Japan dominates international gallop racing. It was already apparent at the Dubai World Cup Day 2022 and the Saudi Cup Day 2022 and 2023. The Land of the Rising Sun is unstoppable in turf. The huge investments in breeding, also with acquisitions from Germany, not only from the Yoshida family, are now paying off more and more.
Now another spectacle of the masterclass of Nippon gallopers followed with three victories on World Cup Day 2023 in Dubai. And with the twelve-million-dollar World Cup, the absolute top race was also included, when Ushba Tesoro, with a speed that is truly rarely seen, still rolled over the competition from the last place. But many headlines also belonged to Equinox, who distanced his opponents at will in the Sheema Classic with an impressive start-finish victory.
It was arguably the sporting standout performance of the evening, as Japan`s 2022 Horse of the Year dominated early on without needing to be particularly challenged. And this despite the fact that there were numerous Group I winners in the field. Equinox simply left them all standing and is now THE hopeful for the first Arc victory for Japan. The prestigious race in Paris has been the goal for the guests from Japan for years, but despite many attempts and outstanding horses, like even Deep Impact, the triumph in the Arc is still missing. Rarely have the stars been more aligned than this year with Equinox.
We are sure it won`t be long before this goal can be ticked off as well. And Japan`s dominance on the world racing stage will last for many years to come.
