The is an International Grade I horse race held at Kyoto Racecourse, Japan in late April or early May. It is run over a distance of on turf, and is the longest Grade 1 race in Japan.

The official name of the race is , but the Japan Racing Association (JRA) describes the race as since 1984 when the race distance of the was shortened from 3,200 metres to 2,000 metres.

History

Early years One of the origin of the Tennō Shō is The Emperor's Cup first contested at Negishi Racecourse in 1905, prized from the Emperor for the winner, and later renamed as Teishitsu Goshōten until 1937. Another origin is Yushō Naikokusanba Rengō Kyōsō run over 3,200 metres, held twice a year between 1911 and 1937 to determine the best horse of the year. The Tennō Shō was established in 1937 to unify these prestigious races under the name of the Emperor, and therefore it is regarded as the most prestigious horse race in Japan since then.

In 1953, Leda has won the race, the only one mare who has won the race in the race history as of 2026.

Prior to 1980, a horse winning a Tennō Shō was not allowed to participate in future editions of the race again, but this ban was lifted in 1981.

Recent years In 1984, JRA introduced Group races into their big races, and Tennō Shō was designated as Grade 1 (domestic grade at that time). At the same time the distance of the Tennō Shō (Autumn) held at Tokyo Racecourse was shortened from 3,200 metres to 2,000 metres, though the Tennō Shō (Spring) remained its distance as 3,200 metres, thus the Tennō Shō (Spring) remained its characteristics to determine best stayer, while Tennō Shō (Autumn) changed its characteristics to determine best middle-distance horse.

Prior to 2000, the participants of the Tennō Shō was limited to the horses born and trained in Japan. In 2000, maximum of two foreign-bred horses trained in Japan acquired the rights to participate the race, and then became an international horse race in 2005, maximum of five foreign-trained horses can run the race. Maximum number for international participants were increased to nine in 2007. In 2008, the race also became open to geldings.

Since 2008, the winner of the Melbourne Cup held over a distance of 3,200 metres, same distance as the Tennō Shō (Spring), at the Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in previous year is invited to this race, and the winner of the Tennō Shō (Spring) is also given the automatic berths to participate the same year's Melbourne Cup in November.

Since the race became international in 2005, there are three horses participated the race from overseas, including Makybe Diva (finished 7th in 2005), Gentoo (finished 9th in 2011) and Red Cadeaux twice (finished 3rd in 2013 and 14th in 2014).

Since 2017, bonus has been awarded to horses that win all three races in the same year that make up the Spring Triple Crown for older horses: Osaka Hai, Tenno Sho (Spring) and Takarazuka Kinen.

Since 2025, bonus has also be awarded to horses that win three races in the same year from the six races that make up the Spring Triple Crown described above, and the Autumn Triple Crown for older horses: Tenno Sho (Autumn), Japan Cup, and Arima Kinen.

Deep Impact won the 2006 version of the race setting the world record for a 3,200-metre race with a time of 3:13.4, beating the World Record set in the 1988 Wellington Cup by Daria's Fun, held for almost 20 years of 3:15.59, the closest time run in the Melbourne Cup is 3:16.3. Deep Impact's record stood until Kitasan Black won in 3:12.5 in 2017. The average time for the Tennō Shō from 1990 to 2018 is 3:16.7, while the same for the Melbourne Cup is 3:21.1, a difference of 4.4 seconds.

Trial races Trial races provide automatic berths to the winning horses. RaceGradeRacecourseDistanceConditionHanshin DaishotenGIIHanshin3,000 metresWinnerNikkei ShoGIINakayama2,500 metresWinner

