Fairy Stakes

The Fairy Stakes is a Grade III Thoroughbred race in Japan restricted exclusively to 3-year-old fillies.^[2] It is held annually in early to mid-January at Nakayama Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 meters on turf (outer course).^[2] Eligible entrants must have raced at least once and cannot be unraced or maiden horses.^[2] The field includes JRA-trained fillies, up to two certified NAR (local) fillies, and foreign-trained fillies with priority entry.^[1]

The race is run under weight-for-age conditions, with all fillies carrying 55 kg.^[2] The first-place prize in 2026 is ¥38 million.^[2]

The Fairy Stakes originated as the “TV Tokyo Sho 3-Year-Old Fillies Stakes”, first run on December 15, 1984, at Nakayama Racecourse over 1,600 meters.^[2] It was created as a late-season test for juvenile fillies. In 1991, the distance was shortened to 1,200 meters, aligning it more with sprint-oriented development.^[3] This format lasted until 2007.^[2] In 1994, the race was renamed “Fairy Stakes” after TV Tokyo shifted its sponsorship to the Aoba Sho.^[2] Internationalization progressed gradually: foreign-bred fillies were allowed from 1993, NAR fillies from 1996 (initially 3 runners, later reduced to 2 in 2009), and foreign-trained fillies from 2009, when the race became an international GIII event.^[4]

A restructuring occurred in 2008: the race was not held that year due to a schedule shift, and from 2009 onward, it moved to January and reverted to 1,600 meters, positioning it as a key early prep race for the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) within Japan’s 3-year-old filly classic trail.^[2] Weight conditions also evolved: originally 54 kg under international age standards (post-2001), it briefly used special weight from 2009–2023 before returning to fixed weight-for-age (55 kg) in 2024.^[2]

• Horse racing in Japan
• List of Japanese flat horse races