The autumn Mile Championship is set to be an epic showdown, highlighted by the arrival of Europe's top-rated miler, Charyn. The 4-year-old British Champion, who has captured three G1 mile titles this year, will be the first foreign horse in 13 years to contest the G1 Mile Championship. Japan's top fillies will challenge the European star, including last year's winner Namur and last year's Queen Elizabeth II Cup victor Brede Weg, making her debut over a mile.

Namur aims to retain her title and secure a rare back-to-back victory in the mile contest. Though winless in four starts since last year's triumph, she showed no signs of decline with close second-placed finishes in both the Dubai Turf and Yasuda Kinen. Groom Ogawa confirms her steady form, saying, "She ran a strong race in the Yasuda Kinen and has been training consistently at a high level, just like last year."

Switching up her approach, Namur will go directly to this race from the Yasuda Kinen, over a five-month layoff. "She's the type to perform well fresh," Ogawa notes confidently. Her partnership with jockey Christian Demuro adds extra assurance; although they have yet to win together, Demuro knows the mare well from their runs in the 2021 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and Dubai Turf, where Namur placed fourth and second respectively. "She's matured significantly, both physically and mentally, and has a powerful engine that accelerates well," Demuro said, emphasizing that Kyoto's mile configuration plays to her strengths.

Coincidentally, Demuro recently took the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup aboard Stunning Rose, also trained by Namur's team, and aims for a second consecutive G1 win at Kyoto.