VERS REIMS (13) gets the nod off a very reliable recent profile, having been beaten a neck by Rohdiamant at Niigata after leading and then running second to Millennium Heroine at Fukushima. That consistency, plus a strong record with Y Igarashi, gives him the most dependable winning case. LUDOVICUS (2) is a serious threat fresh, with a dominant three-length Niigata win over Collectanea last time and a productive rider partnership with Sho Ueno. FORGED BRICK (14) resumes with sound credentials, having won at Nakayama two runs back and already placed twice at this distance, though the latest third came at a big margin. MILLENNIUM HEROINE (3) has won her past two, including beating Vers Reims by two and a half lengths at Fukushima, and remains dangerous if she handles 3170m first time.