Japan Cup gets first UK & Ireland broadcast

The Japan Cup is to be broadcast in the UK and Ireland for the first time, with Racing TV airing the horse race on 27 November. 

The Japan Cup programme will broadcast from 6am to 7am (GMT) and be presented by Nick Luck and former Japan-based jockey, Fran Berry. 

The 43rd running of a race carries Japan’s biggest prize – JPY500 million (c. £2.7m) to the winner – and is due off at 3.40pm local (6.40am GMT). The 2,400-metre Grade 1 over turf at Tokyo Racecourse has attracted seven Group 1 winners among the lineup – including Equinox, a four-year-old colt who has topped the world’s rankings since the spring and is currently on a five-race winning streak.

Dr Kanichi Kusano, general manager of the Japan Racing Association (JRA) London office, said: “We are pleased to announce that the Japan Cup, the feature race of Japanese horse racing, will be broadcast live on Racing TV on Sunday, November 26.

“We look forward to welcoming the best from the UK and Ireland in future editions of the Japan Cup, which are sure to grow even further in quality, as will the experience for the travelling horses, following the opening of our new international stable in 2022.”

Martin Stevenson, CEO of Racecourse Media Group, parent company of Racing TV, said: “The British and Japanese horseracing industries have enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship and we are delighted to extend the ties further by bringing the Japan Cup – one of the great races of the international calendar – to our audience in UK and Ireland.”