World #1 racehorse’s stud fee for 2024 – equivalent to about $140,000 – is a record for a first-season sire in Japan
Japan: Equinox, the world’s #1 racehorse, will stand his first season at stud in 2024 for an unprecedented fee of ¥20 million (about $140,000/£110,000) at Shadai Stallion Station on the ‘horse island’ of Hokkaido.
The fee is a record for a freshman sire in Japan and it equals the 2024 fee for the servides of Equinox’s own sire Kitasan Black, whom he will stand alongside as part of Shadai’s 33-strong roster.
Equinox was retired to stud soon after his comprehensive victory in the Japan Cup at Tokyo racecourse, where he slammed fillies’ Triple Crown heroine LIberty Island by four lengths under Christophe Lemaire, who described the four-year-old as a “literally a superhorse”.
‘He is literally a superhorse’ – Equinox unchallenged as world #1 after emphatic Japan Cup triumph
Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Equinox ended with a six-race G1 winning streak and a career record of eight wins from ten starts. He stands unchallenged at the head of Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s exclusive Global Rankings, which he has now led for a total of 37 weeks since his emphatic success in the Dubai Sheema Classic on the World Cup card at Meydan.
The Japanese superstar recorded a TRC Computer Race Rating of 135 in the Japan Cup – the highest of his career, and the equal of the best achieved by Winx and Baaeed. Only Frankel (142) and Flightline (141) have ever achieved higher single-race performance ratings. His career earnings topped £14 million.
A retirement ceremony for Equinox is to be held at Nakayama on December 16.
In other Japanese news, last year’s Japan Cup winner Vela Azul has been retired to Yushun Stallion Station to take up stallion duties in the new year, while three-time G1 winner Titleholder will also go stud after running in the season-ending grand prix, the Arima Kinen, on December 24 at Nakayama.
• Visit the Japan Racing Association website
Hong Kong hometown hero Vincent Ho lands International Jockeys’ Championship
Luxembourg leads powerful quartet for Aidan O’Brien in Hong Kong
View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires