The
Tenn? Sh?
(
天皇賞
, "Emperor's Prize")
is a
horse race
held twice a year in
Japan
, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "
Emperor of Japan
". The races are both International Grade I races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Grade I races.
[1]
Spring
[
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]
Horse race
Tenno Sho (Spring)
|
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Justin_Palace_Tenno_Sho_%28Spring%29_2023%28IMG1%29.jpg/220px-Justin_Palace_Tenno_Sho_%28Spring%29_2023%28IMG1%29.jpg) Justin Palace winning the 167th Tenno Sho
|
Location
| Kyoto Racecourse
,
Kyoto
|
---|
Inaugurated
| 1938
|
---|
Race type
| Thoroughbred
|
---|
Website
| japanracing
.jp
|
---|
|
Distance
| 3200 meters
(About 16 furlongs / 2 miles)
|
---|
Surface
| Turf
|
---|
Track
| Right-handed
|
---|
Qualification
| 4-y-o & Up, Thoroughbreds
|
---|
Weight
| 58 kg
Allowances
: 2 kg for
fillies
and
mares
|
---|
Purse
| ¥
475,200,000 (as of 2024)
1st:
¥ 220,000,000
2nd:
¥ 88,000,000
3rd:
¥ 55,000,000
|
---|
Bonuses
| Winner of
Osaka Hai
, Tenno Sho (Spring),
Takarazuka Kinen
[2]
Domestic:
¥ 200,000,000
International:
¥ 100,000,000
|
---|
The Spring Tenno Sho is held at
Kyoto Racecourse
, in late April or early May. It is run over a distance of 3,200 metres (10,500 ft), making it the longest Grade I race in Japan.
Deep Impact
won the 2006 version of the race setting the world record for a 3200 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.
[3]
[4]
Deep Impact's record stood until
Kitasan Black
won in 3:12.5 in 2017.
The average time 1990-2018 of the Tenno Sho is 3:16.7, the Melbourne Cup 3:21.1, a difference of 4.4 seconds.
Winners since 1990
[
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]
a
The 1994 race was contested at
Hanshin Racecourse
.
[5]
b
The 2021 and 2022 races were contested at
Hanshin Racecourse
, due to construction at Kyoto Racecourse.
[6]
Earlier winners
[
edit
]
- 1938 - Hase Park
- 1939 - Sugenuma
- 1940 - Toki no Chikara
- 1941 - Marutake
- 1942 - Minami Mor
[7]
- 1943 - Grand Lite
- 1944 - Hiro Sakura
- 1945 -
No race
- 1946 -
No race
- 1947 - Olite
[8]
- 1948 - Cyma
[9]
[10]
- 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
[11]
- 1962 - Onslaught
[12]
- 1963 - Korehisa
- 1964 - Hikaru Pola
[13]
- 1965 - Asahoko
- 1966 - Hakuzuikou
- 1967 - Speed Symboli
- 1968 - Hikarutakai
- 1969 - Takeshiba O
- 1970 - Riki Eikan
- 1971 - Mejiro Musashi
- 1972 - Bell Wide
- 1973 - Tai Tehm
[14]
- 1974 - Take Hope
- 1975 - Ichifuji Isami
- 1976 - Erimo George
- 1977 - Ten Point
- 1978 - Green Grass
- 1979 - Kashuu Chikara
- 1980 - Nichidou Taro
- 1981 - Katsura no 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
Autumn
[
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]
Horse race
Tenno Sho (Autumn)
|
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Equinox_Tenno_Sho%28Autumn%29_2023%28IMG1%29.jpg/220px-Equinox_Tenno_Sho%28Autumn%29_2023%28IMG1%29.jpg) Equinox winning the 168th Tenno Sho
|
Location
| Tokyo Racecourse
,
Fuchu, Tokyo
|
---|
Inaugurated
| 1937
|
---|
Race type
| Thoroughbred
|
---|
Website
| japanracing
.jp
|
---|
|
Distance
| 2000 meters
(About 10 furlongs /
1
+
1
⁄
4
miles)
|
---|
Surface
| Turf
|
---|
Track
| Left-handed
|
---|
Qualification
| 3-y-o & Up, Thoroughbreds
|
---|
Weight
| 3-y-o 56 kg \ 4-y-o & up 58 kg
Allowances
2 kg for
fillies
and
mares
|
---|
Purse
| ¥
475,200,000 (as of 2023)
1st:
¥ 220,000,000
|
---|
Bonuses
| Winner of Tenno Sho (Autumn),
Japan Cup
,
Arima Kinen
[15]
Domestic:
¥ 200,000,000
International:
¥ 100,000,000
|
---|
The Autumn Tenno Sho is held at
Tokyo Racecourse
, in late October. It is run over a distance of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). It is considered the first leg of the Japanese Autumn Triple Crown (the other two are the
Japan Cup
and the
Arima Kinen
).
