Alkaased (foaled 19 February 2000) is an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2005 Japan Cup in a then world record time. In a racing career which lasted from September 2002 until November 2005, he won six of his sixteen races and finished second on seven occasions. In his first three seasons he made steady improvement, winning the Old Newton Cup and the Glorious Stakes in 2004. In the following year he developed into a world-class middle-distance performer, winning the Jockey Club Stakes in England and the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in France before beating a strong international field in the Japan Cup. After his retirement from racing he has stood as a breeding stallion in Japan and England. Background Alkaased is a bay horse with no white markings bred by Robin Scully's Clovelly Farms at Lexington, Kentucky. Alkaased's sire, Kingmambo was a highly successful breeding stallion. His progeny included the British Classic winners Russian Rhythm, King's Best, Henrythenavigator, Virginia Waters and Rule of Law as well as major winners in Japan (El Condor Pasa), France (Divine Proportions) and the United States (Lemon Drop Kid). Alkaased's dam Chesa Plana raced in Germany where she finished second in five Group races including the Grosser Preis von Berlin. As a descendant of the broodmare Mesopatamia, she came from the same branch of Thoroughbred family 10-c which produced Mastery, Galaxy Libra (Sunset Handicap, Man o' War Stakes), Halling, Cherokee Rose (Haydock Sprint Cup, Prix Maurice de Gheest) and Balla Cove (Middle Park Stakes, Round Table Handicap). As a yearling, Alkaased was sent to the Keeneland sales in September 2001 where he was bought for $325,000 by Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell Estates. He was sent to race in England where he was trained by Michael Stoute at Newmarket, Suffolk. Racing career 2002: two-year-old season Alkaased began his racing career at Doncaster Racecourse on 11 September 2002 when he finished fourth behind the odd-on favourite Maghanim. In the following month he started favourite for a one-mile maiden race at Newmarket Racecourse and finished fourth of the sixteen runners behind Persian Majesty. 2003: three-year-old season Alkaased did not appear in 2003 until July, when he finished second in a maiden at Yarmouth. On 25 August he started the 1/8 favourite for a maiden race over one and a half miles at Ripon Racecourse. Ridden by Willie Supple, he recorded his first success, taking