Bluebird Cup

Bluebird Cup
ブルーバードカップ
Funabashi Racecourse Grandstand
ClassDomestic Grade III (Jpn III)
LocationFunabashi Racecourse
InauguratedFebruary 15, 1956
Race typeThoroughbred Flat racing
Race information
Distance1800 metres
SurfaceDirt
TrackLeft-handed
Qualification3-y-o
Weight56 kg (54 kg for fillies)
Purse¥ 40,800,000 (as of 2026)
1st: ¥ 24,000,000
2nd: ¥ 8,400,000
3rd: ¥ 4,800,000

The Bluebird Cup (ブルーバードカップ) is a domestic grade III (JpnIII) flat horse race in Japan.[1]

Background

The Bluebird Cup is a JpnIII (Dirt Grade) stakes race in Japan’s NAR (National Association of Racing) system, organized by the Chiba Prefecture Racing Association and held at Funabashi Racecourse.[2] Since 2024, it is run annually in mid-January over 1,800 meters on dirt, exclusively for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds.[2] The race serves as an official trial for the Haneda Hai, with the winning locally trained horse earning priority entry into the race.[3]

Eligibility includes both NAR-selected and JRA-selected horses, with up to four JRA-trained runners permitted.[4] Weight is set at 56 kg (54 kg for fillies).[1] Additional weight penalties apply based on prior earnings: JRA horses with over ¥5 million in prize money, or NAR horses with over ¥12 million, carry an extra 1 kg.[3] The first-place prize in 2026 is ¥24 million.[2] The race’s official title is the “Nikkan Gendai Sho Bluebird Cup”, named after the newspaper Nikkan Gendai, which provides the winner’s trophy.[5] Multiple subsidiary prizes are awarded, including honors from the JRA Chairman, the National Association of Racing, and regional breeding associations.[6]

History

The Bluebird Cup was first run on February 15, 1956, as a restricted race for 4-year-old (by East Asian age reckoning) Arabian-bred horses, a common format in early Japanese racing. It remained an Arabian-only event in 1997.[6] A change occurred in 1998, when the race was opened to Thoroughbreds under an “All-Comer” format.[6] From 1999 onward, it became Thoroughbred-exclusive.[2] The race maintained graded status until 2005, after which it was downgraded to a non-graded special race from 2006 to 2016.[2] In 2017, it was elevated to quasi-graded (jun-jusho) status.[2] During this period (2006–2022), it also served as a trial for the Tokyo Bay Cup, granting top finishers priority entry.[7]

A major restructuring came in 2024, as part of Japan’s nationwide dirt racing system reform.[2] The Bluebird Cup was reinstated as a formal Dirt Grade race, designated JpnIII, and repositioned as a key prep for the Haneda Hai.[1] The distance was extended from 1,600m to 1,800m, aligning it with modern dirt classic standards.[2] Despite the long hiatus from graded status, the race retained its original numbering, thus the 2024 edition was officially the 50th Bluebird Cup.[2]