Originally, the Autumn Tenno Sho was run over a distance of 3,200 metres (10,500 ft), but was shortened to its current distance to promote middle-distance horses and to promote 3-year-old horses as a shorter-distance alternative to the
Kikuka Sho
, the Japanese St. Leger, which is 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).
Winners since 1990
[
edit
]
*
Mejiro McQueen
finished first in 1991 but was demoted to last place following a Stewards' Inquiry.
@ The 2002 Autumn Tenn? Sh? was contested at Nakayama Racecourse, due to construction at Tokyo Racecourse.
# Also Japanese record of flat racing for oldest horse winning first G1 race.
Earlier winners
[
edit
]
- 1937 ? Happy Might
- 1938 - Hisatomo
- 1939 - Tetsumon
- 1940 ? Rocky Mor
[16]
- 1941 - Estates
- 1942 - Ni Patois
- 1943 - Kuri Hikari
- 1944 -
No race
- 1945 -
No race
- 1946 -
No race
- 1947 - Toyo Ume
- 1948 - Katsu Fuji
- 1949 - Newford
- 1950 - Yashima Daughter
- 1951 - Hatakaze
- 1952 - Track O
- 1953 - Queen Narubi
- 1954 - Opal Orchid
[17]
- 1955 - Dainana Hoshu
- 1956 - Midfarm
- 1957 - Hakuchikara
- 1958 - Cellulose
[18]
- 1959 - Garnet
- 1960 - Ote Mon
- 1961 - Takamagahara
- 1962 - Kurihide
- 1963 - Ryu Forel
- 1964 - Yamato Kyodai
- 1965 -
Shinzan
- 1966 - Korehide
- 1967 - Kabuto Ciro
- 1968 - Knit Eight
- 1969 - Mejiro Taiyo
- 1970 - Mejiro Asama
- 1971 - Tomei
- 1972 - Yamanin Wave
- 1973 - Tani no Chikara
- 1974 - Kami no Tesio
- 1975 - Fujino Parthia
- 1976 - Eyeful
- 1977 - Hokuto Boy
- 1978 - Tenmei
- 1979 - Three Giants
- 1980 - Pretty Cast
- 1981 - Hoyo Boy
- 1982 - Mejiro Titan
- 1983 - Kyoei Promise
- 1984 -
Mr. C.B.
- 1985 - Gallop Dyna
- 1986 - Sakura Yutaka O
- 1987 - Nippo Teio
- 1988 -
Tamamo Cross
- 1989 - Super Creek
Multiple winners
[
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]
Prior to 1980, a horse winning a Tenn? Sh? races was not allowed to participate in future editions of the race but this ban was lifted in 1981. Only two horses won the prize three times:
Apart from Kitasan Black and T M Opera O, four horses to date have won consecutive runnings, either by winning both the Spring and Autumn races in the same year or by winning the Autumn race, and following year's Spring race.
Five horses have won two non-consecutive runnings.
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
Spring
- Netkeiba:
[19]
[20]
- 1994
en
,
1995
en
,
1996
en
,
1997
en
,
1998
en
,
1999
en
,
2000
en
,
2001
en
,
2002
en
,
2003
en
,
2004
en
,
2005
en
,
2006
en
,
2007
en
,
2008
en
,
2009
en
,
2010
en
,
2011
en
,
2012
en
,
2013
en
,
2014
en
,
2015
en
,
2016
en
,
2017
en
,
2018
en
,
2019
en
,
2020
en
,
2021
en
,
2022
en
,
2023
en
,
2024
en
- Racing Post
:
- 1996
,
1997
,
1998
,
1999
,
2000
,
2001
,
2002
,
2003
,
2004
,
2005
- 2006
,
2007
,
2008
,
2009
,
2010
,
2011
,
2012
,
2013
,
2014
,
2015
- 2016
,
2017
,
2018
,
2019
,
2020
,
2021
,
2022
,
2023
,
2024
Autumn
- Netkeiba:
[21]
[22]
- 1994
en
,
1995
en
,
1996
en
,
1997
en
,
1998
en
,
1999
en
,
2000
en
,
2001
en
,
2002
en
,
2003
en
,
2004
en
,
2005
en
,
2006
en
,
2007
en
,
2008
en
,
2009
en
,
2010
en
,
2011
en
,
2012
en
,
2013
en
,
2014
en
,
2015
en
,
2016
en
,
2017
en
,
2018
en
,
2019
en
,
2020
en
,
2021
en
,
2022
en
,
2023
en
- Racing Post
:
- 1996
,
1997
,
1998
,
1999
,
2000
,
2001
,
2002
,
2003
,
2004
,
2005
- 2006
,
2007
,
2008
,
2009
,
2010
,
2011
,
2012
,
2013
,
2014
,
2015
- 2016
,
2017
,
2018
,
2019
,
2020
,
2021
,
2022
,
2023