Pundits hail Equinox as best turf horse in the world

Japan ruled the roost at Saturday’s meeting at Meydan winning the Dubai World Cup and their Sheema Classic victor, Equinox, being hailed by pundits as the best turf horse on the planet.

A son of Japanese sire Kitasan Black, Equinox led from start to finish and — despite being eased by jockey Christophe Lemaire in the closing stages — still lowered the Meydan mile and a half record by a second.

Paddy Power immediately installed Equinox as the 6-1 favourite for the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe in October. Japan has never won the prestigious Paris race.

Lemaire was full of praise for Equinox after the race and told reporters: “Today was a great performance against these kind of horses at this level. He’s a fantastic horse getting better and better, race after race.”

Trainer Tetsuye Kimura praised Lemaire’s handling of the horse and said “he was brilliant from the moment he came into my yard as a two-year-old”.

Kumura added he was unsure about plans for his champion. The Arc would seem an obvious target as it is run over the same distance as the Sheema Classic.

The $12m Dubai World Cup was billed as a match between 2022 winner Country Grammar and UK-trained Algiers, but another Japanese raider, Ushba Tesoro, gatecrashed the party at odds of 9-1.

It was Japan’s second World Cup win after the success of Victoire Pisa. With 300m to run, Algiers looked set for a huge payday but Japanese jockey Yuga Kawada got a terrific late burst out of Ushba Tesoro and swept by to score by three lengths.

“I just tried to focus on maintaining his rhythm,” said Kawada who had his biggest payday as a jockey. The winner is a son of Orfevre, who ran second in the 2012 Arc.

Ed Crisford, trainer of Algiers, who had plenty of supporters, said: “Turning for home I thought we had it in the bag, but he was treading water for the last half furlong.”

Frankie Dettori, making his last appearance in the World Cup before his retirement at the end of the year, had a disappointing ride on Country Grammar, who finished seventh.

“At least I got one on the night [Lord North in the Dubai Turf] and I can go and have a nice cold beer now,” quipped Dettori.

In the Sheema Classic Irish Derby winner Westover, who sweated up in the preliminaries, earned his connections a big cheque by finishing second and trainer Ralph Beckett was delighted with the run. He said the horse might be aimed at the Eclipse Stakes or Tattersalls Gold Cup.

Meanwhile at Turffontein on Saturday Sean Tarry's two-year-old, Lucky Lad, produced a storming finish to collar the favourite, Amber Rock, in the Protea Stakes and maintain his unbeaten record.

An R850,000 buy from Varsfontein Stud at the 2022 National Yearling Sales, Lucky Lad is the sixth produce of the mare Imperial State and a full-brother to grade 3 winner Follow Me.

Amber Rock had been well tried at home and might have been too speedy for Leaving Las Vegas if she had run in the grade 3 Pretty Polly Stakes.