Past winners

Year Winner Age Length (in m) Jockey Trainer Owner Organization Time
1956 Fureccha 3 D1600 Motonobu Torikai Motonobu Torikai Matsuo Hata Kawasaki 1:47.4
1957 Ichikiyo Takara 3 D1600 Akira Taniguchi Genso Taniguchi Kinya Kawamata Funabashi 1:45.2
1958 Moaner 3 D1600 Shigeru Suda Manji Kimura Tsune Oshita Funabashi 1:43.4
1959 Asiantha 3 D1600 Tokichi Arayama Kaiji Satake Shinpei Shirai Funabashi 1:46.3
1960 Shimauta 3 D1600 Mamoru Katsumata Kinshu Sato Takako Ueda Kawasaki 1:49.4
1961 Daigo Wilson 3 D1600 Takehisa Sasaki Shunkichi Suzuki Shuichi Sato Kawasaki 1:45.3
1962 Dai Ryu 3 D1600 Yasuhiro Fujita Sanji Sekiguchi Fusae Anzai Funabashi 1:44.1
1963 Fukutomi Homare 3 D1600 Masaru Kobude Shoichi Morita Tadashi Kobayashi Ohi 1:45.5
1964 Adel Bauer 3 D1600 Shigeru Suda Shota Yamamoto Shuji Mogi Ohi 1:43.5
1965 Bingo 3 D1600 Shigeru Suda Toshie Tanaka Shigeru Tokutake Ohi 1:44.4
1966 Hanano Kinen 3 D1600 Tadao Atsumi Mitsuo Moriya Toshie Moritani Ohi 1:42.8
1967 Hojitsu 3 D1600 Tsuneo Takayanagi Tatsuki Musashi Yuzo Kato Ohi 1:43.5
1968 Bio 3 D1600 Norihiko Miyashita Hitoshi Miyashita Chube Suwa Funabashi 1:42.7
1969 Morisei Yuu 3 D1600 Sakae Monoi Harumatsu Yamashita Seiichiro Moriya Ohi 1:42.8
1970 Speed Matsuku 3 D1600 Norihiko Miyashita Mutsuo Hamizuki Kiichi Yamamoto Funabashi 1:42.9
1971 Bourgeon 3 D1600 Kenji Uchiyama Mankichi Kimura Teru Kimura Funabashi 1:43.3
(No race in 1972 due to an outbreak of Equine influenza)[6]
1973 Dalai Lama 3 D1600 Kazuhiro Tabeta Kazuo Kimura Kimura Farm Co. Ltd. Funabashi 1:41.3
1974 Miss Dairin 3 D1600 Tsugio Kakimoto Isamu Sato Yoshikatsu Yamagiwa Funabashi 1:39.8
1975 Hokuto Raiden 3 D1600 Fujiro Kogo Kosuke Hirashima Chube Suzuki Funabashi 1:41.8
1976 Marutoku Chidori 3 D1600 Saburo Takahashi Akira Kumazawa Tokuharu Yoshino Funabashi 1:40.5
1977 Sodeno Boy 3 D1600 Kazuya Ushijima Tadashi Ito Rii Fukushi Funabashi 1:42.6
1978 Hachino Win 3 D1600 Makoto Matsushiro Shunosuke Senkiri Nobuyasu Kawada Funabashi 1:43.6
1979 Saryu Musashi 3 D1600 Takaharu Kuwajima Hiroyuki Takamatsu Kyuzo Ushimaru Funabashi 1:41.7
1980 Ike Aretsu Po 3 D1600 Ichiro Watanabe Tetsuro Miyashita Toyoharu Ikeda Funabashi 1:41.7
1981 Sanriki Yuu 3 D1600 Shigeru Honma Katsuhisa Adachi Taneaki Takahashi Kawasaki 1:42.5
1982 Keiwei Homare 3 D1600 Saburo Takahashi Masaru Kobude Keiji Kameda Ohi 1:41.5
1983 Hayano Lancer 3 D1600 Saburo Takahashi Sanchiro Fukushima Suminori Yoshinaga Kawasaki 1:42.6
1984 Kaneyama Kazan 3 D1600 Chiaki Hori Mitsuyuki Tomiwaki Yoshikatsu Yamagiwa Ohi 1:42.7
1985 (dh) Nomura Daio 3 D1600 Saburo Takahashi Harumatsu Yamashita Akio Nomura Ohi 1:42.2
Dark Lua Masami Yoshida Nobuo Mukai Sumiko Mogushi Urawa
1986 Toyokura Teio 3 D1600 Takashi Ishizaki Yozosuke Idezukuri Toyokura Shoji Co. Ltd. Funabashi 1:43.8
