Arc Heroine Alpinista on Course for Japan Cup

Sir Mark Prescott is "creeping forward" with preparations to send his Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1)-winning mare Alpinista  to Tokyo this month for the Japan Cup (G1).

Despite her exertions in Paris, when she overcame Vadeni  for an eighth consecutive win and her sixth at group 1 level, Alpinista has come out of the race well and the Heath House team is pressing on with preparations to run in Tokyo Nov. 27.

Prescott said: "Alpinista is absolutely fine and at the moment we are progressing, but if anything went the slightest bit wrong, obviously we would retire her. We certainly wouldn't be battling against nature, put it that way, but at the moment we are creeping forward."

Last week, owner Kirsten Rausing issued reservations about going to the well too often with her 5-year-old, but Prescott is happy enough.

He said: "Miss. Rausing is a very practical woman and the filly is still here with us and while we're pleased with her she'll carry on, but if we're not for any reason, then that will be that.

"You wouldn't fight against it, but at the moment, we are going forward as if she's going to run. She would leave Nov. 17 and we are working her as we would if she is to depart on that date."

The daughter of Frankel  is a general 4-1 favorite to become the first British-trained winner since the Luca Cumani-trained Alkaased in 2005, and fifth in total after Clive Brittain's Jupiter Island (1986) and the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Singspiel and Pilsudski (1996 and 1997).

If the mare were to win the Japan Cup, which is worth $2.8 million (£2.96m/€3.4m) to the winner, she would also pick up a Japan Racing Association bonus of $3M for winning the Arc too.

If Alpinista runs, it will come 23 years after connections' last trip was aborted when Alborada went lame three days before the race.

In the build-up to the trip, Prescott and his assistant William Butler have been gathering information about the Japan Cup.

Prescott said: "Between us, William and I have recently picked the brains of almost everybody who's been to Japan in recent days. Sir Michael Stoute was at supper the other day and took me back to Singspiel and Pilsudski.

"Ed Dunlop has been very helpful and the only person I should probably make a call to is Clive Brittain, who was the first person to win one with Jupiter Island."

The last British-trained runner in the race was the David Menuisier-trained Thundering Blue , who finished tenth in 2018.   

Prescott added: "There has been a dearth of British runners in recent years, but by all accounts, a new facility over there makes it easier to go, so that's the way we're headed at the moment."