Japanese champion Deep Impact faces a star-studded field including Melbourne Cup quinella Delta Blues and Pop Rock in his attempt to go out a winner at his final start in the Grade One Arima Kinen at Nakayama outside Tokyo today.
Deep Impact will go to stud after theArima Kinen (2500m) which is now Japan's biggest race. In 2005, Deep Impact suffered his only defeat in his homeland when beaten by Heart's Cry.
But the Sunday Silence horse, who has started odds-on favourite in all his starts in Japan, is expected to land the prize today despite the quality of his opposition.
Last start, Deep Impact came from last at the 800m to run past horses such as dual European Horse of the Year Ouija Board and top Japanese 3-year-old Dream Passport, who is yet to miss a place in 12 starts, to win the Japan Cup.
Dream Passport is expected to be second favourite on the strength of his consistency in Grade One and Two races.
Apart from Delta Blues and Pop Rock, Deep Impact will have to overcome the challenge of Admire Moon who was beaten just a short head by Pride in the Hong Kong Cup (2000m) on December 10.
Other highly-rated contenders include Cosmo Bulk, a close-up fourth to Heart's Cry last year, Daiwa Major, Meisho Samson, Admire Moon and Swift Current.