The Tokyo Daishoten, run at Ohi Racecourse in Tokyo on December 29, 2023, was held with entry restrictions lifted for the first time in four years, and the day's attendance reached 28,8881. The race is run by the Special Ward Racing Association (Minami-Kanto public racing)1.
The race was created in 1955 under the name Aki no Kura, first run over 2,600m on dirt at Ohi, and was renamed Tokyo Daishoten in 19641. It has been run over 2,000m on dirt since 1998, and the date has been fixed at December 29 since 19991. It holds a unified GI rating and has been open to foreign-trained horses as an international race since 20111.
The 100 million yen first prize is the highest tier for a graded race in regional racing, alongside the JBC Classic, Kawasaki Kinen and Tokyo Derby1.
Handle figures have moved sharply in recent years. Attendance on another edition of the race reached 31,4471.
"入場制限を4年ぶりに解除し、当日の入場者数は28888人を記録した。"
What it means for players
The Tokyo Daishoten is a domestic Japanese racing event, and the change reported here concerns who could physically enter the racecourse, not the betting rules. Attendance limits that had applied for four years were removed for the 2023 running, so spectators could attend in the numbers recorded on the day1. For anyone in Japan who bets on racing, the race remains a GI dirt contest over 2,000m at Ohi, run on December 29, with a maximum field of 16 and a quota of seven Japan Racing Association horses when no foreign runner is entered1. Weights are set at 56kg for three-year-olds and 57kg for four-year-olds and older, with a 2kg allowance for fillies and mares and a 2kg allowance for southern hemisphere three-year-olds1. Regional racing horses can earn priority entry through the Urawa Kinen (JpnII, 2,000m on dirt, first and second) and the Kashima Okan (SII, 1,800m on dirt, first)1. The sources do not report any change to betting rules, admission prices or wagering channels.
What happens next
The sources give no dated next steps beyond the race's fixed December 29 date and its 2025 conditions1.
Sources1 sources
- 東京大賞典 - Wikipedia, ja.wikipedia.org
