Equinox has been crowned the world’s best racehorse of 2023 – and with it the highest-rated Japanese horse of all time.

A year that started with a brilliant three-and-a-half-length beating of Westover in the Dubai Sheema Classic featured another three Group Ones, culminating in his farewell to the track in the Japan Cup.

Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Equinox was only beaten twice in his 10-race career, winning six Group Ones in total.

He was given a rating of 135 in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, which are compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

His figure is 5lb below the 140 awarded to Flightline 12 months ago, which equalled the benchmark under the current system set by Frankel in 2012, but he sits 7lb ahead of last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact and dual Group One victor Mostahdaf, who were both rated 128.

Christophe Lemaire rode Equinox in every start and he attended a glittering ceremony in London on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the son of Kitasan Black’s achievement.

Asked what it was like to ride Equinox, Lemaire joked: “To be honest it was quite enjoyable!

“Each time he ran there were big expectations, but I had so much confidence in the horse that I had no fear. To ride him, it was just a pleasure to be on a galloping horse.

“The way he ran was just amazing. Of course, I tried to do my job as well as possible and it was a great journey – I will miss him a lot.

“As have most top athletes, he had a combination of physical strength and mental strength. His physical allowed him to run fast and further using his beautiful stride, very well balanced and also he was very clever, so he understood very quickly what he had to do to win the race.

“My job was just to take a good start and put him in the right position to let him express his talent.

“He was nearly the perfect racehorse and we have to congratulate the breeder (Northern Farm) who could produce such a beautiful horse and the trainer for getting him mature to compete at the best level.

“Just after his debut, I could feel he was special, the way he moved, his acceleration, his attitude on the track – I could feel very quickly he would become a very good horse. Most other people discovered him in Dubai, but in Japan he was already a rising star.”

Equinox officially retired at the end of November, with thousands of people attending a ceremony for the horse in mid-December before he headed to his new role at Shadai Stallion Station, where he will stand for ¥20 million – just over £106,000.

Speaking through a translator, Kimura said: “I wasn’t prepared for it all (the praise he received after Dubai), I feel like I’ve still been in a dream since then.

“The expectations were very high (before the Japan Cup) and it was very difficult to stay calm, but Equinox showed an amazing start and he has the most beautiful stride in the world and he managed to beat all his rivals with his amazing stamina, so I have nothing else that I wanted from him at all.”

To add to the Japanese laurels, the Japan Cup was named the best race in the world for the first time, with a rating assigned on the first four finishers.

Equinox, the world’s highest-rated horse, delivered a dominant performance to win Sunday’s Japan Cup.

The four-year-old has not been beaten since finishing second in the Japanese Derby in May 2022, winning two Grade One contests at home at the end of last year before easily seeing off Westover when claiming the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.

Tetsuya Kimura’s charge won two more Grade Ones since that effort and was a long odds-on favourite for the Tokyo highlight, which featured a clutch of previous top-level victors, including leading three-year-old filly Liberty Island.

Saudi Cup winner Panthalassa took up his usual position at the head of affairs, setting a testing gallop that saw him build up a huge advantage at the top of the straight.

Christophe Lemaire had been happy to sit in the pack aboard Equinox, rounding the final bend in third before giving his mount the signal to set out in pursuit as Panthalassa’s stride began to shorten.

The response was immediate and Equinox sprinted to the lead over a furlong out and Lemaire just had to use hands and heels to steer him to a four-length verdict over Liberty Island.

The William Buick-ridden Stars On Earth was third, with last year’s race winner Vela Azul coming home seventh under Hollie Doyle, one place ahead of Tom Marquand’s mount Studley.

Equinox gets the chance to cement his status as the best horse in the world in Sunday’s Japan Cup.

On a five-race Group One winning streak, the four-year-old has established superstar status in his racing-mad homeland.

His easy victory over Westover, one of the best middle-distance horses in Europe, when they met in Dubai means racing fans worldwide are well aware of his greatness.

However, that comes at a cost to his trainer Tetsuya Kimura, who has admitted to feeling the pressure before every run.

