Inaugurated 1938 Website japanracing.jp | Race type Thoroughbred Surface Turf | |
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Distance 3200 meters(About 16 furlongs / 2 miles) | ||
2015 05 03 tenno sho spring emperor s prize gold ship
The Tennō Shō (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.
Contents
Spring
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 Melbourne Cup record of 3:16.3.
Autumn
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).
Multiple winners
Prior to 1980, a horse winning a Tennō Shō races was not allowed to participate in future editions of the race but this bar was lifted in 1981.
Only five 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.
Four horses have won two non-consecutive runnings.