(CNN) After hosting the Rugby World Cup last summer and with the Tokyo Olympic Games on the horizon, Japan is quickly becoming a hotspot for world-class competition.
But despite the jamboree of sport on offer, the country has not forgotten its long-held love for horse racing.
How horses fly around the world
Equine air travel has transformed the horse racing industry, with the world's fastest competitors now able to race all over the planet. It has also widened breeding programs with stallions able to cover mares from different countries. Pictured is Japanese star Deirdre arriving at Dublin Airport ahead of her run in the Irish Champion Stakes. (Credit:
Racing Post)
The horses are monitored by a staff of specialized groomsmen which includes a vet. Together they keep the horses safe and monitor the animals through the flight. Pictured is Kataniya leaving an Antonov An-74 at Dublin Airport. (Credit:
Racing Post)
The horses are loaded onto travel containers which are wheeled on and off cargo planes. An average container can hold up to three horses at a time but owners can splash out on a more luxurious ticket which gives their animal more room, the equivalent of business or first class.
Horses may have to attend quarantine before and after taking the flight to apply with a country's regulations. Up to 85 horses can be loaded onto a typical plane.
"We monitor the horse extremely carefully and make it as easy as possible. We find that most horses actually take the journey very well," says Jim Paltridge of specialist horse transport company IRT.
Champion Australian race horse Black Caviar wore a special compression suit during her 30-hour journey from Melbourne to London. No expense was spared for the celebrity mare traveling in a $50,000 first-class airborne stable.
Long before air travel was the norm, horses were transported by ship. However this came to a halt in 1972.
Japanese racing fans are some of the most dedicated in the world and are certainly not afraid to put their money where their mouth is.
Last year's betting revenue soared to an eye-watering $25.6 billion, according to the Japan Racing Association (JRA), allowing the industry to go from strength to strength.
Much of the profit created by betting is reinvested into racing prize funds, meaning its meetings are now amongst the most lucrative in the world.
"For Japanese racing fans, it's a part of their daily life," Shuji Kashiwada, the general manager of JRA International Department, told CNN Sport's Winning Post.
'The roar that you get is incredible'
The country's illustrious racing calendar culminates in one of the world's richest races, the Japan Cup.
The annual spectacle at Tokyo Racecourse attracts thousands of people, many of whom take part in the traditional "Dawn Dash," where fans who have camped in line overnight run for the best vantage points once the turnstiles are opened.
Stunning shots from horse racing's photographer of the year
Multi award-winning snapper Edward Whitaker was named horse racing's photographer of the year for his portfolio of six stunning pictures. The first was taken at dawn before morning exercise at Philip Hobbs' yard, on the west coast of England. "I got there and saw this amazing sky, I could see what was going to happen but I just needed a horse," Whitaker told CNN Sport.
This picture of two-time Grand National winner Tiger Roll jumping to success for the second time is one of his favorites. The photograph was taken remotely but Whitaker credits the birch hitting to water for "bringing it to life".
This picture was inspired by the Tour de France which was taking place at the same time as the horse race. The family of spectators were watching runners at Goodwood flash past but Whitaker said it "could have easily been cyclists speeding past."
This dramatic picture was taken at Lingfield, moments before it "absolutely poured down with rain." Whitaker concedes a lot of days for a racing photographer are spent "living in waterproofs".
This shutter pan picture was taken as racehorse Japan beat Crystal Ocean in the Juddmonte International. "There is just this lovely, dramatic sense of speed in the picture. It sort of cleans up the picture without all the sponsors in the background," said Whitaker.
"Although it's unfortunate, falling jockeys make good photographs. He is making such a great shape, like a dancer," Whitaker said, confirming that both horse and jockey were safe after the fall.
The race itself attracts world-class runners and riders from across the globe, including this year the three-time Japan Cup winner, Frankie Dettori.
The legendary Italian jockey caught up with Winning Post's Aly Vance ahead of the 39th edition of the race, where he tried his hand at a spot of sushi making with a Japanese master.
Dettori, who has won most of the world's biggest races multiple times, has become a honorary local in Japan and says he loves competing in the country's premiere competition.
"It's quite amazing actually because the start is right in front of the grandstand, the roar that you get is incredible," he said.
Despite his experience, Dettori only managed to finish 10th this year, with Suave Richard storming to glory under 24-year-old Oisin Murphy, who became the youngest jockey to win the prestigious accolade.
The worthy winners took home a cool $2.6 million for their efforts.
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"I wouldn't ever thought it possible. I'm thrilled, it was a dream come true," Ireland's Murphy told Vance after the race.
"There's only one Japan Cup and to put my name on it was massive."
Watch the video at the top of the page to see legendary jockey Frankie Dettori take on Winning Post's Aly Vance in a sushi making masterclass.