1987 Hokuto Light O 3 D1600 Shigeru Honda Hisashi Matsuda Hokuto Farm Co. Ltd. Kawasaki 1:43.6
1988 Otaru Homer 3 D1600 Saburo Takahashi Sakae Monoi Ritsuko Yoneda Ohi 1:42.9
1989 Hokuto Emperor 3 D1600 Takaharu Kuwajima Minoru Goto Hokuto Farm Co. Ltd. Funabashi 1:42.2
1990 Mister Tomikawa 3 D1600 Junichi Yuasa Toshikazu Nakai Eiji Fujimoto Funabashi 1:44.3
1991 Nyuto Mos 3 D1600 Takashi Sato Tatsuo Hirose Shigemi Kawasaki Urawa 1:45.5
1992 Hitachi Tozai 3 D1600 Takehisa Sasaki Katsuhisa Adachi Masatoshi Kanda Kawasaki 1:44.9
1993 Gate Walking 3 D1600 Satoshi Saito Hayato Saito Kokichi Kidoguchi Funabashi 1:44.8
1994 Grand Site 3 D1600 Takaharu Kuwajima Yasuo Niwa Eiko Umezaki Funabashi 1:43.5
1995 Homare Shouhai 3 D1600 Takashi Ishizaki Hiroshi Degawa Akitsugu Ito Funabashi 1:44.1
1996 Maruzen Mao 3 D1600 Takeshi Nozaki Goro Ota Kiyomi Tanaka Kawasaki 1:43.7
1997 Maruzen Ichiban 3 D1600 Takashi Ishizaki Shozo Ebara Akitsugu Ito Funabashi 1:46.8
1998 S.K. Tiger 3 D1600 Yuki Sato Takatsugu Hatano Sukenori Ito Funabashi 1:42.3
1999 Shinsei Raiden 3 D1600 Takashi Ishizaki Masayuki Kawashima Tatsuhiko Kimura Funabashi 1:42.7
2000 Hinode Coating 3 D1600 Takashi Sato Masayuki Kawashima Asabiru Real Estate Co. Ltd. Funabashi 1:40.3
2001 Tomiken Phantom 3 D1600 Takashi Ishizaki Katsushi Degawa Tomiken Co. Ltd. Funabashi 1:43.0
2002 Back Gear 3 D1600 Takashi Ishizaki Masayuki Kawashima Tatsuhiko Kimura Funabashi 1:42.6
2003 Nike a Delight 3 D1600 Takashi Ishizaki Ryuichi Degawa Sumi Ono Funabashi 1:42.1
2004 Tomiken Winner 3 D1600 Seiji Sago Michihiko Okahara Tomiken Co. Ltd. Funabashi 1:42.6
2005 Time Ryan 3 D1600 Takashi Ishizaki Masatoshi Kawashima Tatsuhiko Kimura Funabashi 1:39.9
(Special and quasi-graded race from 2006 to 2022)
(No race in 2023)
2024 Ammothyella 3 D1800 Ryusei Sakai Mikio Matsunaga Hiroo Race Co. Ltd. JRA 1:55.9
2025 Melchior 3 D1800 Yuga Kawada Mikio Matsunaga Katsumi Yoshida JRA 1:53.3
2026 Finger 3 D1800 Keita Tosaki Hiroyasu Tanaka M's Racing JRA 1:55:4

See also

Netkeiba

Source:[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c "船橋ケイバ重賞競走特集｜船橋ケイバ". www.f-keiba.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "ブルーバードカップ". ahonoora.com. Retrieved 2026-01-20.
  3. ^ a b "ブルーバードカップ". ahonoora.com. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  4. ^ "【地方競馬】複数の重賞競走新設や時期変更へ 南関東競馬が来年度の開催日割を発表 | 競馬ニュース". netkeiba (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-01-15.
  5. ^ https://www.tokyocitykeiba.com/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/bf00cb351a688e7a81fb26bd7f109a56.pdf
  6. ^ a b c d "重賞競走日程 | 南関東4競馬場". www.nankankeiba.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-01-18.
  7. ^ https://www.f-keiba.com/pdf/news/news_2025011601.pdf
  8. ^ "ブルーバードカップ". Netkeiba.
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