“I’m relieved that he’s done all of his training as expected,” said Kimura through a translator to Racing.com.

“We have many Grade One winners in Japan Cup, so while I know he’s a good chance of winning the Japan Cup, I know that it won’t be easy to accomplish.

“I have the full respect for all the Japanese horses who have achieved great things in Japanese history.

“In recent times in Japan, there haven’t been many horses that have won Grade One races continuously like Equinox has, so I think that achievement is really tremendous.

“But honestly, I’m not very good at handling the pressure. When Equinox is at my stable and his next race is approaching, I get so nervous.

“At the same time, I understand that Equinox is supported by many fans in Japan and also around the world, so I feel lucky to be associated with him.

“I keep receiving letters and pictures from elementary school and middle-school students and I feel his greatness in that way.”

It will not be easy for Equinox, however, as Liberty Island lies in wait, the champion filly who herself is chasing a fifth Group One win on the bounce.

Her trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida told the Japan Racing Association: “Last week’s fast work was to let off steam, check her movement and breathing, but it wasn’t a very hard workout.

“This week, I asked the jockey (Yuga Kawada) to ride. She looked good and the jockey got a feel for her, pushed her hard in the final stage and she quickened nicely. The time was good, too.

“I think she’s one level better than she was for the Shuka Sho. Her muscle tone is better, her mood is good. The Shuka Sho draw was difficult, but the jockey did a great job of guiding her. After seeing that race, I decided to come here.

“She is familiar with the venue and the Tokyo 2,400 metres from her Japanese Oaks run, but she’ll be up against older horses for the first time. She is still maturing and she is still weak in areas and somewhat mentally immature.

“The way the race will unfold, the draw, the position she’ll race in, will all be factors in how well she’ll do. She’s three years old and this will be her first time up against older horses. The 4kg allowance is a big help, and I hope that she uses it to her advantage.”

Iresine, the Prix Ganay winner, is the sole European contender after Aidan O’Brien’s St Leger winner Continuous was ruled out through injury.

Hollie Doyle rides last year’s winner Vela Azul with Ryan Moore sidelined, while Doyle’s husband Tom Marquand is on Studley and William Buick partners Stars On Earth.

Equinox made a blistering return to action, coming with a scything run to land the Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin racecourse on Sunday.

The Japanese star was sent off a hot favourite on his first start since romping to a wide-margin success in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March.

That three-and-a-half-length victory over Westover at Meydan established the Tetsuya Kimura-trained Equinox as the top horse on the planet according to the Longines World Best Racehorse standings.

On his return, Christophe Lemaire was patient towards the rear of the 17-strong field in the 11-furlong Grade One contest and was still at the back of the pack turning for home, having suffered a wide trip.

Yet the son of Kitasan Black always travelled sweetly and cruised into the lead approaching the final furlong.

Though he had just a neck to spare from outsider Through Seven Seas, the official margin was no reflection of the dominant performance, with his French rider having to pose few questions of the colt.

“Though we were unable get a good position toward the front due to the fast pace at the beginning, the horse was relaxed in the rear and I wasn’t worried at all,” said Lemaire.

“As the inner track condition was not so good, we made bid from the outside early and turned wide to the straight, where he stretched really well.

“Hanshin’s inner course is tricky and (the) Takarazuka Kinen is a difficult race to win, even for champion horses, so I’m very happy that I was able to win the race with the number one horse in the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. I realised again how strong he is. I hope to win more big races with him in the autumn.”

Equinox was completing his fourth successive top-class success, having previously taken the Tenno Sho and Arima Kinen last year before his Sheema Classic success.

Victory gives the four-year-old automatic entry to both the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley later this year, and the Breeders’ Cup Turf. It is unlikely that Equinox will be seen by British racegoers, however.

Nick Smith, Ascot’s director of racing and public affairs, poured cold water any thoughts of the possibility he could turn up the Berkshire track.

He said: “Sadly, the Japanese do not appear that interested in coming over. It is a shame, but we will still continue to strive to attract the best international runners to Ascot.”