Thousands flock to Equinox retirement ceremony as connections look forward to world champion's mating with Almond Eye

They braved an arctic Nakayama night in their thousands and were serenaded to the strains of 'Music of the Night' from Phantom of the Opera, as Equinox was given the starry sendoff his abundant talent deserved in a retirement ceremony following the end of racing on Saturday. 

Soon to be crowned the Longines World's Best Racehorse and a mile ahead of his contemporaries this year in the Dubai Sheema Classic, Tenno Sho (Autumn) and Japan Cup, Equinox will head to Shadai Stallion Station as the most expensive first-season sire in Japanese racing history.

His starting fee of ¥20 million – around £110,000 – makes him the second most expensive stallion in the country behind his own sire, Kitasan Black. 

Thousands of fans stayed behind after racing at Nakayama for the retirement ceremony of the world's best racehorse, Equinox

Katsumi Yoshida, one of the Shadai principals, chose the occasion to announce a star-crossed breeding project for next year, as Almond Eye – who also carried the blue and red colours of Silk Racing – will visit Equinox. 

Few will be as excited at the prospect as Christophe Lemaire, who counted three Japan Cups and a pair of victories in Dubai among his 15 combined Group and Grade 1 successes aboard Equinox and Almond Eye.

"Equinox was physically and mentally amazing," said Lemaire. "He got better with each race. Thanks to everyone, he has become a wonderful horse and is the number one in the world. I'll never forget the way Equinox ran and his performances."

Almond Eye: will visit Equinox at the Shadai Stallion Station next yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

Told by Yoshida of future plans, Lemaire added: "Of course I want to ride his children. Almond Eye and Equinox's children will probably become the best in the world again." 

It was a very different occasion to Almond Eye's own retirement ceremony at the same venue three years ago, when 2,500 people were selected by lottery to attend as Japan was still in the grip of measures designed to halt the spread of Covid-19. 

The daughter of Lord Kanaloa has thus far given birth to colts by Epiphaneia and Maurice, and was reported in March to be in foal to Kitasan Black. 

Equinox was given a rating of 133 after the Japan Cup by the country's notoriously hard-to-impress handicapper, 4lb ahead of his previous mark in the official world rankings, and 5lb superior to Europe's best, Ace Impact and Mostahdaf. International handicappers met in Hong Kong last week to ratify the end-of-year figures which will be unveiled at the Longines World's Best Racehorse ceremony in January. 

The strain of Equinox's growing fame often appeared to tell on his trainer Tetsuya Kimura, who became known for an expressive puff of the cheeks when his superstar crossed the line.

Equinox: retires to Shadai as the highest-rated racehorse in the world for 2023

He told the Nakayama crowd: "It was a very condensed two years, in a way I could say that I was living in a dream, or that I was absorbed in it. 

"I'm really relieved to have reached the day of his retirement. This may be a personal matter, but I would like to wait for a child of Equinox and would like to return to a Tokyo 2,400 metre [mile and a half] Grade 1 race with our stable staff." 

After narrow defeats in two Classics, Equinox recorded six straight Grade or Group 1 victories, culminating in last month's Japan Cup romp which took his career earnings past £14m.

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