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A former JRA representative explains, “Residents of Japan and open a sports newspaper, the top three activities are featured. First is baseball, one is sumo wrestling, and the third is thoroughbred racing. We are always exposed to racing, and the horses are magnificent. There is drama and romance, especially the Arc quest in this long-running endeavor for more than 50 years. This is the reason Japanese people are so attached.”

Annual Pilgrimage

For thousands of Japanese racing fans journeying to Paris along with many more tuning in back home, it is that time as usual. Beginning with Speed Symboli, the initial representative in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, came in 11th back in 1969, three dozen others attempted without success. At Longchamp, additional challengers – Byzantine Dream, Alohi Alii and Croix Du Nord – will take their shot.

One standout case of determination amid heartbreaking losses, few stories compare across sports. British followers could lament over decades of disappointment, yet their squad can claim a global title. Since the 1990s, Japanese horse racing has grown to become the wealthiest and top-performing internationally. All it has to show after enormous spending and extensive travel is a series of painful near-misses.

Close Calls

• A 1999 runner was narrowly defeated by the winner having led until the last moment.
• The legendary Deep Impact, who drew tens of thousands, finished a close third that year later stripped of placement for banned medication.
• Nakayama Festa was narrowly beaten by the winning horse.
• The 2012 favorite took command in the final stretch but wandered and was chased down at the line.

Heavy going along with ill fortune, with the draw and in the race, have been factors to the winless streak. Horses accustomed to firm turf in Japan falter on the deep ground that generally prevails at Longchamp in early October. An expert perspective suggests it was an evolving strategy. “If you are an owner and you win a Japanese Derby, the natural conclusion is: ‘The Arc is possible,’ yet that isn’t true while it seems alike, but it’s a totally different game.

“The Japanese turf is really flat and the Japanese horses are trained to become precision machines, overseas, a sturdier type, because the surface appears pristine yet underfoot, it feels different. Hence trainers and owners have studied a lot to select entrants which both run on smooth ground and maybe have an element of SUV.

This Year's Hopefuls

Interestingly the latest entrants for this year’s Arc experienced an almost localized buildup: time off in summer then a tune-up event. It is not the biggest team that Japan has fielded in an Arc – four runners in 2022 finished widely among the also-rans – yet they possess impressive quality.

Is success imminent when the travelling fans are rewarded after years of loyalty for these athletes.

“Fundamentally, wagering is limited nationally only a handful of permitted activities, among them thoroughbred racing,” Kusano says. “However, the JRA has succeeded to reshape perceptions away from mere gambling to a more diverse sport for general audiences, connecting fans with the sport in a different way to other countries.

“In the view of enthusiasts, when we have star horses lining up, naturally, fans journey, to share in the challenge. Victories in Hong Kong and other regions in numerous locations on comparable tracks, this trophy is the elusive prize for decades.”