Shinzan Kinen

Shinzan Kinen
シンザン記念
Guanciale wins the 2015 Shinzan Kinen
ClassGrade 3
LocationKyoto Racecourse
InauguratedJanuary 15, 1967
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance1,600 meters
SurfaceTurf
TrackRight-handed
Qualification3-y-o
Weight57 kg
Purse¥ 87,960,000 (as of 2026)
  • 1st: ¥ 41,000,000
  • 2nd: ¥ 16,000,000
  • 3rd: ¥ 10,000,000

The Shinzan Kinen (シンザン記念) is a Grade 3 (GIII) flat horse race in Japan.[1][2]

Namesake

The race was named in honor of Shinzan, Japan’s second Triple Crown winner (1964), who also won the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and Arima Kinen in 1965, earning the title “Five-Crown Horse.”[2]

Background

The Shinzan Kinen is a Grade III Thoroughbred race in Japan open to 3-year-old horses of either sex.[3] It is held annually in early January at Kyoto Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 meters on turf (outer course).[3] Eligible entrants include JRA-trained horses, up to two certified NAR (local) horses, and foreign-trained horses with priority entry.[3] The race is run under weight-for-age conditions: colts and geldings carry 57 kg, while fillies receive a 2 kg allowance (55 kg).[3] The first-place prize in 2026 is ¥41 million.[3] The race is officially titled the “Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen”, sponsored by Nikkan Sports Nishi-Nihon (Osaka-based), and the winner receives the Nikkan Sports Newspaper Prize.[4]

History

The Shinzan Kinen was inaugurated on January 15, 1967, as a 4-year-old (now 3-year-old) restricted stakes race to commemorate the legendary horse Shinzan.[3] Although the Chukyo Owners’ Association, where Shinzan’s owner, Kosaku Hashimoto, was a member, had lobbied for the race to be held at Chukyo Racecourse, the JRA chose Kyoto, leading instead to the creation of the Chukyo Daishoten as a compromise.[5] The race has been held almost exclusively at Kyoto over 1,600m since its inception, with only a few exceptions: it was run at Hanshin in 1980 and 1994, and temporarily relocated to Chukyo from 2021 to 2023 and again in 2025 due to Kyoto Racecourse renovations and Hanshin stand refurbishment.[6]

It was elevated to Grade III status in 1984 under JRA’s grading system.[3] International participation expanded gradually: foreign-bred horses were allowed from 1995, NAR horses from 1996, and foreign-trained horses from 2009, when it became an international GIII event with up to 9 foreign runners permitted. In 2024, the race formally adopted fixed weight-for-age (57 kg / 55 kg), replacing earlier variable systems.[4]

Although several descendants of Shinzan have competed, including Shinzan Homare (1967), Shingun (1971), and Reigning Land (2015), none have ever won the race named in his honor.[3]

