Japanese horse Equinox is set to retire after winning a record sixth straight Grade 1 race in last weekend's Japan Cup, owner Silk Racing Co. said Thursday.

Rated the No. 1 racehorse in the world, the four-year-old is an eight-time winner in 10 career starts and has produced a Japan record 2.2 billion yen ($15 million) in winnings.

Equinox wins the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 26, 2023. (Kyodo)

He won his maiden start in August 2021 followed by winning his debut stakes race three months later.

After finishing runner-up in two legs of Japan's Triple Crown in 2022, Equinox then rolled to victory in six straight major races, including this year's 2,410-meter Dubai Sheema Classic in the United Arab Emirates.

With French jockey Christophe Lemaire aboard, the Tetsuya Kimura-trained Equinox powered home to win by four lengths over second-favorite Liberty Island in the 2,400-meter Japan Cup on Sunday.

Jockey Christophe Lemaire waves after riding Equinox to victory at the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse on Nov. 26, 2023. (Kyodo)

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