SHONAN BANRAI (15) has the strongest winning case after a dominant Hanshin Dirt win, where he started short odds-on and beat Matenro Brave by eight lengths. His previous run in the G3 Leopard Stakes was not a winning threat, but he still held his ground in stronger company and his profile at 1800m is persuasive. LORD COURONNE (11) is a genuine danger on class and consistency, with a Group 3 record that reads one win and four placings from five starts, plus an excellent record at this track and at the distance. WALZER SCHALL (5) brings the fresh Sirius Stakes form, having beaten Le Cheval D'Or in that G3 at Hanshin Dirt, and his record with Arata Saito keeps him right in calculations. MEURSAULT (10) resumes with a high-grade 1800m profile, including a G3 Antares Stakes win and four wins from five starts at the distance, though he was beaten as odds-on favourite when last seen at Morioka Dirt.