Japanese horse racing calendar for the 2025 campaign

The Japan Racing Association (JRA) has already given the schedule of all horse races this year. They have also provided full details of each event like where the race will be held, the distance on the track, and up to how many Thoroughbreds will be joining.

Here’s all the note-worthy racing events that you can bet on in 2025:

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February 23: February Stakes

The February Stakes is the first G1 JRA race every year as per tradition. It’s a 1,600-metre flat-foot sprint on dirt tracks for Thoroughbreds 4-year-olds and above where up to 16 participants may join. It will be hosted at the Tokyo Racecourse’s left-handed track.

March 24: Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Takamatsunomiya Kinen is scheduled to run about a week later in the month compared to last year’s running. It is a 1,200-metre flat-foot sprint on turf for Thoroughbreds of ages 4 years old and up. The maximum number of starters for the race is 18 and is set to take place at the Chukyo Racecourse on a left-handed track.

April 6: Osaka Hai

This event is a 2,000-metre flat-foot race on a right-handed turf track in Hanshin. Qualifications to join as one of the 16 starters must be Thoroughbreds colts and fillies of at least 4 years old and above.

April 13: Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas)

The Triple Crown Fillies (Triple Tiara) starts with its first leg, the Oka Sho. It’s a 1,600-metre flat-foot race on a right-handed turf track in the Hanshin Racecourse for 3-year-old fillies only. Up to 18 starters can join and aim for the chance to become the next Japanese Triple Tiara champion.

April 19: Nakayama Grand Jump

The Nakayama Grand Jump is the first J-G1 race of the year and it’s being held at the Nakayama Racecourse. It’s a 4,250-metre steeplechase on a right and left-handed turf track. Up to 16 racehorses can join but they must be Thoroughbreds of ages 4 years and up.

April 20: Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas)

The Satsuki Sho is the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown and it’s a 2,000-metre flat race on a right-handed turf track. Nakayama Racecourse will host this event with up to 18 starters. All participants must be 3-year-old colts and fillies.

May 4: Tenno Sho Spring

Tenno Sho (Emperor’s Cup) marks the closing of the month both this year and the last. It’s a 3,200-metre flat-foot race on a right-handed turf track in Kyoto Racecourse. Up to 18 starters of Thoroughbreds ages 4 years old and up may join. The Tenno Sho was originally Japan’s biggest event until they inaugurated the Japan Cup in 1981.

May 11: NHK Mile Cup

The NHK Mile is a 1,600-metre flat-foot dash on a left-handed turf track in the Tokyo Racecourse. It can have up to 18 starters in a race but the participants can only be 3-year-old Thoroughbred colts and fillies.

May 18: Victoria Mile

The Victoria Mile is also a 1,600-metre flat-foot dash on the Tokyo Racecourse’s left-handed turf track. Up to 18 starters can join the event but they need to be at least 4-year-old Thoroughbred fillies and mares. The Victoria Mile is a relatively big event rivalling the NHK Mile Cup but it’s a warmup entertainment for the following week.

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May 25: Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks)

It’s a 2,400-metre G1 flat-foot race on a left-handed turf track to be held at the Tokyo Racecourse. Up to 18 participants may participate but they must be 3-year-old Thoroughbred fillies.

June 1: Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)

Following Yushun Himba a week later is the 2nd leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, the Tokyo Yushun. It’s a G1 2,400-metre flat-foot race where up to 18 starters may participate. Qualifications are 3-year-old Thoroughbred colts and fillies. The tracks are on left-handed turf in the Tokyo Racecourse.

June 8: Yasuda Kinen

June is one of the least busy months of the year for horse racing but at least it has two G1 races. The first is Yasuda Kinen, a 1,600-metre flat-foot race on a left-handed Turf in the Tokyo Racecourse. Up to 18 Thoroughbred participants ages 3 years old and up may join the race.

June 15: Takarazuka Kinen

Takarazuka Kinen is the closing event for June 2025 but with two weeks still in the month, the race is followed by three G3 races before August starts. This race is a G1 2,200-metre flat-foot race on a right-handed turf track in Hanshin Racecourse for Thoroughbreds 3-year-olds and up.

July to August

There aren’t any G1 races in July and August but the top racing grade resumes in September. However, there are G3 races scheduled for these months every weekend.

