Emotional Lemaire hopes world's best Equinox can show his talent one more time
LIKE racing fans around the globe, Equinox’s partner in brilliance Christophe Lemaire is hoping the world’s best racehorse will have one more chance to show his talent.
Equinox pulverised a class field in Sunday’s Japan Cup in Tokyo, leaving Lemaire in tears and supporters of horse racing wondering if the son of Kitasan Black might even be better than Frankel, for many the all-time ultimate equine beast.
It’s possible Equinox will now be retired, but Lemaire told me: "Hopefully Equinox will run again.
"We don’t know his schedule, but if he goes to the Arima Kinen (at Nakayama on December 24) I’m looking forward to riding him again even if the pressure is on my shoulders to give him the best ride once again.
"All the racing fans can witness the beauty of the horse.”
Lemaire was keen to emphasise the “elegance and fluidity’ of Equinox, who sauntered home at the weekend by four lengths from the Japanese Oaks heroine Liberty Island who was getting plenty of weight.
The effort left Lemaire speechless in some ways, but then he got in full flow, and told me: "The race went very well for us. Equinox took a very good start and I sat in third position behind the lead horses.
"He travelled perfectly, very relaxed and he knows his job very well. He was in a good rhythm.
“Panthalassa, who ran away, was very quick in front - 57s for 1000m (a furlong) but I was 2-3s behind which means we were going a good pace but that speed is quite normal for Japanese races at this level.
“Equinox was able to pick up very well. Coming to the stretch I just had to take him to the outside to make him move and his stride was once again very effective with elegance and fluidity and I think everybody could see he was a different sort of horse.
“I got very emotional coming back in front of the stand coming back because the crowd, I felt, realised what they had witnessed was quite exceptional.
“I love this sport so much. I love horses so much and in that moment I felt really privileged to be on the back of such a good horse.”
Lemaire has ridden many top class horses, most notable Almond Eye, a Japanese Triple Crown victor in 2018 and a world record holder on turf.
Lemaire continued: "I think it was a performance that everybody on the track and watching television will remember. As an experienced jockey I felt blessed to ride such a horse.
“I have said Almond Eye was nearly the perfect horse, but Equinox is also near perfection. His combination of speed and stamina and power is just unbelievable.
“In a way I find myself speechless to describe Equinox, but it is a real pleasure to be on board and the way he settles makes it very easy to ride him."
Bookmakers have made a huge mistake reacting negatively to Galopin Des Champs's defeat at Punchestown yesterday - I’d actually have taken a positive view!
Stamina was key to the Willie Mullins-trained gelding's success in this year‘s Cheltenham Gold Cup. Yet stamina was the one thing Galopin Des Champs did not need in the John Durkan Memorial over an extended two miles and three furlongs.
On ground that was far from bottomless they ran a time 25s below standard, which just shows what a sprint the finish turned into off a pedestrian early pace.
Indeed, considering how poor his jumping was, as he was clearly taken out of his comfort zone, you could argue Paul Townend's mount ran an absolute belter in defeat.
That's to take nothing away from the winner, Fastorslow, who clearly stays further himself.
But in the circumstances, I thought Mullins would have been as delighted as Mullins could ever be with a loss for one of his horses.
I find it astonishing that bookmakers have pushed Galopin Des Champs out to 3-1 from 15-8 for another Gold Cup success and wouldn't put anyone off taking that price.
Quite simply, there are very few realistic Gold Cup winners in the anti-post lists, and Galopin des Champs has been there and done it. He's the one beat if he lines up on the day.
In other punting news, it's the Christmas highlight, but punters face a huge dilemma over the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day with question marks over all the leading contenders.
The current ante-post favourite is defending champion Bravemansgame, who has now been stuffed twice this season after his defeat to the battling Royale Pagaille in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.
The Willie Mullins-handled Allaho, who shares the second spot in the markets with Shishkin, must not bounce after his facile victory following a long lay-off at Clonmel the other day, while Nicky Henderson’s star refused to race at Ascot!
Throw in L’Homme Presse, who might not be ready to go after a delayed start to his campaign, and Gerri Colombe, who Gordon Elliott tells me is unlikely to run, then you suddenly open up a right conundrum.
Come the day I’ll be stunned if there isn’t at least one big priced animal slipping into the frame, and at the moment I’m having a close think about The Real Whacker.
The recent Cheltenham disappointment is a 25-1 chance with Sam Twistor-Davies primed for the mount, and it’s not difficult to forgive him a flop in the Paddy Power Gold Cup over a trip that was always going to test his speed.
It wasn’t just the distance that was against The Real Whacker either. Remember it’s on record The Real Whacker struck into himself on his right fore and was also lame on that leg.
All in all, the event was a disaster for a horse who had looked special when landing the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival.
Considering the iffy nature of many of his rivals, there is every chance The Real Whacker is over priced right now at his huge odds.
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