On the 21st November, morning trackwork for the G1 Japan Cup took place, with Auguste Rodin, Goliath and Fantastic Moon making final demonstration on the dirt track at Tokyo Racecourse.

At the press conference that followed, trainer Aidan O'Brien, who was in Japan for the first time, took to the stage. He spoke about his horse Auguste Rodin, who will be retired at the end of the Japan Cup.

He said "Auguste Rodin's father is Deep Impact, so it has been a dream of mine and Auguste Rodin to come to Japan and race. I know that Japan Cup is a very difficult race and I know that the competition is tough. But I knew that there was no better place for Auguste Rodin's last race than the Japan Cup and that was my dream, so I really wanted to have a good race here at the end."

Asked about his impression of Deep Impact, trainer said "As you know better than me, it goes without saying that Deep Impact was a wonderful racehorse. He was also an excellent sire and I always wanted to have Deep Impact's colt, and Auguste Rodin's mother Rhododendron and her father Galileo were also top horses, so we crossed them together to produce a really great Auguste Rodin." He revealed that Deep Impact was also highly regarded as a stallion.

Asked if the Deep Impact, described as a 'flying runner' during his career, had inherited his running style to its colts, he replied "I always ask the jockeys what it feels like to ride him and they say that Auguste Rodin also has a very special way of running. They say they can tell the difference in his stride after just a short ride. They say it's not so much that he runs, but that he runs very quickly, powerfully and fluidly. I think Auguste Rodin also gives jockeys a different feeling to other horses just as Yutaka Take felt the difference in the way he ran with Deep Impact.

He also spoke about the horse's condition since arriving in Japan and how he has run, "He has been in good condition since arriving in Japan and yesterday we ran him on turf and he ran in good turf conditions. I think Auguste Rodin is a horse that runs with a lot of feeling to win and I couldn't be happier with his condition at the moment. The Japan Cup is a very prestigious race and one of the best races in the world. I know it will be a very difficult race, but it means a lot to go up against the best horses in the world in a race like this and I hope to win," he said of his preparations for the Japan Cup. "I'm looking forward to the race," he added.

As for the post-race retirement ceremony, which will be the first ever for a foreign horse, he commented "It will be very special. We think it's very special and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts." Also he said "It's really wonderful and shows how much the Japanese people love Auguste Rodin and how much they really cared about Deep Impact. I think it will be a great event for us and I look forward to seeing you all there. We are proud and very happy to be able to hold this retirement ceremony for you."

Trainer O'Brien, who spent yesterday touring JRA facilities including the Miho Training Center, concluded his visit to Japan with the following comments on his first visit to the country.

"It has been my dream to come to Japan and win the Japan Cup. I also know that it is a very difficult race. I knew there would be a lot of things involved and that it would take time, but I think it's incredible. Yesterday, I visited different facilities and other places and I found it really wonderful that both the facilities and the people who work there are so attentive to detail. The people who work there are also humble but respectful towards each other, and everyone works together without being self-sacrificing or showing off. I think this is a really wonderful environment that is hard to find anywhere else in the world."