Grain bears British hopes in Japan

Racing

Despite the recent reverses for Britain's runners abroad, Pure Grain will attempt to turn the trend in the pounds 2.6m Japan Cup in Tokyo on 26 November.

The Michael Stoute-trained Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner was the sole British horse named among the 11 foreign invitees announced by the Japan Racing Association yesterday.

A spokeswoman for Stoute said: "The plan is for Pure Grain to run and John Reid will ride her. We ran Rock Hopper in the race in 1991 and he finished seventh. Mr Stoute has gone into the preparation thoroughly and Pure Grain will go out there in four or five days as they are strict on quarantine."