Hankyu Hai
The Hankyu Hai is a Grade 3 horse race for Thoroughbreds aged four and over, run in February over a distance of 1400 metres on turf at Hanshin Racecourse. The race serves as a trial for the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, which is run in late March. Since 2014, the winner of the race is given a slot of entry for the Takamatsunomiya Kinen.
The Hankyu Hai was first run in 1957 and has held Grade 3 status since 1984. The race was run at Kyoto Racecourse in 1959, 1966, 1969, 1991 and 1995. It was run over a variety of distances before being run over 1400 metres for the first time in 1981: it was run over 1200 metres from 1996 to 2005.
Weight
57 kg for four-year-olds and above.Allowances:
- 2 kg for fillies / mares
- 1 kg for southern hemisphere bred three-year-olds
- If a graded stakes race has been won within a year:
- * 2 kg for a grade 1 win
- * 1 kg for a grade 2 win
- If a graded stakes race has been won for more than a year:
- * 1 kg for a grade1 win
Earlier winners
- 1957 - Takakura O
- 1958 - Yamanin
- 1959 - Homare Ryu
- 1960 - Minshu
- 1961 - Caesar
- 1962 - Miss Keiko
- 1963 - Gokai
- 1964 - Passport
- 1965 - Ballymoss Nisei
- 1966 - Hatsurai O
- 1967 - Nihon Pillow Ace
- 1968 - Apo Onward
- 1969 - Takano Kinen
- 1970 - Hirozuki
- 1971 - Tomei
- 1972 - Fast Bamboo
- 1973 - Sakae Kaho
- 1974 - Keiryu Shingeki
- 1975 - Silver Nero
- 1976 - Yamanin Faber
- 1977 - Center Good
- 1978 - Three Fire
- 1979 - Lead Swallow
- 1980 - Teruno Eight
- 1981 - Satsuki Rainbow
- 1982 - Bambton Harley
- 1983 - Happy Progress
- 1984 - Gouache Out
- 1985 - Shadai Sophia
- 1986 - Long Hayabusa
- 1987 - St Caesar
- 1988 - Sankin Hayate
- 1989 - Horino Raiden
- 1990 - Senryo Yakusha
- 1991 - Jo Roaring
- 1992 - Hokusei Ciboulette
- 1993 - Legacy Field
- 1994 - Gold Mountain
- 1995 - Bodyguard
- 1996 - Towa Winner
- 1997 - Shinko Forest
- 1998 - Masa Lucky
- 1999 - Kyoei March