The Equinox horse profile tells us that this Japanese-trained and bred 4 year-old is the best racehorse in the world at the moment – so let’s take a deeper look into his career so far and just why this Far East middle-distance equine superstar is hitting the headlines after his recent Japan Cup win.
Equinox Horse Profile: The World’s Best Racehorse
The Japanese-trained EQUINOX is currently the world’s top-rated racehorse and is still aged 4 – and was last seen winning the 2023 Japan Cup.
That win followed in the hoofprints of his sire Kitasan Black, who also won the Japan Cup in 2016. And with age on his side there could even be more to come.
The Racing Post have Equinox’s mark at 146. This compares to just 129 for this season’s Arc winner Ace Impact and recent Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Auguste Rodin at 126.
Handled by trainer Tetsuya Kimura, Equinox has so far won a remarkable seven of his nine career starts and been runner-up in the other two – taking the world of horse racing by storm.
Aged just 4, this Kitasan Black colt has hit the headlines not only in his homeland, but also around the world. Including when bolting up in the Group One Dubai Sheema Classic in March 2023.
That day he slammed some top European horses that included the 121-rated Mostahdaf and the 2023 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Westover to advertise his home form on the world stage (watch below).
Since that win at Meydan, Equinox has added the Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin and the Tenno Sho Autumn at Tokyo – taking his haul of Group One successes to five (and counting).
Despite being trained in Japan, Equinox has been ridden in all his races by French jockey Christophe-Patrice Lemaire.
Equinox Horse Profile
- Age: 4
- Trainer: Tetsuya Kimura
- Jockey: Christophe-Patrice Lemaire
- Owners: Silk Racing Co Ltd
- Sire: Kitasan Black
- Dam: Chateau Blanche
- Runs: 10
- Wins: 8
- Top Two Finishes: 10
- Grade/Group One Wins: 6
- Career Winnings: £14,038,786
Correct from: 26th Nov 2023
Equinox Wins The 2023 Japan Cup
The most recent win for Equinox was an easy 4-length romp in the 2023 Group One Japan Cup on Sunday 26th November.
Ridden as normal by jockey Christophe Lemaire, the world’s best racehorse was always handy and when booting clear up the Tokyo straight the result never looked in doubt. (watch below).
The Japan Cup win was Equinox’s eighth career success and his sixth at the highest level. In the process he banked another £3,171,349.45 for his winning owners – Silk Racing Co Ltd. His total career earnings now stand at just over £14m.
See the full Japan Cup 2023 result here.
Equinox, the highest rated horse in the world, takes the Japan Cup in association with Longines (G1)!
— IFHA’s Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings (@worldsbesthorse) November 26, 2023
Class Runs In The Family: Equinox’s Sire Was Also A Prolific Winner
Equinox’s sire is a horse called Kitasan Black, who will be a familiar name to Japanese racing fans between 2015 and 2017.
The colt now stands at the Shadai Stallion Stud in Japan for 10,000,000 JYP. And during his racing career won a staggering 12 of his 20 races and has only been out of the first three twice.
Kitasan Black won a massive £11,454,079 in total prize money during his career too and won seven Grade One races in Japan.
Of those top-table races, Kitasan Black landed the 2016 Japan Cup and also the Tenno Sho (Autumn). A race his son Equinox has already won twice.
Kitasan Black was trained by Hisashi Shimizu and ridden in most of his races by Japanese superstar jockey Yutaka Take.
What’s Next For The World’s Best Racehorse? Equinox Entries
Equinox will next be in action in the Japan Cup 2023, which will be run at 6:40am (UK time) on Sunday 26th November at Toyoko racecourse. Where he’ll be bidding to follow in the hoofprints of his sire, Kitasan Black – who won the race in 2016.
The Japan Cup, which is run over a trip of 1m4f, will be shown live on RacingTV. While the race carries a winning purse of £3,147,029.
The best UK’s horseracing betting sites make Equinox a red-hot 1/2 favourite. (See the Japan Cup 2023 runners and betting here)
Christophe Lemaire will ride Equinox in thr Japan Cup – a race the French jockey has won three times in the past.
However, soon after his 2023 Japan Cup win, Equinox was retired and will stand at the Shadai Stallion Station.
Equinox Breaks Global 2000m World Record By Almost A Second
Earlier this season Equinox won his second Grade One Tenno Sho at Tokyo – running away with the prize by 2 1/2 lengths (watch below). But the win made further headlines as he smashed the 2000m record by just under a second. Winning in a time of 1:55.2.
Which was just under a second quicker than the previous world record at that trip of 1:56.1.
Equinox Wins The Takarazuka Kinen In June 2023
Another 2023 win for Equinox came in the Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin racecourse in Japan on 25th June 2023. Having to come wide around the home bend, jockey Christophe Lemaire lost a lot of ground by having to do this.
However, Equinox showed his class to still pick off the runners one-by-one up the straight. Seeing off the other 16 entries – by just a neck at the line (watch below).
Equinox Wins 2022 Tenno Sho in Tokyo – In A ‘Must-See’ Race
Back in October 2022, Equinox was also involved in one of the most remarkable races seen for a long time.
A horse called Panthalassa tried to steal the race under jockey Yutaka Yoshida when booted 15 lengths clear turning into the Tokyo straight.
But Equinox’s regular jockey must have suspected the horse would eventually come back to the pack and that’s exactly what happened. But only just.
Christophe Lemaire managed to time his run just right on Equinox. The pair ran down the long-time leader in the shadows of the post. Winning by just a length at the line (watch below).
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