G1 Guide & Tips: Oka Sho

Race Information

History

Since 1939, the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) has served as the prestigious entree to the Fillies’ Triple Crown. It leads into the Japanese Oaks before concluding with the Shuka Sho.

To capture the Triple Tiara, a filly must possess a rare mix of speed, stamina and heart.

This mile-long classic at Hanshin Racecourse is celebrated as the ‘Cherry Blossom Prize’, coinciding with the peak of Japan’s iconic spring blooms.

The race begins on the back straight, with horses navigating the outer loop before entering a 400-metre home stretch. This configuration often favours fillies with high acceleration and closing speed.

As a definitive test of precocity and endurance, the Oka Sho has served as a springboard for legendary champions such as Gentildonna, Almond Eye, and Daring Tact. More recently, Liberty Island swept the Triple Tiara following her Hanshin triumph, and last year, Embroidery, partnered by Joao Moreira, joined this exclusive list of winners.

Statistics

Top Contenders

DREAM CORE (Kizuna x Normcore); 3YO

Trainer: Kiyoshi Hagiwara
Jockey: Christophe Lemaire
Biggest Win: G3 Queen Cup (2026)

The likely favourite for this year’s Oka Sho is Dream Core, the daughter of G1 Hong Kong Cup and G1 Victoria Mile winner Normcore. Her dam never made it to the Fillies’ Classics, with injury setbacks playing a part, but now the daughter will run in the hope of realising the dream her mother could not.

Dream Core was an early standout in the JRA two-year-old season, winning on debut in early June soon after the juvenile programme began. She was beaten in September’s Saffron Sho, but bounced back to claim her second win in the Begonia Sho on Japan Cup day. Then, in her first start of her three-year-old season, she captured her first graded victory in February’s G3 Queen Cup, beating Garavogue, the runner-up in the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies.

In the past 10 years, the fillies to have progressed via the Queen Cup and then won the Oka Sho are Embroidery, Stars on Earth and Reine Minoru. ‘Debuted in June, beaten as favourite in the Saffron Sho, then won the Queen Cup’ is also the same profile as last year’s Oka Sho heroine, Embroidery.

STAR ANISE (Drefong x Epice Arome) 3YO

Trainer: Tomokazu Takano 
Jockey: Kohei Matsuyama
Biggest Win: G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (2025)

If asked, “Which filly in this year’s Oka Sho has the most raw speed?” the answer is surely Star Anise. By Drefong, out of a Daiwa Major mare, and from a dam who won a Group 2 over 1200 metres, the JRA champion two-year-old filly brings a speed pedigree as she returns to Hanshin’s mile course seeking another G1 success.

She debuted at 1200m in June and campaigned in sprint races her first three starts, finishing a narrow second in August’s G3 Chukyo Nisai Stakes over 1400 metres. That race has effectively taken over the role once held by the Kokura Nisai Stakes as an early-season test for precocious speed horses. In the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, her first attempt at a mile, she overcame the distance question and produced a sharp late burst to win.

When a Hanshin Juvenile Fillies winner has gone on to contest the Oka Sho, four of the past five have finished in the placings. The only exception was Circle of Life, who came through a prep race, so among those going straight there, the placing strike rate stands at 100%.

ALANKAR (Epiphaneia x Sinhalite); 3YO

Trainer: Takashi Saito
Jockey: Yutaka Take
Biggest Win: Nojigiku Stakes (2025)

In the 2016 Oka Sho, Sinhalite was denied victory by only a matter of centimetres. Now, 10 years on, her daughter Alankar returns to the same stage. Yutaka Take, who was chosen to partner Alankar from the start of her three-year-old season, will be aiming for a fifth Oka Sho victory, his first since Dance In The Mood 22 years ago.

Alankar began her career with two straight wins and went into the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies as favourite, but there her weakness in early positioning was exposed. She never found a smooth rhythm in the opening stages and was beaten into fifth. The same issue surfaced again last time in the G2 Tulip Sho, where she settled near the rear and finished third after leaving her run too late.

Is the mile too sharp for her? The key may lie in how the veteran Take adjusts after having ridden her for the first time in that prep run.

LILY JOIE (Silver State x Desafiante) 3YO

Trainer: Koshiro Take
Jockey: Suguru Hamanaka
Biggest Win: Listed Kobai Stakes (2026)

Perhaps the most unpredictable presence in this year’s Oka Sho is Lily Joie, who has been producing sensational wins with her runaway-train style of front-running. She lines up with Suguru Hamanaka as her new rider, aiming to fulfil the dream her granddam Aventura, the 2011 G1 Shuka Sho winner, was denied when injury kept her out of the Oka Sho.

On debut in September, she raced tucked in right behind the leader, but from her next start in the Momiji Stakes (1400m), she switched to bold front-running. Opening up a massive lead on the field, she defeated Diamond Knot, a colt who would later finish second in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.

She produced the same bold front-running display again last time in the Listed Kobai Stakes (1400m), crushing her rivals by four lengths. But the mile will be new territory for her in the Oka Sho, and whether that style can hold up against top-level opposition remains an open question.

FESTIVAL HILL (Saturnalia x Museum Hill); 3YO

Trainer: Hirofumi Shii
Jockey: Ryusei Sakai
Biggest Win: Kyoto Sho Fantasy Stakes (2025)

The half-sister of last year’s Satsuki Sho winner Museum Mile has made it to the Oka Sho in time. Festival Hill, once regarded as one of the leading hopes to become champion two-year-old filly before injury took that chance away, now returns in the opening leg of the fillies’ Classics.

