Ōsaka Hai
| Grade 1 race | |
 Suave Richard after winning the 2018 Osaka Hai | |
| Location | Hanshin Racecourse, Takarazuka, Hyogo |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1957 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred Flat racing |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2000 metres |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | 4-y-o + |
| Weight | 57kg. Fillies & mares allowed 2kg. |
| Purse | ¥135,000,000 (winner, 2020) |
The Ōsaka Hai (大阪杯) is a Grade 1 horse race in for Thoroughbred colts and fillies aged four and over run over a distance of 2,000 metres at Hanshin Racecourse. The race is also known as the Sankei Ōsaka Hai (産経大阪杯) (until 2016) and the Ōsaka Cup. The race is run in early April.
It was first run in 1957 over 1800 metres. The distance was increased to 1900 metres in 1966 before the race was run over its current distance for the first time in 1972.
Among the winners of the race have been Katsuragi Ace, Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, Air Groove, Neo Universe, Meisho Samson, Daiwa Scarlet, Orfevre and Kizuna.
The Ōsaka Hai was promoted from Grade 2 status (as it has been since 1984) to Grade 1 in 2017.[1] Prior to 2017, the race was known as the Sankei Ōsaka Hai and served as a trial race for the spring edition of the Tenno Sho.[2] From 2017 the winner will have a guaranteed and complimentary entry to that season's Irish Champion Stakes.[3]
Records[]
Speed record:
- 1:57.8 Hiruno d'Amour 2011
Most successful horse (2 wins):
- Sunrise Pegasus – 2002, 2005
Winners since 1992[]
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Tokai Teio | 4 | Yukio Okabe | Shoichi Matsumoto | 2:06.3 |
| 1993 | Mejiro McQueen | 6 | Yutaka Take | Yasuo Ikee | 2:03.3 |
| 1994 | Nehai Caesar | 4 | Katsumi Shiomura | Tadashi Fuse | 2:01.2 |
| 1995 | Inter My Way | 5 | Mikio Matsunaga | Hitoshi Nakamura | 1:59.3 |
| 1996 | 5 | Yukio Okabe | Kazuo Fujisawa | 2:00.7 | |
| 1997 | 5 | Yutaka Take | Makoto Osawa | 2:02.0 | |
| 1998 | Air Groove | 5 | Yutaka Take | Yuji Ito | 2:01.3 |
| 1999 | Silent Hunter | 6 | Yutaka Yoshida | Yokichi Okubo | 1:59.9 |
| 2000 | Meisho Odo | 5 | Yuji Iida | Ahihiro Iida | 2:00.8 |
| 2001 | Toho Dream | 4 | Katsumi Ando | Yoshiyasu Tajima | 1:58.4 |
| 2002 | Sunrise Pegasus | 4 | Katsumi Ando | Sei Ishizaka | 1:59.1 |
| 2003 | Tagano My Bach | 4 | Katsumi Ando | Hiroyoshi Matsuda | 1:59.1 |
| 2004 | Neo Universe | 4 | Mirco Demuro | Tsutomo Setoguchi | 1:59.6 |
| 2005 | Sunrise Pegasus | 7 | Hideaki Miyuki | Sei Ishizaka | 1:59.0 |
| 2006 | 5 | Yuichi Fukunaga | Hidetaki Otonashi | 2:04.5 | |
| 2007 | Meisho Samson | 4 | Mamoru Ishibashi | Shigetada Takahashi | 2:01.4 |
| 2008 | Daiwa Scarlet | 4 | Katsumi Ando | Kunihide Matsuda | 1:58.7 |
| 2009 | 5 | Kenichi Ikezoe | Yasutoshi Ikee | 1:59.7 | |
| 2010 | T M Encore | 6 | Suguru Hamanaka | Masami Shibata | 1:59.5 |
| 2011 | Hiruno d'Amour | 4 | Shinji Fujita | Mitsugu Kon | 1:57.8 |
| 2012 | Shonan Mighty | 4 | Suguru Hamanaka | Tomoyuki Umeda | 2:05.5 |
| 2013 | Orfevre | 5 | Kenichi Ikezoe | Yasutoshi Ikee | 1:59.0 |
| 2014 | Kizuna | 4 | Yutaka Take | Shozo Sasaki | 2:00.3 |
| 2015 | Lachesis | 5 | Christophe Lemaire | Katsuhiko Sumii | 2:02.9 |
| 2016 | Ambitious | 4 | Norihiro Yokoyama | Hidetaka Otonashi | 1:59.3 |
| 2017 | Kitasan Black | 5 | Yutaka Take | Hisashi Shimizu | 1:58.9 |
| 2018 | Suave Richard | 4 | Mirco Demuro | Yasushi Shono | 1:58.2 |
| 2019 | Al Ain | 5 | Yuichi Kitamura | Yasutoshi Ikee | 2:01.0 |
| 2020 | Lucky Lilac | 5 | Mirco Demuro | Mikio Matsunaga | 1:58.4 |
| 2021 | Lei Papale | 4 | Yuga Kawada | Tomokazu Takano | 2:01.6 |
Earlier winners[]
- 1957 – Homare Ichi
- 1958 – Katsura Homare
- 1959 – Kiyo Sugata
- 1960 – Wildeal
- 1961 – Kodame
- 1962 – Sugihime
- 1963 – Ryu Z
- 1964 – Tetsuno O
- 1965 – Young Hero
- 1966 – Ballymoss Nisei
- 1967 – Ryu Pharos
- 1968 – Yama Pit
- 1969 – Date Horai
- 1970 – Shunsaku O
- 1971 – Tokino Shin O
- 1972 – Kei Takashi
- 1973 – Takuma O
- 1974 – Nihon Pillow Moutiers
- 1975 – Sky Leader
- 1976 – Long Hawk
- 1977 – Gold Eagle
- 1978 – King Lanark
- 1979 – Metro Jumbo
- 1980 – Hashi Kranz
- 1981 – Sancy Doll
- 1982 – Sanei Tholon
- 1983 – Hikari Duel
- 1984 – Katsuragi Ace
- 1985 – State Jaguar
- 1986 – Sakura Yutaka O
- 1987 – Nishino Raiden
- 1988 – Fresh Voice
- 1989 – Yaeno Muteki
- 1990 –
- 1991 – White Stone
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "２０１７年度開催日割および重賞競走について" (in Japanese). Japan Racing Association. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
- ^ "Sankei Osaka Hai (G2)". japanracing.jp.
- ^ Sheerin, Brian. "Osaka Hai becomes first qualifier for Irish Champion Stakes". Racing Post. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
- Turf races in Japan