Japan Cup: draw gods kind to visitors as Europe attempts to bridge 17-year gap

42nd Japan Cup in association with Longines (Group 1) | 3yo+ | 1m4f

Japan may have earned a reputation for being a difficult place for international challengers to win over the last two decades, but the draw for Sunday's £5.15 million Japan Cup has raised hopes of a first European success since Frankie Dettori and Alkaased in 2005, with the visitors all drawing kindly low numbers.

Of the three French contenders, Simca Mille and Onesto are on the rail in stalls one and two, while Grand Glory – fifth in this race 12 months ago – is in five.

Germany's Tunnes – who has been getting plenty of love among the international media assembled to cover the race this week and is in danger of gaining the dreaded status of 'wiseguy' pick – will break from seven under Bauyrzhan Murzabayev in a full field of 18.

Tunnes and Bauyrzhan Murzabayev get a feel for the Tokyo parade ring on FridayCredit: Racing Post/Scott Burton

Although Tokyo's long straights and broad bends have not historically conferred a huge advantage to those drawn low, the very recent history of the Japan Cup suggests the winner will carry either a white or a black cap to denote one of the four innermost draws.

Onesto, who finished narrowly behind Luxembourg in the Irish Champion Stakes, arrives in search of a second Group 1 victory.

Before moving permanently to Japan in 2014, jockey Christophe Lemaire wore the cream and violet silks of Onesto's owner Gerard Augustin-Normand to victory in the 2009 Prix du Jockey Club on Le Havre.

That Classic success came in the middle of driving rain but trainer Fabrice Chappet will hope for the sound surface more commonly associated with Tokyo after Onesto's wheels spun at a sodden Longchamp in the Arc.

"In the Irish Champion Stakes he showed himself to be one of Europe's best three-year-olds and was an honourable second, while the ground was really very difficult in the Arc," said Chappet. "He's a proper good ground horse with a real turn of foot."

While Onesto was probably value for a little more than his neck margin of victory in the Grand Prix de Paris, runner-up Simca Mille has been one of the revelations of the season since losing his maiden tag in an all-weather handicap at Chantilly in April.

Stall two looks ideal for Gregory Benoist on a horse trainer Stephane Wattel kept fresh for this assignment after winning the Prix Niel.

"He's able to follow a strong pace and really travels into his races without consuming too much energy," said Wattel, who chose to miss the Arc with Simca Mille, a good-ground specialist who also appreciates a decent gap between runs.

Grand Glory equalled the best performance of any European since 2006 when fifth last year and has looked every bit as good this season at the age of six, running on to be fifth in the Arc under Maxime Guyon.

"She really did something special there because she was last and made up an enormous amount of ground," said trainer Gianluca Bietolini.

Peter Schiergen may feel he has unfinished business with the Japan Cup after Danedream was a beaten favourite in 2011 following her Arc success.

In Tunnes, a half-brother to Torquator Tasso, he has the most unexposed runner in the race and one who he began thinking about for Japan after his debut at two.

British interest revolves around jockey bookings, with Ryan Moore on the improving Vela Azul and Tom Marquand making his Japan Cup debut on 2020 Japanese Oaks winner Daring Tact.

Although several of Japan's leading middle-distance horses are absent, Danon Beluga and Dubai Sheema Classic winner Shahryar – third to Contrail in this race 12 months ago – still bring an excellent level of form to the race and are favoured by British bookmakers to keep the prize at home again.

The pair finished third and fifth respectively in last month's Tenno Sho over a mile and a quarter.

Cristian Demuro retains his partnership with Shahryar, whose assistant trainer Nobuyuki Tashiro said: "He won the Tokyo Yushun [Japanese Derby] over the Tokyo 2,400 metres and I think having had good results over the distance is a big plus. He has improved considerably and my expectations are very high."

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