Yes, it’s an Asian white-wash of the April 2013 edition of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings with Japan and Hong Kong having the top seven international rated horses.
In fact, so dominant was Equinox in his 3½ length all-the-way victory in the Longines Dubai Sheema Classic that he was awarded a high 129 as this seasons Longines World’s Best Racehorse.
Fielding such terms as ‘Titan of the Worlds Turf’ and being compared a ‘World’s Best,’ he ran a course-record time of 2:22.65 for the 2,410 meters on turf, in being first-up from a 3 month spell.
Crowned Japan Horse of the Year last year on last winning Japan’s richest race The Grand Prix- the Arima Kinen of 2500m on turf, Equinox had earlier won the Tenno Sho Autumn of 2000m.
Placed second earlier las season in both the Japanese Derby-Tokyo Yushun of 2400m, and the Japanese 2000 Guineas-Satsuki Sho of 2000m, he had won the Hai Nisai Stakes of 1800m as a juvenile.
Always ridden by French expatriate Christophe Lemaire for Miho Training Centre based Tetsuka Kimura, Equinox is owned and bred by Silk Racing Pty Ltd, being by exceptional new sire Kitasan Black.
In being the first crop of Kitasan Black, the 2016, 2017 Japanese Horse of The Year and 2016 Japan Cup winner, he’s the third successful foal the Gr3 winning King Halo mare Chateau Blanche.
A half-brother to the Gr3 winner Weiss Meteor, he’s the family of top-line racehorse and sire Bellypha, tracing to the Australian matron Triscay, being related to sires Bellman and Run and Deliver.
With the Dubai World Cup Carnival now recovered from COVID-19 it’s exceptionally high standard of racing that moved IFHA President Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges to described Equinox as ‘great.’
In attending The Championships at Royal Randwick, and with Japanese runners again returning to Sydney racing, he spoke of the Japanese being so ‘dominant’ at this 2023 Dubai World Cup.
With Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges praising Ushba Tesors for his 2¾ length victory in the $12m Dubai World Cup, by Emirates Airline, he’s now rated 122, up from 117 for the Kawasaki Kinen.
With the Japanese making no secret of targeting the UAE Derby enroute to the Kentucky Derby, it was Christophe Lemaire who scored a 5½ length victory on Derma Sotogake for Hidetaka Otonashi.
Run over 1900m on dirt, and with Derma Sotogake qualifying for the Run For The Roses, its Manderin Hero who by-passed Dubai to be a ‘nose’ second in the Santa Anita Derby to Practical Move.
Earlier in Hong Kong, Golden Sixty received a 125 ranking for defeating Romantic Warrior by a length in the Stewards Cup, while California Spangle received 122 for being third in the same event.
Golden Sixty went onto defeat Romantic Warrior, 123, in the Hong Kong Gold Cup, with Lucky Sovereign also fourth on 123 for defeating California Spangle in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup.
Onto Royal Randwick, and it was ‘Aussie Tom’ Marquand who lifted Dubai Honour to a 122 Ranking for a breath taking 2½ length victory in the $5m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes of 2000m.
Trained by William Haggas in Newmarket, and aided by the front-running style of Japan’s Unicorn Lion, Dubai Honour ran 2:07.72 on a Soft 7 track to defeat Mo’unga, with Anamoe a nose in third.
Again, it’s the Australian’s who are dominating the Sprint Turf division with the Peter Moody part-owned and trained I Wish I Win scoring by a half-length in the Furphy TJ Smith Stakes of 1200m.
Also, part owned by his breeder Mark Chittick, the 5yo gelded son of Savabeel, is also the World’s Champion Sprinter on a 121 Ranking, with both Giga Kick and Private Eye on 119, and the Riyadh Dirt Sprint champion Elite Power being the top World Dirt Sprinter with 120.