Orfevre retires in style with Arima Kinen tour de force

Orfevre recorded the best performance of his career in his racing finale (Tomoya Moriuchi/Horsephotos.com) A crowd of 124,000 braved the wintry weather to witness 2011 Japanese Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner Orfevre’s last hurrah in Sunday’s Grade 1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama Racecourse, and the strapping chestnut gave his loyal legion of followers a performance to remember. Settling near the back of the field off the rail through the early stages of the 2,500-meter event while an honest tempo played out up front, Orfevre switched gears coming off the final turn. Then, with one devastating move, the five-year-old son of Stay Gold turned the race into a procession. Sweeping to the lead in a matter of strides while still under a hold from jockey Kenichi Ikezoe, Orfevre swung into the stretch about three wide and three lengths clear, distancing himself with every stride and hitting the wire eight lengths the best. It was the sixth Grade 1 victory and the second in this prestigious affair for the gleaming chestnut, who recorded the second-largest winning margin in the history of the Arima Kinen, second only to Symboli Kris S’s nine-length tour-de-force in 2003. According to Equineline stats, Orfevre bows out with earnings of $19,005,480, making him the richest racehorse in history. Fellow Japanese runners Buena Vista ($17,018,548) and T. M. Opera O ($16,200,337), sit second and third, respectively. “I tried to focus on how to settle the horse and to keep him in good rhythm, instead of where to position him or anything about the other horses,” said Ikezoe, who was earning his third Arima Kinen triumph. “He was a bit keen to go, but I kept him reserved behind Gold Ship hoping he would stay settled.

“It might have been a bit
earlier to make our bid than usual, but he responded so well, I was confident making the last turn
that no one would ever be able to catch him. He is definitely the strongest horse in the
world.”

It took a young Orfevre four tries to break through in
graded company, but once he accomplished that feat in the Grade 2 Fuji TV Sho in March of
his three-year-old career he was almost unstoppable, taking down four Grade 1s including the
Triple Crown and wrapping up his season with a victory in the Arima Kinen against his
elders.

His sophomore exploits earned him Japanese Horse of the Year and champion
three-year-old honors, and
it was with great anticipation that the horse who lifted the spirits of his country
following the devastating earthquake of 2011 returned to the races at
four.

Orfevre’s career thereafter was defined as much by his
quirkiness as his brilliance, a streak that began to unravel in his
seasonal debut in the Grade 2 Hanshin Daishoten last year, when he bolted to the
outside rail approaching the final turn, dropping back to last
before re-rallying to finish second. A flat 11th in the Grade 1 Tenno Sho
Spring thereafter, Orfevre rebounded to take the Grade 1 Takarazuka
Kinen in June before setting off on his maiden voyage to France,
with an eye to becoming the first Japanese horse to take the Group 1
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

All appeared to be going to plan with a
smooth victory in Longchamp’s local prep, the Group 2 Prix Foy, and a
deep stretch lead in the main event three weeks later, until Orfevre veered sharply, hitting
the rail and allowing the four-year-old filly Solemia to collar him on the line. Orfevre returned to Japan to close out his campaign with a controversial nose defeat by Triple
Tiara winner and subsequent Horse of the Year Gentildonna in the Grade 1 Japan Cup, and was nearly retired but for the pleadings
of trainer Yasutoshi Ikee.

It was decided that Orfevre would race on, with revenge in France
the target, and the five-year-old appeared in good order with a first-up victory in the Grade 2
Sankei Osaka Hai on March 31. He set his sights on the June 23 Takarazuka Kinen, but was
withdrawn after bleeding during a work nine days out from the race.

Partnered once again with Christophe Soumillon for his French engagements, Orfevre scored an eye-catching repeat victory in the Prix
Foy, and appeared poised to put his Arc horrors of last year behind him.
However, a super filly called Treve had other plans, handing the chestnut a five-length beating and dashing
Japan’s hopes for Arc glory for another year.

This year, connections opted to forgo the Japan Cup
in favor of a second Arima Kinen bid, a decision that likely paid dividends, as the champion
delivered the most devastating performance of his career.

A retirement ceremony was held
for Orfevre at the conclusion of the racecard, and 60,000 held sway in the cold and darkness
to bid farewell to one of Japan’s all-time greats.

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