TERRA MERITA (6) gets top billing after successive close placings, beaten a neck at Chukyo before finishing third at Hanshin when well-supported favourite and only just over half a length from In Vogue. Her 1600m record gives the distance query some balance, with three wins and eight places from 17 starts at the trip. MIKKI SOLDIER (1) is the immediate danger fresh, having been beaten a nose by Cave Pearl at Niigata after winning an ALLOW at this track from G T Man; his track-and-distance credentials are the strongest in the field. ARDE TOP GUN (13) has returned in good order, third at Sapporo then too tough for Fumi Sound at Nakayama, and remains a genuine winning hope if he carries that form away from his latest setup. ERHABEN (7) brings the sharpest winning streak, following a Chukyo success with a narrow Kyoto win over Isle Du Lien, and his lightly raced profile keeps him firmly in calculations.