The 2023 running of the Japan Cup did not produce much in the way of surprises. Equinox and Liberty Island, the favorites, finished the race in first and second, respectively. The former, ridden by Christophe Lemaire and trained by Tetsuya Kimura, lived up to his billing. Equinox finished four lengths ahead of Liberty Island.

The relatively comfortable win followed five in succession in Group 1 races in Japan. Along the way, Equinox faced many of his contenders for the Japan Cup in those races. That list included the past year’s Japan Cup winner, Vela Azul. Other notable horses to compete on the day were Titleholder, Do Deuce, and Iresine.

Equinox and Christophe Lemaire feted by the energetic crowd

The World Horse Racing X handle shared a video of Equinox and his jockey being honored by the enthusiastic crowd in Tokyo. They wrote, “What a scene! EQUINOX and @christo68914587 feted by the large Tokyo crowd after his Japan Cup triumph.” Added to that were a trio of hashtags in Japanese. Translated, they read as follows: #Equinox, #JapanCup, and #HorseRacing.

Christophe Lemaire was reduced to tears after the memorable, yet easy, win over 1 ½ miles. Equinox has now won eight of his ten starts, with a pair of second-placed finishes to boot. The four-year-old colt was sired by Kitasan Black out of the mare Chateau Blanche. His trainer, Kimura, previously shed light on how those in Japan loved Equinox, ranging from schoolchildren to adults.

The start of the streak leading up to the Japan Cup

Equinox also had to contend with Panthalassa, the horse he did battle with at the 2022 Tenno Sho. Tetsuya Kimura worried throughout that race, thinking Equinox would finish second once again. He’d done so the previous two races. Equinox, however, had other ideas. He raced ahead of Panthalassa toward the end of 1 ¼ mile racetrack. That began his current streak of six wins on the trot.

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The Japan Cup is an invitational tournament and featured 18 horses. With the best that Japan had to offer in the sport all gathered in one location, Equinox established himself as the pick of that bunch. He had previously beaten many of the horses he faced on that occasion. The four-year-old colt further established his credentials as one of the best horses on the planet.

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