The Challenge Cup () is a Japanese Grade 3 horse race for Thoroughbreds aged three and over, run in September over a distance of 2000 metres on turf at Hanshin Racecourse.
The Challenge Cup was first run in 1950 and has held Grade 3 status since 1984. The race was run at Kyoto Racecourse in 1966 and 1995 and at Chukyo Racecourse in 1979, 1990, 1991, 1994 and 2006. It was run over 1800 metres from 2012 to 2016. The race was held in November or December for most years, but from 2025 the race is held in September. The race was also changed to a handicap race.
From 1953, the race was called the "Asahi Challenge Cup", but returned to just the "Challenge Cup" in 2014.
Winners since 2000 Year Winner Age Jockey TrainerOwner Time 2000 Mikki Dance 4 Tetsuzo Sato Toshiyuki HattoriHisashi Miki 1:58.3 2001 Ibuki Government 5 Hiroshi Kawachi Kojiro HashiguchiIbuki 1:59.4 2002 Tap Dance City 5 Tetsuzo Sato Shozo SasakiYushun Horse Club 1:58.1 2003 Camphor Best 4 Katsumi Ando Yoshikatsu SatoKiyoharu Okumura 1:58.3 2004 Suzuka Mambo 3 Yutaka Take Mitsuru HashidaKeiji Nagai 2:01.6 2005 One More Chatter 5 Yuichi Fukunaga Yasuo TomomichiIchizo Matsui 1:59.4 2006 Trillion Cut 6 Ryuji Wada Hidetaka OtonashiCarrot Farm 1:57.4 2007 Inti Raimi 5 Tetsuzo Sato Shozo SasakiSunday Racing 2:00.0 2008 Dream Journey 4 Kenichi Ikezoe Yasutoshi IkeeSunday Racing 1:58.5 2009 Captain Thule 4 Yuga Kawada Hideyuki MoriShadai Race Horse 2:00.0 2010 Captain Thule 5 Futoshi Komaki Hideyuki MoriShadai Race Horse 1:59.2 2011 Mikki Dream 4 Ryuji Wada Hidetaka OtonashiMizuki Noda 1:59.6 2012 Shoryu Moon 5 Shinichiro Akiyama Shozo SasakiWataru Ueda 1:46.6 2013 Archimedes 4 Mickael Barzalona Hideaki FujiwaraMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 1:46.5 2014 Tosen Stardom 3 Yutaka Take Yasutoshi IkeeTakaya Shimakawa 1:45.9 2015 Fluky 5 Mirco Demuro Katsuhiko SumiiMakoto Kaneko 1:46.1 2016 Meiner Honey 3 Daichi Shibata Hironuki KoritaThoroughbred Club Ruffian 1:46.5 2017 Satono Chronicle 3 Mirco Demuro Yasutoshi IkeeSatomi Horse Company 1:58.6 2018 Air Windsor 4 Mirco Demuro Kazuya NakatakeLucky Field 1:58.3 2019 Lord My Way 3 Christophe Lemaire Haruki SugiyamaLord Horse Club 1:59.1 2020 Lei Papale 3 Yuga Kawada Tomokazu TakanoCarrot Farm 1:59.9 2021 So Valiant 3 Christophe Lemaire Masahiro OtakeShadai Race Horse 2:01.0 2022 So Valiant 4 Christophe Lemaire Masahiro OtakeShadai Race Horse 1:57.5 2023 Bellagio Opera 3 Kazuo Yokoyama Hiroyuki UemuraShorai Hayashida 1:58.82024Ravel4Yuga KawadaYoshito YahagiCarrot Farm Co. Ltd.1:58.22025Allnatt4João MoreiraMasahiro OtakeSilk Racing1:58.02026Giovanni4Kohei MatsuyamaHaruki SugiyamaKR Japan1:57.6
Earlier winners
1950 - Takakura Yama 1951 - Sachihomare 1952 - Nobel 1953 - Dainikatsu Fuji 1954 - Miss Bambuton 1955 - Yasaka 1956 - Final Score 1957 - Salth 1958 - A. Time 1959 - Miss Ieryu 1960 - Caesar 1961 - Miss Hatsurai 1962 - Ryulight 1963 - Passport 1964 - Ballymoss Nisei 1965 - Golden Pass 1966 - Nasuno Kotobuki 1967 - Toughness 1968 - Tanino Harromore 1969 - Date Horai 1970 - Kei Santa 1971 - Kei Santa 1972 - Shingun 1973 - Tanino Chikara 1974 - Three York 1975 - Long Hawk 1976 - Keishu Ford 1977 - Hokuto Boy 1978 - Hashi Kotobuki 1979 - Bambton Court 1980 - Agnes Lady 1981 - Lafontaice 1982 - Hikari Duel 1983 - Miss Radical 1984 - Nihon Pillow Winner 1985 - Wakao Raiden 1986 - Dokan Yashima 1987 - President City 1988 - Tanino Suesei 1989 - Hatushiba Ace 1990 - Foundry Popo 1991 - Nuevo Tosho 1992 - Let It Be 1993 - Wish Dream 1994 - Tsurumaru Girl 1995 - My Shinzan 1996 - Marvelous Sunday 1997 - Shin Kaiun 1998 - Run For The Dream 1999 - Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi
See also Horse racing in Japan List of Japanese flat horse races
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