The Mystique of Hanshin Racecourse

The Mystique of Hanshin Racecourse

By Hearst Schlitz III
The Ponyville Express
November 3, 2021

Hanshin Racecourse (阪神競馬場 Hanshin-keibajō?) is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and it is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After the WWII, GHQ ordered the company to stop manufacturing combat planes, which ended in closing the factory. In 1949, Keihanshin Keiba K.K. built the Hanshin Racecourse. The racecourse was transferred to Japan Racing Association in 1955. A major reconstruction was completed in 1991, and another in 2006.

Hanshin Racecourse has two turf courses, a dirt course, and a jump course. The turf's outer oval (外回り sotomawari?) measures 2089m (11⁄4 miles + 254 feet), and the inner oval (内回り uchimawari?) measures 1689m (1 mile + 261 feet). Two chutes allow races to be run at 1800m/1400m and 2600m/2200m, respectively. Races can be run on the "A Course" rail setting (on the hedge), or the "B Course" setting (rail out 4 meters). The dirt course measures 1518 meters (7/8 mile + 360 feet), with a 1400m chute.

The 2089m-long outer oval turf course was part of a major construction in 2006, and was a 400m-long extension. This would eventually remove two old chutes previously used, including a 1600m chute used for the currently-used 1689m-long inner oval course. The reconstruction (until the course was completely reconstructed) forced stakes races held in Hanshin during the second reconstruction period to be held in other racecourses, including Chukyo Racecourse and Kyoto Racecourse.

Hanshin Racecourse has hosted the Japan Cup Dirt since 2008; races prior to that was held in Tokyo Racecourse.

The Takarazuka Kinen (宝塚記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately 1⅜ miles) at Hanshin Racecourse (阪神競馬場) in late June. 

It is one of the two "All-Star" races in Japanese horse racing; the other is the Arima Kinen (the Grand Prix) in late December.

It was first run in 1960 with a distance of 1,800 metres. From 1961 to 1965 the race was run over 2,000 metres and since 1966 it has been run over its present distance.

The race is run on the turf and is named after the city of Takarazuka, Hyōgo, the location of Hanshin Racecourse, which is the venue of the race.

As with the Arima Kinen, the majority of the runners in the field are selected by a vote from racing fans, while the remainder are determined by the amount of prizemoney won.