September 28: Sprinters Stakes

This is the honour of one of Japan’s top races of the campaign, the Sprinter Stakes. It was the start of October last year but it has now moved up to be the closing event for September.

The Sprinters Stakes is a 1,200-metre dash on turf track to be hosted at the Nakayama Racecourse. It can host up to 16 starters of 3-year-old and older Thoroughbreds.

October 19: Shuka Sho

The Shuka Sho is the final leg of the Japanese Triple Crown series, making it the campaign highlight for G1 3-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It’s a 2,000-metre dash on a right-handed turf track at the Kyoto Racecourse.

October 26: Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger)

Following Shuka Sho a week later is the Kikuka Sho for 3-year-old Thoroughbred colts and fillies. Up to 18 starters can join this 3,000-metre race on a right-handed turf track at the Kyoto Racecourse.

November 2: Tenno Sho (Autumn)

The Autumn Tenno Sho (Emperor’s Cup) is the second-biggest G1 event in Japanese horse racing. It is the Japanese Autumn Triple Crown’s first leg to be held at the Tokyo Racecourse on a 2,000-metre flat-foot race on a left-handed turf track. Up to 18 Thoroughbreds aged 3 years old and above may join.

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November 16: Queen Elizabeth II Cup

The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Thoroughbred race for 3-year-olds and up fillies and mares only. Up to 18 starters can race in this 2,200-metre flat-foot race on a right-handed turf track at the Kyoto Racecourse.

November 23: Mile Championship

The Mile Championship is a 1,600-metre dash race at the Kyoto Racecourse on turf. There are a total of 18 Thoroughbreds aged 3 years old and above in this race.

November 30: Japan Cup

The Japan Cup is officially the most prestigious race in the JRA and it’s an invitation-only event for 3-year-old and up Thoroughbreds. The race is set on a 2,400-metre flat-foot dash on left-handed turf at the Tokyo Racecourse. The Japan Cup is also the culmination of 2025 where the best of JRA’s Thoroughbreds compete with champions around the world.

December 7: Champions Cup

The Champion’s Cup starts the following week right after the Japan Cup. It’s a big G1 event as well but for Thoroughbreds who skipped or were not invited to the Japan Cup. The race distance is 1,800-metre on Chukyo dirt track and it can host up to 16 starters. Only 3-year-old Thoroughbreds may join.

December 14: Hanshin Juvenile Fillies

The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies is the final stakes to rate juveniles’ placement in preparation for their upcoming 3-year-old season in 2025. Hanshin Racecourse is hosting this event and it’s only for 2-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. Up to 18 starters may participate in this 1,600-metre flat-foot race on a right-handed turf track.

December 21: Asahi Hai Futurity

The Asahi Hai Futurity is a higher-rated G1 race than Hanshin Juvenile Fillies because this event is for both colts. Only 2-year-olds may enter as one of up to 18 starters and it is also hosted on the 1,600-metre right-handed turf track of Hanshin Racecourse.

December 27: Nakayama Daishogai

The Nakayama Daishogai is one of the two biggest steeplechase races in the JRA (the other being the Nakayama Grand Jump). It’s a 4100-metre race on the right and left-handed turf track of the Nakayama Racecourse for up to 16 Thoroughbreds ages 3 years and up.

December 27: Hopeful Stakes

Up to 18 of the best 2-year-old Thoroughbreds are invited to participate in the Hopeful Stakes. It’s a 2,000-metre flat-foot race on a right-handed turf at the Nakayama Racecourse. Top placers are definitive G1 contenders in their 3-year-old campaign for the following year.

December 28: Arima Kinen (The Grand Prix)

While the Japan Cup is the biggest event in Japan as an international invitational, Arima Kinen is the climactic event for local racehorses in the JRA. It’s a 2,500-metre G1 flat-foot race on a right-handed turf track at the Nakayama Racecourse. Up to 16 starters can join but they must be Thoroughbreds 3 years old and up.

Types of races

There are three main types of races in Japan horse racing. These are:

Flat racing

Jockeys must know when to restrict and when to push their horses in flat racing, which is a test of speed, stamina, and jockeys' decision-making abilities. This is also the most straightforward type of race. The first to finish is declared the winner. There are also no hurdles, and they are held on a flat surface. Most of the time, on turf, dirt, or synthetic surface race track.

Jump racing

Jump racing, also known as steeplechasing, focuses on a horse's ability to traverse various obstacles rather than its speed.

