2025 Group 1 Champions Cup Preview: Narukami’s Rise and the Battle for Dirt Supremacy
- Archie Brookes
- Dec 5
- 6 min read
The New Order Begins
The 2025 Champions Cup represents a turning point. It is no longer a search for a successor, but the arrival of a new force. Narukami steps into Chukyo not as a hopeful three-year-old, but as the colt the entire dirt division must now answer to. Lemon Pop’s retirement created a vacuum. Narukami has spent the season rising into the empty space, turning potential into expectation.
Where older horses bring experience, Narukami brings momentum. Where four-year-olds bring development, Narukami brings certainty. His Japan Dirt Classic did not simply secure a trophy. It redefined the shape of the division. He controlled every section of the race, dictated tempo without stress, and broke the field long before the wire.
The older guard recognizes this shift. Wilson Tesoro, the division’s most reliable competitor, now faces a young rival who threatens to take his spot at the summit. Meisho Hario, on his farewell campaign, carries the banner of resilience, but resilience alone cannot halt a rising star. Even talented grinders like Ramjet and adaptable four-year-olds like Sixpence must now contend with a horse whose poise exceeds his age.
This edition of the Champions Cup is not just a generational clash. It is the moment a young colt attempts to become the new center of gravity in Japanese dirt racing. Every meter will ask whether Narukami is ready to take on that weight.
Chukyo will not offer anything for free. But if Narukami manages the climb, the pressure, and the chaos behind him, this could be remembered as the day his era began.
The Course: Chukyo Dirt 1800m
Chukyo demands strength, balance, and control. The 1800 metre dirt trip is the most complete examination of a dirt horse in the JRA calendar. The uphill launch out of the gates forces immediate effort. Horses accustomed to flatter starts face early stress they do not experience elsewhere. The incline also compresses the field, intensifying positional battles.
The first turn arrives quickly, rewarding agile movers. Long-striding horses without sharp turn ability risk losing ground early. The backstretch becomes a place to store energy rather than use it. Jockeys must resist the temptation to move too soon. Chukyo punishes early ambition. A premature move into the downhill sweep leaves nothing for the long homestretch.
Once the field straightens, the race shifts into its defining stage. The stretch is long enough to encourage closers but includes a late rise that disrupts rhythm. This uphill drive exposes horses who spent too much early or depend on a single burst. Those with balance and a strong second wind shine.
This course rewards horses who:
Settle early
Maintain rhythm through transitions
Finish with sustained strength
It punishes horses who:
Rely on raw early speed
Make mid-race moves prematurely
Lack the agility to secure ground-saving positions
The draw is generally fair, though middle gates remain ideal. Wide draws are not impossible but require tactical discipline.
The Pace Picture
Understanding how the pace unfolds is essential. Chukyo’s uphill start neutralises raw speed and demands efficiency instead. Horses must produce power without wasting motion. This is where the race begins to take shape.
The Early Fight
Narukami, drawn wide enough to require intent, seeks immediate control. His break is crisp, his stride efficient, and he carries himself like a horse who belongs on the front end. But he must cross rivals before the turn, and that requires strength and precision.
William Barrows, breaking from the rail, cannot surrender position. He must hold his lane or risk being buried. Helios, despite his age, still launches forward and complicates the contest. Peptide Nile adds more speed from the outside. This creates a layered fight for the early lead.
The Middle Flow
Once the field settles, the stalkers shape the race.
W Heart Bond secures the ideal tracking position. Her draw allows choices: pocket, rail trail, or outside stalk.
Wilson Tesoro positions himself perfectly, never too far back, never trapped.
Ramjet sits behind them, waiting for the leaders to fade.
Sixpence, with Lemaire, stays wide to avoid kickback and time his late move.
Jockeys must contend with the deceptive downhill lead into the far turn. Moving too early here is fatal.
The Setup for the Finish
As the field straightens, the true test begins.
Narukami leads but must withstand the hill.
Stalkers tighten behind him.
Sixpence begins to lengthen his stride.
Closers like Seraphic Call need a total collapse to enter the picture.
This race is determined not by who accelerates the fastest, but by who decelerates the least.
Get my full race analysis, selections, and real-time updates inside the AB Racing Discord. Everything goes there first.
