In the world of horse racing, once in a while a rare horse comes forth, leaving an unfading mark. One such horse considered the world’s highest-rated racehorse, has now retired. Making his debut on August 28 at Niigata Racecourse, he won twice as a two-year-old, but as a three-year-old, he faced some tough competition in his first two starts.

But then something changed, and he never experienced defeat again in his races. As a four-year-old, he just tasted his final victory, winning the Japan Cup most recently, and as he retires as a sire, his iconic rider has paid a heartwarming homage to him.

Racing icon shares a moving tribute to World’s No.1 horse

In a recent post on X, the iconic Frenchman Christophe Lemaire bid adieu to the beloved Equinox. The four-year-old Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse has retired to begin a new journey as a stud in 2024. In a heartfelt message, Lemaire wrote, “Tribute to a special horse! #Equinox” while sharing an enthralling video with snippets of all of Equinox’s epic wins that ended with the words “Thank You” to the champion.

Under the guidance of trainer Tetsuya Kimura and skillfully ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Equinox savored his ultimate triumph during the 43rd Japan Cup. The intensity of the final race moved both Kimura and Lemaire to tears as Equinox crossed the finish line, and Lemaire even shared, “I’m not used to crying, but today was very special.”

The racing history of Equinox

Sired by Kitasan Black and out of Dam Chateau Blanche, the equine marvel Equinox was foaled in Japan on March 23, 2019.  He made his debut on August 28 at Niigata Racecourse, and he won twice as a two-year-old. Then, as a three-year-old, he faced some tough competition in his first two starts at the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby, where he finished second. However, since then, he has remained undefeated, winning the Tenno Sho on October 30 and the Arima Kinen on December 25, 2022.

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Marking his international debut in 2023, he even won the Dubai Sheema Classic in March, and he then climbed atop the Longines World Best Racehorse Ranking in April. His final race was the Japan Cup on November 26, where he enthralled 85,000 fans at the Tokyo Racecourse, outpacing and leaving a field of powerful horses in his trail. His journey to becoming a stud marks a pivotal chapter in the horse racing world, and fans can’t wait to see the amazing and iconic horses he will sire.

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