The prize money in Japanese jump racing sets it apart from the rest of the globe. More than 120 million yen in prize money is up for grabs at the Nakayama Grand Jump, Japan's biggest of its kind.

In addition, only a small percentage of the horses competing are steeplechase specialists, while the vast majority have flat racing expertise.

Ban'ei racing

Draft racing, often known as horse racing, is a completely separate sport. It isn't so much a race as a marathon of equestrian endurance in the frigid Tokachi area of Hokkaido's northern island of Obihiro.

The horses have to carry a large sledge for the whole distance. Comparatively massive to standard thoroughbreds racing, Ban'ei horses weigh an average of 1,000 kg. That's more than double the weight of the typical racing horse.

Bet on different horse races

What are the different types of horse racing bets?

When it comes to horse racing, there are also different types of horse racing bets you can make to keep the market interesting. To get started, here are some of them that will make your experience in horse race betting more fun:

Straight bets

There are three types of straight bets as you can see below::

Win bets - It's the most straightforward type of bet you can make since you only need to pick the winner of the race.
Place bets - Similar to winning bets, place bets are wagers you make to horses you think will finish a race at a certain place; whether they be the first or second of any order.
Show bets - Show bets are bets you make when you think a horse finishes first, second, or third place in a single race.

Exotic bets

In horse racing, 'exotic betting' refers to a collection of bets in which you must bet on many horses. In one race or throughout a series of races, this may occur.

Many punters like exotic wagers because they allow you to earn money quickly. There are two exotic bets with different wagering mechanics, as seen below.

Horizontal exotic bets

Horizontal wagers are like parlay bets. You must choose the winner of two races in succession to win a Daily Double, three races in a row to win a Pick 3, four races in a row to win a Pick 4, five races in a row to win a Pick 5, and six races in a row to win a Pick 6.

Vertical exotic bets

With a vertical wager, you're betting on which horse will cross the finish line first at the race's end. In the context of several bets, exotic boxing bets are a strategy rather than a single wager. If a bettor wants to box the horses' order, they may do so, but the horses must finish in the top two, three, or four positions.

Straight exactas - Straight exactas require you to predict who will come in first and second place in a race.
Straight trifectas - To win a straight trifecta, you must correctly predict the winners, runner-ups, and third-place finishers.
Straight superfectas - A winning consecutive superfecta ticket accurately identifies the top four places in a race.

Quinella bets

When it comes to a quinella, you can place it in either the vertical or boxing exotic categories, depending on your perspective.

Quinella and exacta boxes are identical in terms of handicapping for two-horse races. The sequence in which the two horses finish one-two is not important. Handicapping all sorts of wagers may employ the same strategy, albeit under somewhat different circumstances.

Bet on horses who are next to jump in harness racing

Major Japanese horse racing events to bet on

When you get the chance to make a horse racing bet, it's best to find the greatest Japanese horse racing events or leagues. Here are the top events in Japanese horse racing that you should pay close attention to:

Japan Cup

The Japan Cup, held in November annually, takes the top spot. As a way to promote Japanese racing and foster international cooperation, the Japan Cup was founded by the JRA in 1981 as an invitational international event, inviting local victors to compete against the world's best racehorses.

Initially, membership was limited to a few large countries, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

The race takes place in Tokyo over a 2,400-metre track at the Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu. The 476 million yen ($6 million) payout makes the Japan Cup one of the most lucrative horse races in the world.

Japanese Derby

The Japanese Derby, or Tokyo Yushun, is a Grade-1 flat race like the Japan Cup. Usually open to three-year-old fillies and colts, it is held at the Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo, over the same 2,400-metre distance. It is usually held in late May or early June.

The Tokyo Yushun is one of three events that make up the Japanese Triple Crown, the country's version of the English Derby.

Tenno Sho

There are two Tenno Sho races a year: one in spring and one in fall. They're the most prestigious in Japan. The Spring Tenno Sho is the longest horse race on our list, clocking in at over 3,200 metres. The Spring Tenno Sho is the longest G1 race in Japan and is held at the Kyoto Racecourse in Fushimi-ku.

Yasuda Kinen

The 1951 race was previously known as the Yasuda Sho in honour of JRA chairman Izaemon Yasuda before being renamed the Yasuda Kinen following his death in 1954.

