Hideyuki Mori blazed a trail for Japanese racing back in the 1990s, and after a 27-year absence, the veteran trainer is back at Sha Tin for another tilt at glory.

Much like December 1995 when Mori took out the Group Two Hong Kong International Cup (1,800m) – now the Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) – with $38 chance Fujiyama Kenzan, the 64-year-old will attempt to spring a surprise with outsider Jasper Krone in Sunday’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m).

A regular visitor to Hong Kong after beginning his training career in 1993, Mori saddled six runners at Sha Tin from 1994 to 1996, and Fujiyama Kenzan’s Cup success was the first Group win by a Japanese horse on foreign soil.

“Nothing has changed,” Mori said as he looked out over Sha Tin. “It’s a good memory in my career – it’s wonderful.”

Mori was no stranger to success early in his career, taking out the Group One Japan Cup (2,400m) in his first season as a handler, and he also prepared the first Japanese horse to win an overseas Group One – Seeking The Pearl in the 1998 Prix Maurice de Gheest (1,300m).

While his focus shifted away from Hong Kong – “I have been travelling to Europe and have many good dirt horses, so have been going to America” – he is part of the latest Japanese assault on the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR).

Thirteen gallopers will represent the Land of the Rising Sun this weekend as the country looks to add to its 20 HKIR victories.

Jasper Krone has been friendless in betting ahead of his clash with Lucky Sweynesse and Wellington. However, Mori is sure the four-year-old is able to turn in a better showing than his 12th of 12 in last month’s Group One Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (1,000m).

“He’s definitely in better form compared to when he was in America, and he’s open to improvement. He will lead with good pace, and we will see what he can do,” Mori said.

Hiroyasu hungry after hiatus

Another Japanese trainer back in the thick of HKIR after a hiatus is Hiroyasu Tanaka, who finished 10th in the 2009 Hong Kong Cup aboard Queen Spumante as a jockey and now returns as a handler.

Tanaka is not messing around, either, with his three-year-old Lebensstil favourite for the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) and Rousham Park firmly in Cup betting.

“Rousham Park travelled really well, settled well and is in really good form. Lebensstil took time to settle in, but he is in good form now, and as we expected, he performed really well [in his Friday gallop], and he has improved a little,” Tanaka said.

“Lebensstil is still three years old, and he improved this autumn significantly. Rousham Park is improving too – he has class.”

Tanaka has engaged Joao Moreira to ride Lebensstil, and the Magic Man teams up with three Japanese gallopers as he looks to add to his seven HKIR victories – three of which have come aboard runners from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Moreira partners Hishi Iguazu in the Cup for a second time after the pair finished runner-up to Loves Only You in 2021, while he jumps aboard Soul Rush for Yasutoshi Ikee in the Mile.

At Sha Tin with his revered father Yasuo – trainer of the great Deep Impact – Ikee admitted he cannot wait to lock horns with Golden Sixty.

“I understand Golden Sixty is a very big superstar in Hong Kong, and I’m honoured to compete with him in the Mile,” Ikee said.

Tomomichi ready for another giant kill

Another Japanese trainer with a Mile runner is Yasuo Tomomichi, a man who has been there and done that.

Second to Beauty Generation with Vivlos in 2018, Tomomichi returned to dethrone the champ with Admire Mars the following year.

“I’ve got really good results in Hong Kong, and we expect a good result this year as well,” Tomomichi said.

“The first time we took Vivlos to Hong Kong, Beauty Generation was a very strong horse, and we got beaten. But we thought, ‘We want to beat him’, so we took Admire Mars to Hong Kong and beat him. It was brilliant.”

Admire Mars returned 12 months later to finish third, meaning Tomomichi has not missed a place in his three cracks at the Mile, and the trainer is confident five-year-old mare Divina can continue that trend this weekend.

“Divina’s dam is a sister to Vivlos, and this pedigree and family line is very tough mentally and physically. They compete really well inside and outside Japan, so we have got a chance, definitely,” Tomomichi said.

“It’s a highly competitive race, and of course, there’s a champion from Hong Kong in Golden Sixty. Of course, Namur won the Mile Championship in November, and all the Japanese horses are competitive at Group One level over a mile.”