Nakayama Grand Jump
| Jump Grade 1 race | |
| Location | Nakayama Racecourse |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1999 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred-Steeplechase |
| Website | Nakayama Grand Jump 2009 - Racing Information |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 4250 meters (About 2 and 2/3 miles) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right and Left-handed |
| Qualification | 4-y-o & Up, Thoroughbreds |
| Weight | 4-y-o 62 kg \ 5-y-o & up 63.5kg |
| Purse | ¥135,000,000 (as of 2014) |
The Nakayama Grand Jump (中山グランドジャンプ) is a Japanese horse racing steeplechase, held at Nakayama Racecourse every year in mid-April. It is for thoroughbreds, four years old and older, run at a distance of 4250m (2 5/8 miles + 84 feet).
With a purse of over ¥150 million (Approx. US$1.5 million) for its 2008 inception, the Nakayama Grand Jump is one of the richest steeplechase races in the world.
The race, held as "Nakayama Daishogai spring" until 1998, was first run in 1999. Its distance was 4100m until 2000.
It is one of two Grade I steeplechase races on Japanese turf; the other is the Nakayama Daishogai, which uses the same racecourse under a slightly different configuration.
The race is run on Nakayama's steeplechase course, which follows a twisted path on the racecourse interior over a series of jumps, inclines and declines. The dirt course is also crossed several times. On the final lap, with about 1200 m (3/4 mile) remaining, horses enter the outer turf course along the backstretch for the race's final three jumps.
The race has been won five times by overseas runners: St Steven (New Zealand 2002), Karasi (Australia 2005, 2006, 2006) and Blackstairmountain (Ireland 2013).
Winners
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999(*1) | Mejiro Pharaoh | 6 | Takashi Oehara | Yokichi Okubo | Mejiro Shoji co. | 4:56.2 |
| 2000 | Gokai | 7 | Yoshiyuki Yokoyama | Hiroyuki Gohara | Kei Yoshihashi | 4:43.1 |
| 2001 | Gokai | 8 | Yoshiyuki Yokoyama | Hiroyuki Gohara | Kei Yoshihashi | 4:52.3 |
| 2002 | St Steven | 8 | Craig Thornton | John Wheeler | John Wheeler | 4:50.9 |
| 2003 | Big Taste | 5 | Katsuyoshi Tsuneishi | Tadashi Nakao | Big co. | 4:48.9 |
| 2004 | Blandices | 7 | Takashi Oehara | Tatsuo Fujiwara | Sunday Racing Co. Ltd. | 4:47.0 |
| 2005 | Karasi | 10 | Brett Scott | Eric Musgrove | Pearse Morgan | 4:50.4 |
| 2006 | Karasi | 11 | Brett Scott | Eric Musgrove | Pearse Morgan | 4:50.8 |
| 2007 | Karasi | 12 | Brett Scott | Eric Musgrove | Pearse Morgan | 4:50.4 |
| 2008 | Maruka Rascal | 6 | Makoto Nishitani | Yutaka Masumoto | Kawacho Sangyo | 4:57.7 |
| 2009 | Spring Ghent | 9 | [[]] | Akihiko Nomura | Haruo Kato | 4:49.1 |
| 2010 | Merci Mont Saint | 5 | Yosuke Kono | Kohei Take | Mitsuishi Farm | 5:03.5 |
| 2011(*2) | Meiner Neos | 8 | Daichi Shibata | Ryuichi Inaba | K Thoroughbred Club Ruffian | 4:51.6 |
| 2012 | Majesty Bio | 5 | Daichi Shibata | Tsuyoshi Tanaka | Bio Co. Ltd. | 5:02.9 |
| 2013 | Blackstairmountain | 8 | Ruby Walsh | Willie Mullins | Susannah Ricci | 4:50.5 |
| 2014 | Apollo Maverick | 5 | Yusuke Igarashi | Masahiro Horii | Apollo Thoroughbred Club | 4:50.7 |
| 2015 | Up To Date | 5 | Mitsuaki Hayashi | Shozo Sasaki | Kazuo Imanishi | 4:46.6 |
- (*1):The 1999 race was open to Japanese trained horses only.
- (*2):As a result of 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the 2011 race was postponed to July 2, and run over a distance of 4260m. For this year only, three-year-olds were allowed to enter the race. The weight conditions were changed to 61.5 kg for three-year-olds and 63.5 for four-year-olds or above.
