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Masquerade Ball on course to try to make history for Japan at Ascot
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Mon 6 Jul 2026
When Masquerade Ball lines up in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes he will be aiming to add his name to a very select list.
While Japanese horses have regularly conquered other major racing jurisdictions such as America, Hong Kong, Dubai and Australia, success in Europe has been fleeting and has never come at Ascot.
In fact, only the mare Deirdre in the 2019 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood has been able to claim success in Britain since Agnes World broke new ground in the July Cup of 2000 at Newmarket.
There have been several meritorious runs in defeat, the sprinter Satono Reve losing out narrowly in the last two renewals of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee at Royal Ascot and Heart’s Cry finishing third in the 2006 King George to Hurricane Run.
But in the Takahisa Tezuka-trained Masquerade Ball they have a young horse still on the up who has forced two of the best in the world to pull out all the stops in his last two races.
Having won the Tenno Sho – Japan’s equivalent of the Juddmonte International – in November, he lost out in a photo-finish to Calandagan in the Japan Cup.
He then travelled to Hong Kong where he flew from the back of the pack to get within a length of Romantic Warrior, looking for all the world like going back up to a mile and a half would suit.
“We started discussing about an international campaign for Masquerade Ball after he won Tenno Sho Autumn at Tokyo in November 2025, when I was impressed that this horse could be competitive at world stage,” Tezuka told the Press Association via a translator.
“While he was beaten only a head by Calandagan in Japan Cup, I understand it was a complete loss, as Tokyo is our home course.
“Shadai Race Horse, which owns Masquerade Ball, has been very keen to send him to UK for King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes and we agreed it should be the target for Masquerade Ball.”
It will not be Tezuki’s first trip to the UK, or his first runner in Europe, as he explained.
“I have stayed in Newmarket for six months more than 30 years ago, to learn what the Newmarket trainers are doing. And when I sent Fierement to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2019, I selected Newmarket as the training base in Europe, even though the race was in France.
“This is first time for me to have a runner at Ascot, which is the royal track, and I am very excited and I am honoured.
“I understand the shipping, which takes 48 hours from door to door, is big challenge for Masquerade Ball.”
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