Runner Breakdown
William Barrows
A durable, forward-going runner whose honesty is undeniable. His draw in Gate 1 helps him secure early position, but the uphill start demands energy he cannot spare. He remains a stabilising presence in the pace but lacks the late power to stay with the top level. Expect effort without victory.
W Heart Bond
A rising force with sharp instincts and developing power. Her ability to idle and reaccelerate shows class beyond her experience. She carries a valuable weight allowance and draws perfectly. Her tactical options are wide open. If she finds a lane, she becomes dangerous.
Meisho Hario
The elder statesman. His stamina and grit remain intact, but age limits his ability to quicken. Chukyo’s final rise punishes any loss of elasticity, and he will feel that. He can pass tired horses but cannot match the young stars.
Seraphic Call
A closer with a devastating late kick on his best day. But inconsistency shadows his talent. If the race melts, he becomes relevant. If not, he finishes fast but too late.
Helios
A forward horse past his prime but still capable of influencing the early pace. His stamina does not match the 1800 metre rise. He shapes the race but does not threaten it.
Hagino Alegrias
A model of consistency whose one-paced style suits grinding races but not G1s that require quickening. He runs bravely but lacks the burst to fight the finish.
Ramjet
A maturing grinder with increasing depth. His 2024 Tokyo Derby win showed a steady engine built for long stretches. He thrives when others fade. If the leaders burn early, he becomes a real factor late.
Wilson Tesoro
The most complete older horse. Efficient, balanced, and tactically sharp. His experience at Chukyo is invaluable. He remains the most reliable challenger and the first horse likely to test Narukami in the final 200 metres.
Outrange
Honest and durable but lacks the tactical tools or acceleration needed to influence the result. A mid-division finish is likely.
Tenka Jo
Talented and adaptable but too inexperienced for a field this deep. She travels well but does not yet possess a winning weapon at G1 level.
Sixpence
A wildcard with elite potential. His turf class and dirt pedigree combine into a rare profile. His acceleration is the best in the field, but the rising stretch tests his ability to sustain it. If he handles it, he becomes the most dangerous late runner.
Narukami
The rising star. His Japan Dirt Classic win was complete. He controls races with rhythm rather than force and possesses the stamina to stretch his speed. His only risk is early overexertion. If he clears comfortably, he becomes the horse they must catch.
Sunrise Zipangu
Durable and honest. He stays on well without ever producing the sudden surge needed to win at this level. He can pick up pieces but not the trophy.
Peptide Nile
A former G1 winner whose recent form has cooled. The step up in trip and wide draw both act against him. He struggles to influence the outcome.
Perriere
Talented but inconsistent. His lack of rhythm under pressure makes Chukyo a harsh test. He will need the race of his life to matter.
Luxor Cafe
A future star hindered by circumstance. Gate 16 is a tactical mountain. His pedigree promises future success, but today he faces geometry he will struggle to overcome.
How the Race Should Unfold
A three-phase structure shapes the running.
Phase 1: The Climb
Narukami must clear without wasting too much energy. If he does, he dictates the race. If he does not, the momentum shifts to the stalkers.
Phase 2: The False Calm
The downhill section invites riders to push early. The best will hold their nerve. Wilson Tesoro, Ramjet, and W Heart Bond settle into ideal positions.
Phase 3: The Fight Up the Hill
The rising ground decides the winner. Narukami attempts to kick away. The stalkers close. Sixpence launches his late surge. The last 150 metres reveal everything - class, balance, and stamina.
Final Verdict
Narukami
He stands at the centre of this race. His talent, rhythm, and stamina give him a decisive advantage if he manages the opening correctly. The Champions Cup becomes his to win if he settles, controls, and stretches into the rising ground with his usual composure.
W Heart Bond
An ultra-consistent 4yo on a steep upward curve, she won her first Graded race on the JRA circuit last time out in the Miyako Stakes, and if she comes into Sunday's race on that upward curve, she can give the favourite something to think about.
Luxor Cafe
This full-brother to Group 1 winner Cafe Pharoah has always been held in very high regard, shipping out to compete in the Kentucky Derby in May. That trip didn't go to plan but after finishing 3rd to Narukami in the Tokyo Derby, he impressively won the Group 3 Musashino Stakes last month. His outside post will be very tricky to overcome but expect him to be running on late in the day.
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