Past winners

Year Winner Age Length (in m) Jockey Trainer Owner Time
1967 Taigyo 3 T1600 Kunihiko Take Heizo Take Yoshio Nakayama 1:39.0
1968 Hikari O 3 T1600 Masazo Ryoke Yoshio Tanaka Ichisaburo Matsumoto 1:41.0
1969 Fine Happy 3 T1600 Yoshinori Yanada Juubee Tsubo Hisahiro Yoshida 1:38.8
1970 High Prince 3 T1600 Shigetada Takahashi Isamu Sato Kazunori Yoshimine 1:36.9
1971 Fi Dor 3 T1600 Yoshito Matsumoto Bungo Takeda Obara Kikue 1:42.3
1972 Shinmoedake 3 T1600 Norihito Fujioka Isao Tanoue Mitsuyoshi Kubo 1:38.5
1973 Dicta Boy 3 T1600 Masami Shibata Tadashi Fuse Shigeo Imai 1:38.8
1974 Naniwa Light 3 T1600 Eiji Shimizu Mitsuo Ogino Aya Nishida 1:37.0
1975 Erimo George 3 T1600 Yoichi Fukunaga Masaaki Okubo Shinichi Yamamoto 1:38.4
1976 Bambton Shade 3 T1600 Toshifumi Kubo Shuji Ito Shozo Higuchi 1:39.3
1977 Tenzan Sakura 3 T1600 Hiroshi Kawachi Yoshiharu Matsunaga Saburo Hirano 1:38.1
1978 Lovely Tosho 3 T1600 Hideo Koyauchi Tameo Toyama Tosho Sangyo Co. Ltd. 1:37.0
1979 Teruno Eight 3 T1600 Akihiro Iida Hisao Shimizu Teruhiko Nakamura 1:37.2
1980 Noto Diver 3 T1600 Tadashi Kayo Shuji Kitahashi Noto 1:38.4
1981 Hirono Wakakoma 3 T1600 Hiroshi Kawachi Shuji Ito Yuko Ito 1:35.8
1982 Silk Tenzan O 3 T1600 Kiyoaki Ito Shuji Ito Shinichi Nakayama 1:36.8
1983 Mejiro Mont Cenis 3 T1600 Eiji Shimizu Masaaki Okubo Mejiro Shoji Co. Ltd. 1:36.7
1984 Kitayama Zakura 3 T1600 Sadahiro Kojima Tameo Toyama Tatsuya Fujimoto 1:36.3
1985 Life Tateyama 3 T1600 Shigetoshi Saruhashi Isao Yasuda Yukio Tsuji 1:37.5
1986 Fresh Voice 3 T1600 Shigeo Koshoji Naoyuki Sakai Kazuo Enjo 1:37.3
1987 Yamanin Arden 3 T1600 Nobuyuki Tajima Yasuo Ikee Koji Doi 1:38.4
1988 Rugger Black 3 T1600 Yoshiyuki Muramoto Masaaki Okubo Keiji Okumura 1:37.2
1989 Foundry Popo 3 T1600 Katsuichi Nishiura Tatsuo Natsumura Tomio Mito 1:37.4
1990 Nichido Thunder 3 T1600 Hiroshi Masui Toshiaki Shirai Toshio Yamada 1:36.0
1991 Milford Slew 3 T1600 Hiroshi Kawachi Kotaro Tanaka Kiyoshi Noritake 1:35.7
1992 Mayano Petrews 3 T1600 Seiki Tabara Masahiro Sakaguchi Yu Tadokoro 1:35.8
1993 Amber Lion 3 T1600 Hidetaka Tadokoro Yukiharu Shikato Ribot Co. Ltd. 1:35.9
1994 Kokuo Namura 3 T1600 Hiroyuki Uemura Akihiko Nomura Nobushige Namura 1:36.8
1995 Meisho Tesoro 3 T1600 Katsuhito Uegomori Kaoru Hoshikawa Yoshio Matsumoto 1:34.5
1996 Generalist 3 T1600 Mikio Matsunaga Shoji Yamamoto Maeko Farm Ltd. 1:34.5
1997 Seeking the Pearl 3 T1600 Yutaka Take Shozo Sasaki Tomoko Uenaka 1:34.6
1998 Dantsu Sirius 3 T1600 Hirofumi Shii Kenji Yamauchi Tetsuji Yamamoto 1:36.8
1999 Fusaichi Airedale 3 T1600 Yutaka Take Kunihide Matsuda Fusao Sekiguchi 1:34.6
2000 Daitaku Riva 3 T1600 Ryo Takahashi Kojiro Hashiguchi Taiyo Farm Ltd. 1:35.4
2001 Derby Regno 3 T1600 Hideaki Miyuki Shigetada Takahashi Derby Co. Ltd. 1:35.4
2002 Tanino Gimlet 3 T1600 Yutaka Take Kunihide Matsuda Yuzo Tanimizu 1:34.8
2003 Silent Deal 3 T1600 Yutaka Take Yasuo Ikee Makoto Kaneko 1:34.8
2004 Great Journey 3 T1600 Yutaka Take Yasuo Ikee North Hills Management Ltd. 1:35.4
