Leading sprinter Satono Reve will carry the hopes of a nation as he looks to provide Japan with an historic first victory at Royal Ascot in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Gold Cup ninth Ingrandire was Japan's first runner at the meeting in 2004, with 2022 Prince Of Wales's Stakes fourth Shahryar faring best of a further nine Japanese raiders since then.
Satono Reve arrives at the top of his game, having landed the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo and finished second to Ka Ying Rising in Hong Kong's G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize.
With trainer Noriyuki Hori in attendance, the six-year-old powered clear of his lead horse in a workout on Newmarket's July Course on Wednesday morning.
Hori said of his first Royal Ascot runner: "After arriving from Hong Kong, Satono Reve had some time to recover before steadily building up his training.
"Today, we completed his final gallop before the race—a five-furlong piece on the July Course at Newmarket, ridden by Ryan Moore.
"Although it is a different environment from what he is used to, he has been coming along well thanks to the warm support of James Horton, his team and everyone involved."
Record of Japanese-trained horses at Royal Ascot:
No winners from 10 runners
2004 Ingrandire, Gold Cup, 9th
2005 Keeneland Swan, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, 10th
2011 Grand Prix Boss, St James's Palace Stakes, 8th
2015 Spielberg, Prince Of Wales's Stakes, 6th
2015 Super Moon, Wolferton Stakes, 10th
2016 A Shin Erwin, Queen Anne Stakes, 10th
2016 A Shin Hikari, Prince Of Wales's Stakes, 6th
2019 Deirdre, Prince Of Wales's Stakes, 6th
2022 Shahryar, Prince Of Wales's Stakes, 4th
2022 Grenadier Guards, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, 19th
