Takamatsunomiya Kinen


The Takamatsunomiya Kinen is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres at Chukyo Racecourse in late March.
The forerunner of this race was the Chukyo Daishoten. It was started as the Takamatsunomiya Hai when the victory cup was designed by Prince Takamatsu in 1971, and was given Domestic Grade 2 status when race grading was introduced to Japan in 1984. It was run over a distance of 2,000 metres. This was shortened to 1,200 metres and elevated to Domestic Grade 1 in 1996, and to its present level in 2006. Horses trained outside Japan have been eligible to run in the race since 2001. It was renamed the Takamatsunomiya Kinen in 1998 because the family of Prince Takamatsu stopped designing the victory cup.
From 2011 The Takamatsunomiya Kinen has taken over from the Centaur Stakes as a Japanese leg of the Global Sprint Challenge Series it is the second leg of the series preceded by the Lightning Stakes and from 2012 followed by the Dubai Golden Shaheen
It is also the only JRA Grade 1 race not venued in their 4 major racecourses.

Winners since 1996