The two Japanese horses Admire Terra and Meisho Tabaru have chosen to run in the Arc without a prep race

QATAR PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE

The two Japanese horses Admire Terra and Meisho Tabaru have chosen to run in the Arc without a prep race

Japan, one of the world’s leading racing nations, has the ambition of winning the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, a major international race that no Japanese horse has yet managed to win.

Winner of the Hanshin Daishoten (Group 2), Admire Terra will be one of the two Japanese Thoroughbreds lining up in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday. His trainer Yasuo Tomomichi will be taking part in the race for the third time, following Makahiki, 14th in 2016, and Do Deuce, 19th in 2022. Having arrived in France around three weeks before the race, Admire Terra will be ridden by Cristian Demuro, a two-time Arc winner with Sottsass in 2020 and Ace Impact in 2023, who rode him for the first time during a training gallop at ParisLongchamp.

The other Japanese contender, Meisho Tabaru, comes into the Arc following a plan that his connections have been developing since his victory in the Takarazuka Kinen (Group 1). His trainer Mamoru Ishibashi — like his counterpart Yasuo Tomomichi with Admire Terra — has chosen to send him directly into the race without a prep run in France. This will also be Mamoru Ishibashi’s first runner in France. He will be ridden by Yutaka Take, a true living legend of international racing, who is preparing to ride in his twelfth Arc and is celebrating his 40th year as a jockey this year. Yutaka Take finished on the Arc podium in 2001 aboard Sagacity, who was owned by Jean-Luc Lagardère.

As the organiser of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, France Galop invited journalists to a press conference with the Japanese trainers. Here are their main comments:

PART 1: ADMIRE TERRA

Three weeks in France and a preparation considered successful

[Yasuo Tomomichi, trainer of Admire Terra] 

“Admire Terra arrived in France around three weeks ago. Thanks to the help of France Galop, the entire team here and Satoshi Kobayashi [a Japanese trainer based in Chantilly, editor’s note], we have been able to carry out a very good preparation.

I arrived the day before yesterday [Monday, editor’s note] and, when I saw Admire Terra again, I found exactly the same horse as in Japan. He is just as calm and his behaviour has not changed. For me, that means the preparation has gone very well.

We did some light work this morning with one of Satoshi Kobayashi’s horses. Admire Terra is in very good condition and we are ready for the race.”

A third attempt at the Arc for Yasuo Tomomichi

“This is my third participation in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. On my two previous attempts, I brought two very high-quality horses over from Japan. I learned a great deal from those two experiences. In particular, they led me this time to look for a horse that could really adapt to French ground, because racing in France is difficult.”

Why Admire Terra? 

“This year, we really looked for a horse who might be better able to adapt to Longchamp. Among the horses we had available, Admire Terra seemed to us to be the best candidate. I think he has the qualities required to adapt, particularly because of his action and stamina. We obviously obtained the owner’s agreement, and it is a challenge that we are taking on with the entire team.

On my first two attempts in the Arc, I came with horses who were very highly regarded in Japan. But this time, Admire Terra has more experience. What matters is his power, his experience and, above all, his ability to adapt.”

Why not run in a prep race in France?

“On my two previous visits, the horses had run in a prep race in France. Those experiences made me realise that it was quite difficult to come to France, run in a prep race and then prepare for the Arc in good conditions.

So this time we have changed the way we do things. Admire Terra continued his preparation in Japan before spending his final three weeks in France. That is an important difference compared with my two previous attempts.”

The purpose of the gallop at Longchamp on 22 September

“It was important to me that the horse experience the Longchamp track before the Arc. Cristian had never ridden him before. So it was also an opportunity for the horse and his jockey to get to know each other.

I wanted to see how Admire Terra would handle the Longchamp track and how Cristian would feel about him in those conditions. That gallop was important, both so that the horse could experience the track and so that Cristian could get to know him.”

Why Cristian Demuro?

“Cristian Demuro is one of the best jockeys in France. He has been riding here for a long time and has already won many major races. Above all, he has won the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe twice. He knows how to win this race. That is why I have confidence in him.”

What a first Japanese victory would mean

“The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is a race I dream about. No Japanese horse has ever won it. It is a very special race for all Japanese people. If I could become the first Japanese trainer to win it — with a Japanese horse — it would be a dream come true.”

