Artiste Royal was handed the prime post position for Sunday's $4.3 million Japan Cup at Tokyo, where he will break from post 8 in an 18-runner field in which two-time Emperor's Cup and Japanese Derby winner Meisho Samson will start as the prohibitive favorite.

The late-blooming Student Council has Vermilion to beat in his effort to become the second American winner of the $2.5 million Japan Cup Dirt at Tokyo Racecourse on Saturday. A 5-year-old son of Kingmambo, Student Council prepped perfectly for his Japanese odyssey with a solid 1 1/4-length victory in the Hawthorne Gold Cup on Sept. 29. His previous outing, a 23-1 surprise score in the Pacific Classic, made him eligible for a $900,000 bonus if he is successful in the 1 5/16-mile Japan Cup Dirt, meaning that victory would be worth more than $2.2 million to his owners at Millennium Farms.

Dylan Thomas has been rerouted from the Japan Cup to the Hong Kong Vase, having accepted an invitation from the Hong Kong Jockey Club a day after he was banned from running in the Japan Cup.

His positive for equine viral arteritis disqualified him from his prospective meeting with Meisho Samson in Sunday's $4.8 million Japan Cup, but his name is among the invited horses for the $1.8 million Hong Kong Vase, at 1 1/2 miles the same distance as the Japanese race. To run in Sha Tin on Dec. 9, however, Dylan Thomas must still overcome a number of obstacles.

Emma-Jayne Wilson has been selected to represent Canada in the Cathay Pacific International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong on Dec. 5. The 26-year-old rider, winner of both the Sovereign and Eclipse awards as leading apprentice rider in 2005, became the first woman rider to win the Queen's Plate this year, aboard Mike Fox.

Dylan Thomas has been ruled out of Sunday's Japan Cup by the Japanese Agricultural Ministry after having tested positive for equine viral arteritis. The announcement came on Tuesday after routine tests taken upon his arrival at the Shiroi Quarantine Center near Tokyo on Nov. 16 revealed that his system had retained lingering traces from the vaccination he had received for EVA before traveling to Japan. As a result, the $4.8 million Japan Cup will be run without its strongest foreign entry.

EVA is a contagious disease characterized by flu-like symptoms.

Daiwa Major successfully defended his Grade 1 Mile Championship title at Kyoto on Sunday as Becrux, the lone American runner in the $1.7 million contest, came home eighth, beaten by 4 3/4 lengths after starting from an unfortunately wide draw.

The victory by Daiwa Major, a 6-year-old son of Sunday Silence, was his fifth at the highest level. In addition to his two Mile Championships the Hiroyuki Uehara trainee won this year's one-mile Yasuda Kinen as well as the 2006 Autumn Tenno Sho and the 2004 Japanese 2000 Guineas, both at 1 1/4 miles.

Excellent performances were turned in at Sha Tin on Saturday in the Sprint and Mile trials for the upcoming International meeting next month.

Sacred Kingdom, sent off as an odds-on favorite in the Sprint Trial, scorched six furlongs to win by 2 3/4 lengths in track-record time of 1:07.50. Going supremely well throughout under Gerald Mosse, the track record could have been broken still further as the 4-year-old was eased close to home. He will head straight to the International Sprint on Dec. 9.

Becrux carries the weight of the world into Kyoto Racecourse on Sunday when he will be the lone foreign entrant in the $1.7 million Mile Championship.

An Italian-bred 5-year-old owned by Team Valor and Gary Barber and trained by Neil Drysdale, Becrux has been in Japan since Nov. 6 preparing for this Grade 1 contest in which he will face 17 locally trained challengers.

Vengeance of Rain will try to get back on the winning track at Sha Tin on Saturday when he cuts back in distance for the Group 2, $385,000 International Mile Trial.

A New Zealand-bred 6-year-old trained by David Ferraris, Vengeance of Rain won the Dubai Sheema Classic going 1 1/2 miles in March but has been second in his last two starts, the 1 1/4-mile Hong Kong Gold Cup and the 1 1/2-mile Hong Kong Champions and Chater Cup. He was beaten both times by Viva Pataca, who last week won the International Cup Trial.

Dylan Thomas was named Cartier Horse of the Year in Europe on Wednesday night at the annual Cartier Awards dinner in London.

Dylan Thomas won four Group 1 races in 2007, including the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but could manage only fifth on the soft ground in the Breeders' Cup Turf. A 4-year-old son of Danehill trained by Aidan O'Brien, he edged Manduro - who beat him in their only meeting, the Prince of Wales Stakes - for both Horse of the Year honors and the best older horse award.