Japanese raider in line for 2025 Caulfield Cup honours

Japanese horseman Katsunori Tanaka hopes to join his father-in-law Yoshito Yahagi in Melbourne Spring Carnival history when Golden Snap lines up in Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

Yahagi trained Lys Gracieux to a famous 2019 Cox Plate victory before Tanaka even held a trainer’s licence. Now, five years into his own career, Tanaka is chasing a slice of Australian racing glory with Golden Snap, who makes her first start on local soil this weekend.

Golden Snap is aiming to become the third Japanese-trained winner of the Caulfield Cup in the past decade, following Admire Rakti (2014) and Mer De Glace (2019). Tanaka has long targeted the Cup double, having inspected Australian race venues and quarantine facilities back in 2014 as part of his planning.

While she may not boast the same resume as Japan’s previous Cup champions, Tanaka believes Golden Snap’s light weight of 53.5kg makes her a genuine threat.

“She is probably not as proven as some of the other Japanese horses that have come over in the past few years,” Tanaka said.

“But I have been aiming to race her in Australia, especially in the Melbourne Cup, for a year-and-a-half and I think she is the right candidate as she is lightly handicapped.

“Her form is good, and I think she is suited to race in Australia.

“I am really quite confident that she can run a good race in the Caulfield Cup. We have her fit and ready to go, but there is also improvement to the Melbourne Cup as well.”

Regular rider Suguru Hamanaka retains the ride, with Tanaka trusting the experienced jockey to manage the mare’s unpredictable nature despite drawing wide in barrier 18.

“We will have a discussion with Golden Snap about it,” Tanaka joked.

“We want to ride her to keep her momentum going, we don’t want to stop and start.

“I’m not worried about the track. She has raced on tight turning tracks in Japan and Caulfield is big enough for her.”

Golden Snap sits at $23 in the market for the Caulfield Cup, with Half Yours heading betting at $2.90.

Those planning to bet on the Caulfield Cup can find the latest odds and offers at Australia’s best betting sites, ranked among the most searched platforms on Google for horse racing and spring carnival wagering.