One of Japan's most prestigious races, the Yasuda Kinen, takes place each year at the Tokyo Racecourse in June. Yasuda Kinen is also included in this list of Grade 1 races contested by horses three years of age and up.

More than 40 years after the first Yasuda Kinen race was held, the race was upgraded to an International G1 race. In 2005, it was included in the last leg of the Asian Mile Challenge.

NHK Mile Cup

In Japan, the NHK Mile Cup is the fifth-largest race and also one of the most anticipated. The NHK Mile Cup, which takes place every year in May at the Tokyo Racecourse, is funded by the preponderance of broadcasting organisations.

The NHK Mile Cup was the only Japanese event that allowed horses who were not born in Japan to compete until 2001. As a result, the NHK Mile cup became notable for its use of foreign-bred horses, even after limitations were relaxed in 1900.

Bet on different races in harness racing

Top horse racing betting tips

What's great about sports betting is that you'll earn a lot of money if you correctly guess the right team, player, or horse. However, you first need to learn how to bet and the tips you will use to win your wagers. So, here are some that will help you:

Reading the odds when betting on horses

The most important aspect of betting is reading the odds. They both give you the likelihood of the horses' place by the end of the race. Not only that, but the odds also give you the payouts you will generate for every winning bet you place.

Diversify your betting markets

Betting markets allow punters to bet on the horses they think will win. That means you don't need to bet on which horse will win the race but on who will take second, third, or fourth place.

Each betting market is unique. The more you know the markets, the better your understanding of the betting scene will be.

Manage your bankroll

Bankroll is the sum of money you will set aside for betting. Managing this is crucial to avoid losing all your wagers at once. Therefore, getting to know the tips mentioned earlier is best, like understanding the odds and exploring other markets when betting.

Most asked questions about horse racing

Here are the frequently asked questions about Japanese horse racing:

When and where is the JRA racing held?

The Japan Racing Association (JRA) is held every Saturday and Sunday except for a few holidays. During the racing day, races are held at 2 pm and sometimes at 3 pm during racecourses.

What direction does the horse run— is it clockwise or counter-clockwise?

Horses run in a counter-clockwise orientation once the races begin. However, some racecourses have horses run in a clockwise direction.

What do the colours of the jockeys' cap mean?

There are 'brackets' in races, which are groups of one to three horses competing in the same event. Japanese racing has a unique bracket system.

The horse's bracket number determines the colour of the jockey's headgear. For example, 'white' for bracket No. 1, 'black' for bracket No. 2. While watching the race on television or in the stadium, spectators can quickly discover their favourite horses.

Two horses will be in bracket No. 8 if there are nine competitors, while the other brackets will have a single horse in each. All except bracket No.1 will feature two horses in the race.

It's also mandatory for the jockeys to wear the racing colours of their respective owners. JRA mandates jockeys to wear a two-coloured cap if there are two or more horses belonging to the same owner placed in the same bracket in a race so that spectators can easily recognise and differentiate between the horses.

Place your horse racing bets at Sportsbet.io

Sportsbet.io covers sports betting for all of these events in 2025 as well as other races scheduled on the same day and stadium. You can bet on each of them within 24 hours before they start. If you’re new to Thoroughbred horse race betting at Sportsbet.io, then here’s a step-by-step guide:

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Go to Sportsbet.io bookmaker and find Thoroughbred racing among the sports categories at the top menu.
Find the racecourse hosting the event you want to bet on.
Click on the time or race number of the specific race you’re looking for.
Browse through the list of participating horses and click on the placement you predict that the horse will end the race in. Here are your options:

Winner: Betting on the winner means you expect this horse to be the champion of the race. This bet wins if the horse ends the race in 1st place.
Top 2: This bet means you believe that the horse will be a runner-up. This bet pays only if the horse ends in exactly 2nd place.
Place: Bet on this if you believe the horse is a top contender but are unsure if they will be the winner or runner-up. You win the bet whether they end in 1st or 2nd place.

Each of the placement predictions have corresponding horse racing odds that show you how likely the outcome will happen in the race. Choose your predicted outcomes on the race. You can select more than one market and racehorse in the event.
Your predictions will show up on the bet slip at the lower right part of the page. Input your stake, enable Price Boost if it’s available, and click ‘Place bet’ to finalise your wager.

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Clarence Clarke21 Nov 2024