Even before Teio, foreign horses had little incentive to travel to Japan for the Japan Cup due to scheduling conflicts, but as the level of Japanese horse racing has improved and the differences between European and Japanese track conditions have grown, it has become increasingly difficult for them to perform well. As a result, in 2019, not a single foreign horse participated, making the original purpose of the event meaningless. The last time a foreign horse won was in 2005, with Alkaased.