Win, lose or draw on his final career start Auguste Rodin will head off to a new stud career in historic style in Tokyo on Sunday morning.
The dual-Derby and Breeders Cup champion bids to supply trainer Aidan O’Brien with a first success in the €3.2 million to the winner Japan Cup due off at 6.40am Irish-time.
As a son of Japan’s most famous ever racehorse, the 2006 winner Deep Impact, Auguste Rodin has been the centre of attention ahead of Sunday’s race. In an unprecedented move the Japan Racing Association will host a retirement ceremony for the Irish star after the race, making him the first foreign horse to receive an honour usually reserved for local stars such as last year’s winner Equinox.
Since Deep Impact’s victory 18 years ago Japanese horses have been unbeaten in a race originally designed to measure home stars against the best around the world. That lessons were quickly learned is underlined by Japan’s status as a racing superpower and a lack of genuinely top-class European runners taking them on since the Arc winner Danedream in 2011.
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That has changed this year with Auguste Rodin joined by the French King George winner Goliath and the top German star Fantastic Moon. All could earn a $3 million bonus if successful.
It is O’Brien’s seventh attempt to win the Japan Cup, and the Irishman is in Tokyo to leg up Ryan Moore for the 14-runner contest. “We’ve tried it before but never with a horse as good as this,” O’Brien said. “We are really amazed how respectful the Japanese public are of Auguste Rodin.”
Over 100,000 are expected to attend Auguste Rodin’s attempt to end his racing career with a seventh Group One ahead of retiring to stud in Coolmore for 2025.
Ireland’s only Japan Cup success came in 1983 with the Frank Dunne-owned and trained mare Stanerra. Auguste Rodin will break from stall eight to try to emulate her.
The leading home hopes include the top older horse Do Deuce and this year’s Oaks heroine Cervinia. She will be ridden by Frenchman Christophe Lemaire who has won the Japan Cup four times in all, including on Equinox a year ago.
Goliath’s rider Christophe Soumillon won on Epiphanea a decade ago. Ryan Moore has won it twice, first with Gentildonna in 2013 and a vintage effort on Vela Azul two years ago.
