 * 4th JPN ¥20,000,000 (U.S$. 173,000)
 * 5th JPN ¥13,000,000 (U.S$. 113,000)

Like counterpart Japan Cup, as being one of the 4 GI races in Japan Autumn International Series since 2008, a bonus is added to the top 3 if they are not trained in Japan, and raced in one of the following races and finished likewise in same year. If multiple bonus applies, only the highest one counts.

Winners



 * 2000, 2001, 2003–2007: Tokyo Racecourse, 2,100 meters, counter-clockwise (left-handed)
 * 2002: Nakayama Racecourse, 1,800 meters, clockwise (right-handed)
 * 2008–2013: Hanshin Racecourse, 1,800 meters, clockwise
 * 2014–present (scheduled): Chukyo Racecourse, 1,800 meters, counter-clockwise