Japan Cup

Inaugural running

The Japan Cup's creation was motivated by the JRA's desire to ensure the horses racing in Japan measured up to the quality of international horses. Prior to its creation, and even in the years after, options were limited in Japan for foreign horses. Most races only allowed Japanese horses to compete, leaving Japan's horses isolated from the outside world. As such, the Japan Cup offered an opportunity to determine how Japan compared to the rest of the world on their home turf. The idea of "creating strong horses that can compete on the world stage" had been proposed by the JRA since at least the 1970s. However, early efforts to establish an international race during that decade failed, owing to a lack of interest from overseas racing authorities and domestic concerns of foreign competition disrupting the stud market. By the start of the 1980s, the JRA's relations with the main racing authorities in other countries had developed enough for them to host their proposed race.

The inaugural Japan Cup took place in 1981, scheduled for late November to target the traditional Western horseracing off-season and to avoid competing with October's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Invitations were sent to trainers in Japan, the United States, Canada and India. A horse from Turkey, Dersim, was also invited, but was injured shortly after arriving in Japan and could not compete. The original line-up of international horses was at the time deemed nothing special. The most prestigious of the group was The Very One, a veteran horse with many graded stakes victories, but by then six and a half years old, an advanced age for a top-level thoroughbred. Conversely, in Japan the country's entered horses were viewed as an "all star cast", featuring the top three placing racers in the year's recent autumn Tennō Shō.

The race was won by American mare Mairzy Doates, ridden by Cash Asmussen, who finished a length ahead of Canadian-trained Frost King. Japan's best performer, Gold Spencer, placed fifth. The disparity between the Japanese and foreign horses' performances came as a major surprise to the JRA officials and wider Japanese horseracing industry, and the race is credited as a turning point in Japan's efforts to seriously compete at an international level in horse racing. When writing about the first Cup's events, historian Ryōji Motomura noted the depth of the initial Japanese disappointment: "Those who watched that race must have sighed in deep regret, thinking that it would be another 20 years before a Japanese horse won the Japan Cup, something that would happen in the 21st century."

Runnings in the 1980s

In the Cup's second year, the range of invited countries was expanded to include participation from Europe and Oceania. However, the race was once again won by an American horse. Half Iced, the last international horse to enter the race, narrowly defeated French-trained fillies All Along and April Run, with the Irish mare Stanerra in fourth. Once again, the best performing Japanese horse, Hikari Duel, placed fifth.

Stanerra returned the next year after a successful season in Europe, having recently won the Group 2 Prince of Wales's Stakes and Group 1 Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes, winning the Cup by a head over Japanese-trained Kyoei Promise. Stanerra's victory was highlighted by the Liverpool Daily Post as an example of the growing trend in the 1980s of European mares matching the racing performance of stallions. Her victory is also credited with strengthening the Republic of Ireland's diplomatic relations with Japan; since 1990, the Irish Government traditionally presents the Cup's winner with the Ambassador of Ireland Prize.

1984 was the first year Japanese horse races received official grading, classifying the Cup as a national-level Group 1 race. The race itself was the first-ever showdown between two Japanese Triple Crown winners: Mr. C. B. and the undefeated Symboli Rudolf. They had won their Crowns a year apart, nearly 20 years after Shinzan became the last horse to do so in 1963, leading to much discussion by Japanese fans over which of the two horses were superior. There was an expectation that one of them would be the first Japanese horse to win the event in the "Triple Crown Showdown". However, it was the lesser-fancied Japanese Katsuragi Ace who claimed victory, defeating British-trained Bedtime by 1+1⁄2 lengths, with Symboli Rudolf narrowly behind in third and Mr C. B. trailing in tenth. Japan achieved a second victory the next year, with Symboli Rudolf returning to triumph over Japanese-trained Rocky Tiger.

In 1986, Jupiter Island, ridden by Pat Eddery, became the first British-trained horse to win the Cup, narrowly defeating fellow British runner Allez Milord. The result was only confirmed after an inquiry by racecourse stewards following an objection by Allez Milord's rider Greville Starkey, who alleged the two horses had collided 60 metres from the post. Jupiter Island's victory more than doubled the previous prize money the horse had accumulated in his previous forty starts, and at seven years old, he remains the oldest horse to win the Cup.

Le Glorieux, trained in France by Robert Collet and ridden by Alain Lequeux, captured the 1987 edition, while Pay the Butler, trained by Robert J. Frankel and ridden by Chris McCarron, secured the United States' third victory the year after. Having previously only won a single major race, the Group 2 Red Smith Handicap ran six months prior, Pay the Butler's win was regarded as a major upset over the year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Tony Bin and Japanese favourites Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross.