About the race
The Takarazuka Kinen is run in June over 2,200 metres of right-handed turf at Hanshin Racecourse in Takarazuka, Hyogo, for three-year-olds and upwards. Established in 1960, it opened to foreign-trained horses in 1997. Like the Arima Kinen it is a Grand Prix race: the ten entries with the most fan votes are entitled to run and the rest of the field is decided by earnings. The JRA’s 2025 report said it joined the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series in 2011, giving the winner an automatic start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. The 2026 prize fund was JPY 651,000,000.
Meisho Tabaru led throughout to win the 2025 running under Yutaka Take for trainer Mamoru Ishibashi, and won again on 14 June 2026, which the JRA said made him the third horse to win the race in consecutive years. The JRA calendar lists the 2027 race for 13 June.
The 2025 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 June 2025 | Meisho Tabaru (JPN) | Yutaka Take | Mamoru Ishibashi | Yoshio Matsumoto |
From the official result.
The 2026 running
| Date | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 June 2026 | Meisho Tabaru (JPN) | Yutaka Take | Mamoru Ishibashi | Yoshitaka Matsumoto |
From the official result.
Recognition and facts
- Winner's prize (2026)
- JPY 300,000,000
- Maximum field
- 18 runners
- Field selection
- Top ten entries in the fan poll are entitled to run; other places by earnings
- Breeders' Cup Challenge
- Winner earns an automatic start in the Breeders' Cup Turf (JRA, 2025)
Questions readers ask
When is the Takarazuka Kinen run?
The JRA's 2027 calendar lists the next Takarazuka Kinen for Sunday 13 June 2027 at Hanshin Racecourse.
What is the prize fund of the Takarazuka Kinen?
The total prize money for the 2026 running was JPY 651,000,000, with JPY 300,000,000 to the winner.
Who won the Takarazuka Kinen in 2025?
Meisho Tabaru won on 15 June 2025, ridden by Yutaka Take and trained by Mamoru Ishibashi; the JRA result lists the owner as Yoshio Matsumoto.
Sources
The rank and rating are from the IFHA's LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025, published 21 January 2026, which ranks races by the ratings of their first four finishers. Other facts are from the pages listed below.
- IFHA: LONGINES World's Top 100 Group/Grade 1 Races 2025 (published 21 January 2026)
- Meisho Tabaru Claims Wire-to-Wire Victory in All-Star Takarazuka Kinen
- Meisho Tabaru Defends His Title in This Year's Takarazuka Kinen
- List of JRA Graded Races 2026: Takarazuka Kinen
- Racing Fixtures and Graded Race Schedule (JRA) 2027