Every Arc seems to bring with it another Japanese challenge and, with it, another reminder of one of the biggest gaps in the country’s remarkable international racing record.
Japan has won major races across the world, with its horses collecting huge prizes in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Australia and America.
But the Arc remains missing, so on Sunday, October 4th, Japan gets another opportunity when Meisho Tabaru and Admire Terra line up at Longchamp.
Neither arrives as the obvious horse to beat in a race containing defending champion Daryz and several leading European contenders. Yet there will be enormous interest in the pair, particularly Meisho Tabaru.
That is partly because of the man sitting in the saddle. Yutaka Take will ride Meisho Tabaru in what will be his 12th attempt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
At 57, and in the 40th year of his extraordinary riding career, could one of the greatest figures in Japanese racing finally be part of the moment Japan has waited decades to celebrate?
Japan Has Been Here Before
Japanese interest in winning the Arc goes far beyond simply adding another Group One race to the national record.
El Condor Pasa came painfully close in 1999, making the running on testing ground before being caught by Montjeu and finishing second. Nakayama Festa went even closer in 2010 when he was beaten by a head by Workforce.
Then came Orfevre. His 2012 defeat remains perhaps the most painful of all. He swept into the lead in the straight and briefly looked certain to provide Japan with its first Arc victory, only for Solemia to fight back and deny him close to the line.
Orfevre returned 12 months later and finished second again, this time behind Treve, and that 2013 result is still the last time a Japanese-trained runner finished in the first three in the Arc.
There have been plenty of attempts since, including some involving outstanding horses such as Byzantine Dream, Croix Du Nord, and Alohi Alii in 2025, but Longchamp has continued to resist them.
Yutaka Take Gets Another Chance
Few jockeys understand what winning the Arc would mean to Japan better than Yutaka Take.
A part of the Japanese racing story for four decades, Take has ridden some of the country’s most famous horses, but it is the Arc that has continually escaped him.
His previous mounts in the race include Deep Impact and Kizuna, two horses who arrived in France carrying serious Japanese hopes.
Take finished fourth on Kizuna in 2013, on the same afternoon Orfevre finished second to Treve. His best Arc finish actually came aboard the French-trained Sagacity, who was third in 2001.
Now comes attempt number 12, and there would be something fitting about Take finally winning the race at this stage of his career, particularly aboard a horse with whom he has already enjoyed major success.
Meisho Tabaru Brings Serious Form
Meisho Tabaru isn’t just here to make up the numbers. The five-year-old is a dual Takarazuka Kinen winner and arrives in France following another major victory in the race at Hanshin in June.
The 2026 edition was run on yielding ground after a sudden downpour, and Meisho Tabaru settled behind the leader before striking in the straight and holding off Croix du Nord by a neck.
Japanese horses often compete on fast, flat tracks where races can develop very differently from a typical Arc. Longchamp can demand patience and the ability to cope with changing tempo, which will suit Meisho Tabaru’s ability to hold back when needed.
Trainer Mamoru Ishibashi has also suggested that softer conditions are not essential. Although the horse clearly handles rain-softened ground, Ishibashi believes he can produce a strong performance on a quicker surface as well.
And that theory will be tested this year, with the ground expected to be much faster than is sometimes associated with the Arc.
A Difficult Draw Adds Another Problem
Unfortunately for Japan, the draw has not been kind. Meisho Tabaru will start from stall 13, while Admire Terra is alongside him in stall 12, and in a field of 16, those outside positions could create immediate problems.
Take must decide whether to use Meisho Tabaru’s natural speed to move forward early, potentially using valuable energy, or accept a wider position and hope the race develops in his favour.
Get too aggressive, and the final 400 metres could become extremely difficult. But drop too far back, and he could find himself needing to pass most of the field.
It gives Take a major tactical problem to solve, but there are few riders Japan would rather have making that decision.
Don’t Forget Admire Terra
Meisho Tabaru’s connection with Take gives him the bigger story, but Admire Terra provides Japan with another genuine chance.
The five-year-old won the Hanshin Daishoten over 3,000 metres earlier this year and subsequently finished third in the Tenno Sho over 3,200 metres.
His stamina is beyond question, so the bigger issue is whether he possesses enough speed over the Arc’s 2,400 metres when the serious racing begins.
Thankfully, there is considerable experience in the saddle as Cristian Demuro takes the ride, having already won the Arc twice, aboard Sottsass in 2020 and Ace Impact in 2023.
For trainer Yasuo Tomomichi, this will be a third attempt at the race following Makahiki in 2016 and Do Deuce in 2022.
Could 2026 Finally Be the Year?
Undoubtedly, there have been stronger Japanese Arc challenges on paper.
Deep Impact arrived as a national sporting hero. Orfevre looked capable of winning the race twice. Other highly rated Japanese runners have travelled to France carrying much shorter odds than either Meisho Tabaru or Admire Terra.
Meisho Tabaru does not need to carry the expectation of being Japan’s next great champion. He simply needs to reproduce his best form and cope with the very different test presented by Longchamp.
And racing history has repeatedly shown that the Arc does not always go according to the betting, so a dual Takarazuka Kinen winner ridden by Yutaka Take can hardly be dismissed.
On Sunday, Yutaka Take and Meisho Tabaru get another chance to write the ending that Japanese racing has been chasing for decades.
BETFRED