On debut in June, she defeated Arbanne, who would later finish sixth in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, and in the G3 Fantasy Stakes she beat the future G3 winner Black Chalice. But in November she suffered a fracture to her left foreleg that required more than three months on the sidelines, and her name never appeared in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies field.

Although returning from injury, she has had plenty of work in training. Still, no filly in history has ever won the Oka Sho first-up from a five-month break. If she can do it, it will be a remarkable achievement.

Expert Analysis & Selections

Masanobu Takahashi

Angle: Closers favoured by a strong pace

If Lily Joie jumps OK, she is expected to open up a massive lead and force a strong pace. There may not be many willing to chase her, but that should naturally bring the late-running fillies with proven finishing speed into the race. On top of that, the Oka Sho, run on Hanshin’s outer course, almost always sees at least one horse turning for home from 10th or worse finish in the placings.

Star Anise, who showed a strong late kick in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, and Garavogue, who came from even further back to finish second, should both benefit from that scenario. And with Alankar also expected to be ridden from behind, there is little reason to leave her out under this setup.

One closer who should not be forgotten is Saint Antoine. She showed an excellent turn of foot to win in October, and in the G2 Fillies’ Revue, where she finished second, she again made a strong late run from the rear.

Selections: #15 Star Anise, #5 Garavogue, #7 Alankar, #2 Saint Antoine

Homan

Angle: Key major trial – Tulip Sho

The Tulip Sho is one of the key trials for Oka Sho and is often a good guide to the classic as its course and distance is the same as Oka Sho.

In the past ten runnings of the Oka Sho, 12 of the 30 runners to finish in the first three participated in the Tulip Sho. And 10 of those finished in the first three in the Tulip Sho, which emphasises how well the Tulip Sho measures up compared with other major trials.

This year’s Tulip Sho winner Taisei Vogue misses the Oka Sho due to injuries. That means Namura Cosmos who was beaten a short-head in the Tulip Sho will be the one to follow. The race pace is expected to be fast, as there are a few front runners in the field. Namura Cosmos will likely sit behind the front runners, like I Need You, Longing Celine, Rule the Wave and Lily Joie and her course and distance experience will help her perform well in the race. The backmarker, Alankar, who was also beaten by short head into third in Tulip Sho, can benefit if the early pace is hot.

The past five Hanshin Juvenile Fillies winners performed well in Oka Sho (5:2-2-0-1), not only because of the same course and distance, but also because the winner is one of, if not the classiest filly in her generation. Last year’s winner Star Anise should not be overlooked.

Selections: #10 Namura Cosmos, #7 Alankar, #15 Star Anise, #14 Dream Core

Shuhei

Angle: Size and maturity hold the key

In the Oka Sho, fillies lacking physical size can find it difficult to cope if the race develops into a moderately demanding test. Over the past 10 years, only five horses weighing 450 kilograms or less have finished in the top three, and none of them managed to win. That said, it is worth noting that this group includes the likes of Sinhalite, Lys Gracieux and Chrono Genesis.

Accordingly, in a contest among three-year-olds, the simplest approach may be to focus on current physical maturity and what each filly showed in her prep race. Star Anise, who displayed tenacious stamina in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, and Dream Core, who split the second- and third-place finishers before quickening clear in the Queen Cup, look to be among the leading chances. Alankar, who showed a sharp turn of foot against colts in the Nojigiku Stakes and unleashed a powerful late run again in the Tulip Sho, also merits close attention, as does Black Chalice, who came from the outside to win the Fairy Stakes last time out.

Selections: #15 Star Anise, #14 Dream Core, #7 Alankar, #17 Black Chalice

Steven Ho

Angle: 3YO performance

In contrast to the 2000m Satsuki Sho open to colts and fillies, the Oka Sho is a mile classic exclusive to three-year-old fillies, with the majority of the field boasting prior experience over the 1600-metre distance. Consequently, recent editions of the Oka Sho have yielded relatively predictable outcomes.

In the past five runnings of the Oka Sho, only one of the fifteen horses to finish in the first 3  (Water Navillera, who ran second in 2022) had failed to place in her last start. This trend strongly suggests that out-of-form fillies face a formidable challenge in securing a win, let alone a place, in this classic.

Dream Core presents an undeniable threat this year. Her effortless victory in the G3 Queen Cup grants her a distinct advantage. Possessing an excellent cruising speed and profound tenacity, she profiles as a compelling favourite in this lineup.

Tearaway front-runner Lily Joie arrives on an undefeated streak since her debut. Although she is stepping up to Group races for the first time, her tactical speed should afford her the ability to dictate the tempo of the race.

Namura Cosmos has been on a steep upward trajectory of late. Her highly respectable performance in the Tulip Sho positions her as a viable contender to make her mark in the Oka Sho, rendering her an intriguing longshot.

While Alankar failed to meet expectations in last year’s G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, her narrow defeat in the Tulip Sho was a creditable effort. Furthermore, having already proven her stamina over 1800 metres on debut, she retains significant scope for improvement heading into her three-year-old campaign.

Selections: #14 Dream Core, #13 Lily Joie, #10 Namura Cosmos, #7 Alankar

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