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A former JRA representative explains, “Residents of Japan and pick up a racing paper, three key disciplines are featured. First is baseball, sumo wrestling is another, and the final one is horse racing. The sport is ubiquitous, and these athletes are stunning. The challenge and passion are palpable, and a challenge to the Arc because we’ve been trying to win for more than 50 years. That explains Japanese people are so attached.”

Annual Pilgrimage

A multitude of devotees making the 12,000-mile round trip plus additional viewers following live broadcasts, the season is here annually. Ever since the first entrant, the first Japanese-trained runner at the Arc, placed 11th back in 1969, three dozen others have tried and failed. On Sunday, another trio – the latest hopefuls – will take their shot.

One standout case of determination in the face of painful and often bitter experience, few stories compare across sports. Supporters of England may grumble over decades of disappointment, but the national team can claim a World Cup win. Over the last 30 years, Japanese horse racing has developed as the richest and most successful globally. But the return after enormous spending and countless journeys is a string of frustrating outcomes.

Bitter Defeats

• El Condor Pasa came up just short against Montjeu after leading until the last moment.
• Deep Impact, who drew tens of thousands, finished a close third that year later stripped of placement due to a prohibited substance.
• An unexpected challenger was narrowly beaten by the winning horse.
• Perhaps the most painful took command in the final stretch but wandered and got caught at the line.

Unfavorable track conditions combined with misfortune, with the draw and in the race, have been factors in Japan’s 0-for-33 record. Runners used to lightning-fast going at home often struggle on testing tracks common in Paris at Longchamp in early October. Kusano, though suggests it was a gradual education. “If you are an owner victorious in the Derby, the natural conclusion is: ‘We can conquer Europe,’ yet that isn’t true since it appears comparable, the competition is distinct.

“Racing surfaces in Japan tend to be uniform and local thoroughbreds bred to be sprint specialists, overseas, a sturdier type, as the turf seems perfect in reality, it’s totally different. Hence racing teams have researched extensively to select entrants able to handle variety and maybe have an element of SUV.

2024's Trio

Notably that the three Japanese challengers for this year’s Arc underwent what could be described as French preparation: an extended midsummer break and then a run in a trial. This isn’t the most numerous group that Japan has fielded for this race – four runners in 2022 were spread out among the also-rans – yet they possess impressive quality.

Could this be the breakthrough when the travelling fans celebrate at last for their indefatigable devotion for these athletes.

“Fundamentally, gambling is prohibited in Japan with just four authorized betting sports, including the turf,” Kusano says. “But the Japan Racing Association has succeeded in rebranding the sport from purely a betting sport to a more diverse sport accessible to all, uniting enthusiasts to the events distinctly to other countries.

“From a Japanese fan’s aspect, with elite runners lining up, naturally, fans journey, to experience the excitement. Success abroad and the Middle East in numerous locations on comparable tracks, and this is the box the final goal for a long time.”