Records Speed record: 3:12.5 — Kitasan Black (2017/Yutaka Take) Multiple winners: 2 — Mejiro McQueen (1991, 1992) 2 — Rice Shower (1993, 1995) 2 — T. M. Opera O (2000, 2001) 2 — Fenomeno (2013, 2014) 2 — Kitasan Black (2016, 2017) 2 — Fierement (2019, 2020) Most wins by jockey: 8 — Yutaka Take (1989 / Inari One)(1990 / Super Creek)(1991,1992 / Mejiro McQueen)(1999 / Special Week)(2006 / Deep Impact)(2016,2017 / Kitasan Black) The youngest winning jockey: Yutaka Take (1989 Inari One, 20 Years old 1 Month 15 Days) The oldest winning jockey Yutaka Take (2017 Kitasan Black, 48 Years old 1 Month 16 Days) Winners since 1990 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time 1990 Super Creek 5 Yutaka Take Syuuji Itou Makoto Kikura 3:21.9 1991 Mejiro McQueen 4 Yutaka Take Yasuo Ikee Mejiro Stud 3:18.8 1992 Mejiro McQueen 5 Yutaka Take Yasuo Ikee Mejiro Stud 3:20.0 1993 Rice Shower 4 Hitoshi Matoba Yoshitsugu Iizuka Hideo Kurabayashi 3:17.1 1994 Biwa Hayahide 4 Yukio Okabe Mitsumasa Hamada Biwa Co Ltd 3:22.6 1995 Rice Shower 6 Hitoshi Matoba Yoshitsugu Iizuka Hideo Kurabayashi 3:19.9 1996 Sakura Laurel 5 Norihiro Yokoyama Katsutarou Sakai Sakura Commerce 3:17.8 1997 Mayano Top Gun 5 Seiki Tabara Masahiro Sakaguchi Yuu Tadokoro 3:14.4 1998 Mejiro Bright 4 Hiroshi Kawachi Hidekazu Asami Mejiro Stud 3:23.6 1999 Special Week 4 Yutaka Take Toshiaki Shirai Hiroyoshi Usuda 3:15.3 2000 T. M. Opera O 4 Ryuji Wada Ichizo Iwamoto Masatsugu Takezono 3:17.6 2001 T. M. Opera O 5 Ryuji Wada Ichizo Iwamoto Masatsugu Takezono 3:16.2 2002 Manhattan Cafe 4 Masayoshi Ebina Futoshi Kojima Ken Nishikawa 3:19.5 2003 Hishi Miracle 4 Koichi Tsunoda Masaru Sayama Masaichiro Abe 3:17.0 2004 Ingrandire 5 Norihiro Yokoyama Yoshinami Shimizu Chizu Yoshida 3:18.4 2005 Suzuka Mambo 4 Katsumi Ando Mitsuru Hashida Keiji Nagai 3:16.5 2006 Deep Impact 4 Yutaka Take Yasuo Ikee Makoto Kaneko 3:13.4 2007 Meisho Samson 4 Mamoru Ishibashi Shigetada Takahashi Yoshio Matsumoto 3:14.1 2008 Admire Jupiter 5 Yasunari Iwata Yasuo Tomomichi Riichi Kondo 3:15.1 2009 Meiner Kitz 6 Masami Matsuoka Sakae Kunieda Thoroughbred Club Ruffian3:14.4 2010 Jaguar Mail 6 Craig Williams Noriyuki Hori Kazumi Yoshida3:15.7 2011 Hiruno d'Amour 4 Shinji Fujita Mitsugu Kon Hashimoto Bokujo3:20.6 2012 Beat Black 5 Syu Ishibashi Hitoshi Nakamura Koji Maeda3:13.8 2013 Fenomeno 4 Masayoshi Ebina Hirofumi Toda Sunday Racing3:14.2 2014 Fenomeno 5 Masayoshi Ebina Hirofumi Toda Sunday Racing3:15.1 2015 Gold Ship 6 Norihiro Yokoyama Naosuke Sugai Kobayashi Eiichi Holdings3:14.7 2016 Kitasan Black 4 Yutaka Take Hisashi Shimizu Ono Shoji3:15.3 2017 Kitasan Black 5 Yutaka Take Hisashi Shimizu Ono Shoji3:12.5 2018 Rainbow Line 5 Yasunari Iwata Hidekazu Asami Masahiro Mita3:16.2 2019 Fierement 4 Christophe Lemaire Takahisa Tezuka Sunday Racing3:15.0 2020 Fierement 5 Christophe Lemaire Takahisa Tezuka Sunday Racing3:16.5 2021 World Premiere 5 Yuichi Fukunaga Yasuo Tomomichi Ryoichi Otsuka3:14.7 2022 Titleholder 4 Kazuo Yokoyama Toru Kurita Hiroshi Yamada3:16.2 2023 Justin Palace 4 Christophe Lemaire Haruki Sugiyama Masahiro Miki3:16.12024T O Royal6Yuji HishidaInao OkadaTomoya Ozasa3:14.22025Redentor4Damian LaneTetsuya KimuraU Carrot Farm3:14.02026Croix du Nord4Yuichi KitamuraTakashi SaitoSunday Racing3:13.7 The 1994 race was contested at Hanshin Racecourse. The 2021 and 2022 races were contested at Hanshin Racecourse, due to construction at Kyoto Racecourse.

Earlier winners

1938 - Hase Park 1939 - Sugenuma 1940 - Toki no Chikara 1941 - Marutake 1942 - Minami MorJBIS Japan Bloodstock Information System (Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association) 1943 - Grand Lite 1944 - Hiro Sakura 1945 - No race 1946 - No race 1947 - Olite 1948 - CymaFamily Tables of Racinghorses Vol.IV , Edited by Thoroughbred Pedigree Center / In collaboration with France Galop,Published by Japan Racing Association and The Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association,2003According to Romanization of Japanese,Shîmâ(pronounced as 'seemer'). 1949 - Miharu O 1950 - Owens 1951 - Takakura Yama 1952 - Mitsuhata 1953 - Leda 1954 - Hakuryou 1955 - Taka O 1956 - Meiji Hikari 1957 - Kitano O 1958 - Onward There 1959 - Tosa O 1960 - Kuripero 1961 - Yamanin More 1962 - Onslaught 1963 - Korehisa 1964 - Hikaru Pola 1965 - Asahoko 1966 - Hakuzuikou 1967 - Speed Symboli 1968 - Hikarutakai 1969 - Takeshiba O 1970 - Riki Eikan 1971 - Mejiro Musashi 1972 - Bell Wide 1973 - Tai Tehm 1974 - Take Hope 1975 - Ichifuji Isami 1976 - Erimo George 1977 - Ten Point 1978 - Green Grass 1979 - Kashuu Chikara 1980 - Nichidou Taro 1981 - Katsurano Haiseiko 1982 - Monte Prince 1983 – Amber Shadai 1984 – Monte Fast 1985 - Symboli Rudolf 1986 - Kushiro King 1987 - Miho Shinzan 1988 - Tamamo Cross 1989 - Inari One

See also Tennō Shō Tennō Shō (Autumn) Horse racing in Japan List of Japanese flat horse races

References

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