Japan Cup betting: Alpinista favourite as owner considers potential bid

“However, there are a lot of other factors to take into account, not least the very long journey which necessitates a reloading in Frankfurt. I was under the impression it was a direct flight, but they have to spend a minimum of six hours at Frankfurt airport which makes a very long journey even longer.

“She is also, at the moment, world champion older mare. Win or lose in Japan, I cannot see anything that can come up and beat her, even whatever filly or mare wins at the Breeders’ Cup, I can’t see them being rated higher than Alpinista.

“From that point of view her reputation is already there, she’s already world champion, she’s won 10 races, she’s won six Group One races. She’s immensely generous and always courageous and giving and I feel reluctant to ask her any more, she’s done so well, she’s been so good to us all.

“Sir Mark is obviously keen to go to Japan, I am pondering.”

Alpinista will join Rausing’s broodmare band at the end of the year and the owner (pictured above) believes she has nothing left to prove.

She added: “She has beaten the best in the world (in the Arc), and she’s beaten last year’s winner (Torquator Tasso) and the form has worked very well and she has beaten Vadeni who in turn has beaten the very best horses in Europe previously.

“So she has very little left to prove and I’m immensely grateful to her and the team behind her and personally I’m very happy as we are.”

Alpinista leads the Japan Cup betting ahead of Japanese Oaks winner Stars On Earth (9/2) and Titleholder (5/1).

Japan Cup betting odds

7/2 Alpinista

9/2 Stars On Earth

5/1 Titleholder

9/1 Equinox

10/1 Pyledriver, Stunning Rose, Shahryar

12/1 Do Deuce, Vela Azul

16/1 bar

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All odds and markets correct as of date of publication