Christophe Lemaire

LONDON, UK -- Japan stole the show at the Longines World Racing Awards in London, with Silk Racing's Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) named the Longines World's Best Racehorse for 2023 while the G1 Japan Cup claimed the title of Longines World's Best Horse Race. The top-rated three-year-old filly in the world was Japan's Triple Tiara winner Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}). Equinox's top rating of 135 - the highest ever awarded to a Japanese horse - was achieved in his four-length romp in the Japan Cup, his final appearance...

Perfect in two starts, including a victory over 2000 metres already at this early stage in his career, Susumu Fujita's Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) can well and truly stamp himself a leading contender for next year's Japanese Classics when he takes on a full field in Thursday's G1 Hopeful S. at Nakayama, the final top-level event on the JRA circuit for 2023. Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux, the chestnut is--as has been well documented--a full-brother to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) and was hammered down...

Crossing the line as Equinox sauntered home in the Japan Cup, Christophe Lemaire gave a little shake of his head and beamed as he tried unconvincingly to pat the horse's neck. Lemaire's disbelief was such that he went floppy with delight. Championship races are not meant to be processions. Even legendary horses aren't supposed to be so superior to their contemporaries. While others bobbed and heaved with effort, Equinox arrived at the front in his races on the bridle, with Lemaire perched as if for a portrait painter. Then he...

For the third time in the last six years, the colours of Silk Racing Co. Ltd. were carried to victory in the G1 Japan Cup, this time by the world's top-rated racehorse Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) following the dual success of Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) as a 3-year-old in 2018 and again two years later. It was a sixth Group 1 tally on the trot for the beautifully conformed son of the 2016 Japan Cup hero and Group 3 winner Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (King Halo {Jpn}), just...

Carrying the recognizable colors of Silk Racing and leading jockey Christophe Lemaire--the same pairing that will be represented by Equinox (Jpn) in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup--the white 2-year-old colt Amante Bianco (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) found clear sailing two furlongs from home and ran out a 3/4-length winner of Saturday's $206,819 Cattleya S. at Tokyo Racecourse. The 1600-meter allowance is the first leg on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the winner earned 10 points towards a start in the Run for the Roses. Amante Bianco, a debut winner...

It was a stakes double for Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) on Sunday, as Ho O Emmy's (Jpn) won the G3 Fukushima Kinen, and Brede Weg (Jpn) became his latest Group 1 winner with a victory in the Queen Elizabeth Cup in Kyoto. She is the first 3-year-old filly to win the race since Mozu Katchan (Jpn) (Harbingers {GB}) in 2017, and also became the QEC victress with the fewest starts with five. Despite the presence of last year's winner Geraldina (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), the Sunday Racing 3-year-old garnered favouritism at 7-5...

There had been hints that reigning Japanese Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) was not your average champion, most especially with his geared-down tour-de-force in the desert in March, but the Silk Racing Company's colourbearer was in a zip code all his own with his course-record breaking performance in defence of his G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) title at Tokyo on Sunday. He covered the 2000-metre trip over a firm Tokyo course in 1:55.20, 0.9 seconds faster than the previous record. Carrying a rating of 129 on the...

Perched atop the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings at 129 pounds for much of the year after his sensational 3 1/2-length victory in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in Dubai this March, the formidable Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) will attempt to become only the third horse to claim the ¥421,420,000 G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) in back-to-back years at Tokyo on Sunday. The reigning Japanese Horse of the Year has never finished worse than second in eight starts, and landed the G1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin over 2200 metres--200 metres...

Sent off the fourth betting favourite at a little more than 6-1, the progressive Durezza (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) was given a cerebral ride by Christophe Lemaire in Sunday's G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) at Kyoto and raced away in the final 200 metres to defeat the winners of the first two legs of the Triple Crown--G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) hero Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}) and market leader Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), victorious in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in the spring. Only once...

The fan-voted G1 Takarazuka Kinen drew no fewer than eight Group 1 winners, but the spotlight was squarely on Silk Racing's world number one Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), who was making his first start since decimating a world-class field in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in late March. At the end of 2200 metres in front of a reported crowd of 45,000 at Hanshin Racecourse Sunday afternoon, the baldy faced 4-year-old did not disappoint, overcoming a wide trip that was very much by design before holding...

For the first time in what seems a lifetime--13 years, to be precise--no 3-year-old son of Deep Impact (Jpn) heads to the gate for the opening leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) at Nakayama Racecourse. But the 2000-metre affair does not lack for intrigue, as a typically full field of 18 is set to face the starter Sunday afternoon. Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) could continue a magical roll for his sire--who is also responsible for the world's top-rated runner Equinox (Jpn)--and...

A good many of Japan's best middle-distance gallopers not named Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) are among a 16-strong field that was drawn Friday for the G1 Osaka Hai at Hanshin Racecourse. And while the reigning Horse of the Year and towering G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic winner is recovering from his trip to the Middle East, a few of those that have form through him from last season seem poised to do a fair bit of damage over the metric 10 furlongs Sunday afternoon. Last year's champion 3-year-old filly...