Cristian Demuro’s first impressions of Admire Terra

[Cristian Demuro, jockey of Admire Terra]

“I rode him for the first time at Longchamp. I immediately had a good impression. He had a good attitude on the track and was very well balanced. When I asked him to accelerate, he responded to me and kept going all the way to the finish. I thought he moved well.

I then rode him again on the Réservoirs track at Chantilly and I thought he had improved a lot more. On Tuesday morning, I felt that his condition had improved again. I thought he was at his best. I think he is at the peak of his form. I don’t think we could have him much better than this. Now I hope everything goes well on Sunday.”

The differences between Japanese tracks and Longchamp

“First of all, they are not the same kind of tracks. In Japan, the tracks are fairly flat and the ground is generally quite fast. When a Japanese horse comes here, it changes a lot of things in the way he moves. Longchamp is particularly difficult because the track goes uphill and downhill. It is completely different from what you generally encounter in Japan.

In Japan, the ground is really very fast. Japanese horses may therefore need some time to adapt when they come to race here. At this time of year, the ground can also be much softer than in Japan. That is another important difference.

Even when we talk about good ground, there is still a difference between good ground in France and good ground in Japan. Ground that is considered good here does not necessarily correspond to what we would call good ground in Japan.

Despite these differences, I don’t think there will be a problem for Admire Terra. I think he can adapt very well to this track. He is also a horse with speed who is capable of accelerating quickly.”

PART 2: MEISHO TABARU

Meisho Tabaru: an Arc project born after the Takarazuka Kinen

[Mamoru Ishibashi, trainer of Meisho Tabaru] 

“The project began last year, in 2025, when the horse won the Takarazuka Kinen. Together with the owner, we had decided that the horse would remain in Japan for the autumn races in 2025. But we had also said that, the following year, if everything went well, we could take on the challenge of the Arc. We followed that programme and that is why we are here today.”

Why go directly to the Arc after his victory in the Takarazuka Kinen on 14 June?

“Meisho Tabaru has often had a lot of time between his races. We thought about the question and discussed it a lot. We even considered running in a prep race. But, in the end, we felt there was no problem with going directly to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after the Takarazuka Kinen. So I don’t think it is a problem.”

His condition and adaptation to France

“Last week, when he experienced the Longchamp track, I was not completely satisfied with what I saw in the footage. I did not see exactly the horse I wanted to see. That is why, over the past few days, we have tried to change certain things in his work. That alone allowed me to see the horse becoming a little more serious. Today, I had the feeling that he had become more accustomed to his surroundings. I think he is doing well.

He worked this morning and I thought he was already more in racing mode. He was keener and more focused.”

The pressure ahead of a first Arc appearance

“As you say, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is one of the greatest races in the world. To be honest, I never imagined that one day I would find myself here in this situation. Today, I feel a lot of pressure.

It is a prestigious race and, on a personal level, it is also very exciting to be able to take part in it.”

The emotion surrounding the team and the owner

“The owner passed away last year. The fact that we can be here today, continuing the challenges that he had undertaken, is very important to us.

With Yutaka, whom I have known for a very long time, and the other members of the team, we have been working together for many years. Being able to take part in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with this team means a great deal to me.

Nothing is impossible.”

Yutaka Take’s impressions of Meisho Tabaru

[Yutaka Take, jockey of Meisho Tabaru]

“I rode him this morning. As Mr Ishibashi explained, I felt that the horse was still a little heavy. But he was more powerful than I had expected. I had a good impression.

We had discussed things a lot with the trainer after seeing the footage of his work last week. Riding him in training today was important. I found him much keener. He was already in racing mode.”

What tactics in the Arc?

“In his previous races, he has achieved good results by going to the front, but also in other configurations. Before a race, you never know exactly what is going to happen.

I don’t think it will be an easy race, so I am considering several scenarios. He is used to going to the front and has achieved good results that way. So the initial idea could be to let him go to the front as usual. But a lot of things can happen in a race and we will have to be able to adapt.

I know it won’t be easy. We will do our best.”

A twelfth appearance in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

“This will be my twelfth participation in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. It is a very special race. So far, I have not achieved the results I had hoped for, but I have always wanted to come back. I am very happy to have this opportunity once again.

This year marks my 40th year as a jockey. I have been doing what I love for forty years.

For me, it really is a daily effort. Nothing changes. The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is also one of my motivations. This race makes me want to continue my career.”