Shinzan


Shinzan was a thoroughbred racehorse that won the Japanese Triple Crown.

Background

Shinzan was a bay horse bred by Yoshimatsu Matsuhashi. He was sired by Irish Derby winner Hindostan. His dam, Hayanobori was a great-granddaughter of the Irish mare Beautiful Dreamer who was imported to Japan in the 1930s and became extremely influential: her other descendants included the Japanese classic winners Kazuyoshi, Jitsu Homare, Hakuryo and Meiji Hikari. Shinzan was foaled on April 2, 1961, in the Hokkaidō Prefecture.

Racing career

Shinzan was generally considered to be the best Japanese racehorse of the post-war era and became the first horse to win all 5 big titles of Japan including the Japanese Triple Crown.
He became the second horse to win the Japanese Triple Crown and was named Japanese Horse of the Year in 1964. Shinzan won the Arima Kinen, Takarazuka Kinen and Tenno Sho as a four-year-old, defending his Horse of the Year title.

Stud record

Shinzan was a successful sire in Japan. His most successful offspring was Miho Shinzan who won the Japanese 2,000 Guineas, Japanese St. Leger, and the Tenno Sho.
Pensioned form stud duties in 1987, Shinzan spent the rest of life at Tanikawa Stud. He lost the sight in his right eye in his later years and also lost all of his teeth. Eventually, he could not stand by himself at times, and his physical weakening became more prominent after February, 1994. He died of old age at about 2:00 a.m. on July 13, 1996. He was 35 years, three months and 11 days old. He is the longest-lived thoroughbred horse ever recorded in Japan.
A funeral service was held posthumously. Shinzan's grave is located in the Tanikawa Stud of Urakawacho, Urakawa-gun, Hokkaido, and a bronze statue of Shinzan was built in this stud.

Principal Race Wins

Satsuki Sho, Tokyo Yushun, Kikuka Sho, Tenno Sho, Arima Kinen was 5 of the 8 major races in Japan, before the introduction of Grade in 1984 which categorized all as GI in 1984. Also, before 1981, a horse can only win Tenno Sho once in their career.

Awards