2005 Peer Gynt 3 T1600 Yutaka Take Kojiro Hashiguchi Sunday Racing Ltd. 1:35.7
2006 Go Go Kirishima 3 T1600 Mamoru Ishibashi Yasuo Umeda Shinichiro Nishimura 1:34.4
2007 Admire Aura 3 T1600 Yasunari Iwata Hiroyoshi Matsuda Riichi Kondo 1:35.1
2008 Dream Signal 3 T1600 Yasunari Iwata Masato Nishizono Saison Race Horse Co. Ltd. 1:35.4
2009 Antonio Barows 3 T1600 Koichi Tsunoda Hiroshi Takeda Hiroji Inokuma 1:35.3
2010 Garbo 3 T1600 Kenichi Ikezoe Hidekatsu Shimizu Kazuyoshi Ishikawa 1:34.3
2011 Red Davis 3 T1600 Suguru Hamanaka Hidetaka Otonashi Tokyo Horse Racing Co. Ltd. 1:34.0
2012 Gentildonna 3 T1600 Christophe Lemaire Sei Ishizaka Sunday Racing Ltd. 1:34.3
2013 A Shin Top 3 T1600 Suguru Hamanaka Masato Nishizono Eishindo Co. Ltd. 1:34.3
2014 Mikki Isle 3 T1600 Suguru Hamanaka Hidetaka Otonashi Mizuki Noda 1:33.8
2015 Guanciale 3 T1600 Yutaka Take Yoshihito Kidate Toshihiro Matsumoto 1:34.8
2016 Logi Cry 3 T1600 Suguru Hamanaka Naosuke Sugai Masaaki Kumeda 1:34.1
2017 Kyohei 3 T1600 Ryo Takakura Hiroshi Miyamoto Takao Seya 1:37.6
2018 Almond Eye 3 T1600 Keita Tosaki Sakae Kunieda Silk Racing Ltd. 1:37.1
2019 Val d'Isere 3 T1600 Yuichi Kitamura Kunihiko Watanabe G1 Racing Co. Ltd. 1:35.7
2020 Sanctuaire 3 T1600 Christophe Lemaire Kazuo Fujisawa Carrot Farm Ltd. 1:35.9
2021[a] Pixie Knight 3 T1600 Yuichi Fukunaga Hidetaka Otonashi Silk Racing Ltd. 1:33.3
2022[a] Matenro Orion 3 T1600 Norihiro Yokoyama Mitsuku Kon Chiyono Terada 1:34.1
2023[a] Light Quantum 3 T1600 Yutaka Take Koshiro Take Shadai Race Horse Ltd. 1:33.7
2024 Noble Roger 3 T1600 Yuga Kawada Tatsuya Yoshioka Normandy Thoroughbred Racing Co. Ltd. 1:34.5
2025[b] Lila Emblem 3 T1600 Suguru Hamanaka Koshiro Take G Riviere Racing Co. Ltd. 1:34.6
2026 Thunderstruck 3 T1600 Thore Hammer-Hansen Tetsuya Kimura Carrot Farm Ltd. 1:33.4

a The Runnings from 2021 to 2023 were held at Chukyo Racecourse due to construction at Kyoto Racecourse.
b The 2025 running was held at Chukyo Racecourse due to construction at Hanshin Racecourse.

Gallerie

See also

Netkeiba

Source:[7][8]

References

  1. ^ "2024年度　開催日割" (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). Japan Racing Association. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  2. ^ a b "歴史・コース：日刊スポーツ賞シンザン記念　今週の注目レース". jra.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "シンザン記念". ahonoora.com. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  4. ^ a b "List of JRA Graded Races 2026｜List of JRA Graded Races｜Horse Racing in Japan". Horse Racing in Japan. Retrieved 2026-01-14.
  5. ^ https://jra.jp/keiba/program/2024/pdf/jusyo_kansai.pdf#page=1
  6. ^ "中央競馬指定交流競走に出走する地方競馬所属馬の決定方法" [Method for determining which horses from local racing associations will compete in designated JRA races] (PDF) (in Japanese). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-12-13.
  7. ^ "シンザン記念". Netkeiba.
  8. ^ "Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen". Netkeiba.
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