One of five Group 1 races at Hanshin, the Osaka Hai (2000m) sees the best middle-distance horses in Japan kick off their season.

Perhaps the only high profile horse missing is Masquerade Ball, who will instead tackle Romantic Warrior in Hong Kong, but the likes of Croix Du Nord and Danon Decile both run.

They hold the honour of being the past two Japanese Derby winners and both were last seen running behind Calandagan and Masquerade Ball in the Group 1 Japan Cup (2400m).

Danon Decile, also a winner of the Sheema Classic in Dubai, finished third in that Japan Cup, a length ahead of Croix Du Nord, who was coming back from France having spun his wheels in the mud in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe having won an Arc trial at Longchamp prior.

While it was a query coming back from Japan and how Croix Du Nord would handle the travel, he still ran very well at Tokyo on that day and with a bit more furnishing and a proper spell at home, he should be raring to go.

Danon Decile has the higher established peaks though. His win in Dubai was outstanding, beating the world's best middle-distance horse in Calandagan on that night before a top showing in the Japan Cup and another placing in the Group 1 Arima Kinen (2500m).

There's very little between Danon Decile and Croix Du Nord, and the early prices reflect that – unable to split as equal favourites.

Outside of that pair, the standard does drop off a bit. Meisho Tabaru is a talented horse, and notably a key pace influence who likes to lead and roll along. His biggest win to date came at Hanshin in the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen (2200m) when a dominant all-the-way winner and no doubt similar tactics will be employed.

That performance would certainly make the two big guns stretch, but it is a one off and the Takarazuka Kinen field didn't feature any of the absolute top horses in Japan.

Shohei has had a run this year, winning well at Group 2 level at Nakayama on January 25th. That was a nice performance and he's open to improvement but this will be a new test.

Picking between Croix Du Nord and Danon Decile, we'll lean to Croix Du Nord. He's always promised elite ability and now with a good break back from France, he could be the one to go to a new level this year.

Photo: JRA