RIYADH: Panja Tower (JPN) will line up in the group two $2-million 1351 Turf Sprint Presented by Qiddiya City as Japan aims for back-to-back victories in the race.

Japanese runners have claimed the contest three times in the past, including Ascoli Piceno (JPN) leading home a one-two 12 months ago. And the nation sends a strong challenge again with three in the field.

For Panja Tower, trained by Shinsuke Hashiguchi, it will be his second overseas campaign following last November’s fifth in the Golden Eagle at Randwick.

Highly regarded as a 2-year-old, Panja Tower captured the group two Keio Hai Nisai Stakes in his second career start in November 2024, defeating a field that included Shin Forever (US), who would go on to finish second in last year’s group three Saudi Derby.

“He’s already used to air travel, having experienced it on his previous trip to Australia, and this time he’s travelling alongside many other Japanese horses, so I think he’s been able to maintain a routine similar to back home,” Hashiguchi said.

“There’s been a bit of a gap since his last race, but there are absolutely no concerns. He’s been training well during this period and I feel he’s made good progress.

“This overseas campaign in Saudi Arabia had already been part of our plan even before the trip to Australia. Everything has gone well so far.”

Panja Tower was aimed at some major prizes over 1,600 meters, including the group one Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, but some early efforts cast a little doubt on his credentials as a top-class performer on the trip.

However, he bounced back in May, winning a close finish in the group one NHK Mile Cup to claim his first title at the highest level.

It was also the first Japan Racing Association group one prize for Hashiguchi, the son of Kojiro Hashiguchi, a former Japan Racing Association trainer renowned for numerous starts including the legendary Heart’s Cry (JPN).

Since opening his own training yard at the JRA Ritto Training Centre in 2015, Hashiguchi junior has also secured two other victories at the highest level outside the JRA division, in the JBC Sprint and Korea Sprint.

The name “Panja” is inspired by the famous lion character from the Japanese cartoon “Jungle Emperor Leo” and plays on a rearrangement of the word Japan.

The trainer was happy with what he saw from Panja Tower’s breeze on the dirt track on Wednesday and is hopeful the lion can roar again.

“Jockey Katsuma Sameshima rode him today, with instructions to go around four furlongs (800 meters) in about 52 seconds and I believed he ran around that time as instructed,” he said.

“He switched leads smoothly in the final stage and accelerated comfortably, so I thought he moved very well overall.”