Back to Nakayama

(MON) February 23rd, 2026

8:35 p.m. Now we'll be back to Nakayama again from this weekend where Nakayma Kinen will be held. Familiar names line up on the entry form with Lebensstil and Cervinia possibly favored.

Nakayama turf 1800m starts from around halfway of the homestretch meaning, that the horses have to climb up the hill right after the start. Additionally, as there is merely 205 meters before entering the first corner. These two factors usually create average to slow pace. And because Nakayama has tight corners (Compared to Tokyo), it often gives advantage to inner post drawers and front runners. As the race rarely runs at a tight lap, it should be better to keep an eye on horses that finished with the top3 closing furlongs in their previous races.

The track condition will also play a big role. The finishing time of Nakayama Kinen has been getting faster in recent years, sometimes even going in to the 1 min. 44 seconds range when the turf condition is good. If the turf condition is still good following the last Nakayama period, it might also be important to choose horses having high aptitude to speed tracks.

The End

Caterpillar