Equinox cemented his place as the world’s number one racehorse with an imperious display in the Tenno Sho (autumn) in Tokyo.
The Japanese star, trained by Tetsuya Kimura, has built a ferocious reputation thanks to devastating performances at home and abroad, and the Dubai Sheema Classic champion was in scintillating form as he won his fifth consecutive Group 1 match and also backed to -back recorded victories in the 10-furlong event.
Equinox’s regular pilot Christophe Lemaire was sent off the odds-on favorite against ten rivals and had the colt in a handy position throughout, following the blistering pace of frontrunner Jack D’Or as the runners straightened out Coming into the home stretch, Equinox was able to effortlessly cruise to the front before easily putting the race to bed.
The four-year-old’s brilliant triumph set a new 10-furlong track record as Equinox became the first horse since Almond Eye in 2019 and 2020 and the third horse overall to win consecutive editions of the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
“First of all, I am relieved that I was able to show the world, who I know was watching the race favorite run, that he is indeed a colt who deserves to be named the highest rated colt,” said Lemaire.
“He’s not exactly what you’d call a horse with incredible speed, but he was able to keep up with today’s fast pace and get into another gear at the end, but I was actually surprised when I realized we had won by a record.
“He is a versatile horse who can run from any position, remains calm during the race and uses his speed at the finish.
“He can also run longer distances, such as when he won the Arima Kinen, so although there was a lot of pressure coming into such a prestigious race as race favorite, I felt confident knowing what he is capable of.”