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LEGENDSOF JAPANESE RACING
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Orfevre and Kenichi Ikezoe returning after the winning lap

REAL RACING ARCHIVE(documented racing history)

LEGEND · 2010s

Orfevre

オルフェーヴル

2008–THOROUGHBRED

The seventh Japanese Triple Crown winner (2011), twice second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Orfevre and Kenichi Ikezoe — Arima Kinen, 22 December 2013 — Photo: Hide4307 / CC BY-SA 4.0

02

Horse profile

Fields that could not be verified are omitted.
Sex
Colt / Horse
Coat
Chestnut
Foaled
14 May 2008
Sire
Stay Gold
Dam
Oriental Art
Damsire
Mejiro McQueen
Breeder
Shadai Farm
Owner
Sunday Racing
Trainer
Yasutoshi Ikee
Career
21 starts, 12 wins — 17 starts and 10 wins in Japan; 2 wins from 4 starts in France

03

Career overview

21
Starts
12
Wins
6
G1 wins
19
Top-three finishes

Racing career 2010–2013

04

Major victories

Grades as printed for each year’s running.

  1. 01 · 24 Apr 2011

    Satsuki Sho

    皐月賞

    GI · Tokyo · Turf 2000m · Kenichi Ikezoe · 2:00.6

  2. 02 · 29 May 2011

    Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)

    東京優駿

    GI · Tokyo · Turf 2400m · Kenichi Ikezoe · 2:30.5

  3. 03 · 23 Oct 2011

    Kikuka Sho

    菊花賞

    GI · Kyoto · Turf 3000m · Kenichi Ikezoe · 3:02.8

  4. 04 · 25 Dec 2011

    Arima Kinen

    有馬記念

    GI · Nakayama · Turf 2500m · Kenichi Ikezoe · 2:36.0

  5. 05 · 24 Jun 2012

    Takarazuka Kinen

    宝塚記念

    GI · Hanshin · Turf 2200m · Kenichi Ikezoe · 2:10.9

  6. 06 · 22 Dec 2013

    Arima Kinen

    有馬記念

    GI · Nakayama · Turf 2500m · Kenichi Ikezoe · 2:32.3

FILM

On film

Films published by the JRA official YouTube channel, shown through YouTube’s embedded player.

06

The story

In 2011 he won the Satsuki Sho, Tokyo Yushun and Kikuka Sho to become the seventh Triple Crown winner, added the Arima Kinen, and was Horse of the Year.

He ran second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in both 2012 and 2013, and ended his career by winning the 2013 Arima Kinen. Hall of Fame, 2015.

07

Career timeline

Race records are taken from the “Racing record” tables of each horse’s Japanese Wikipedia article (which cite netkeiba.com and JBIS-Search) and cross-checked against the career start count. Grades are shown as printed for that year’s running — current grades are never applied retroactively. “R” marks a record time at the time.

2010

  1. 14 AugNewcomer raceNiigata · Turf 1600m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st1:37.4
  2. 03 OctFuyo StakesOPNakayama · Turf 1600m · Kenichi Ikezoe2nd1:35.3
  3. 13 NovKeio Hai Nisai StakesGIITokyo · Turf 1400m · Kenichi Ikezoe10th1:22.6

2011

  1. 09 JanShinzan KinenGIIIKyoto · Turf 1600m · Kenichi Ikezoe2nd1:34.2
  2. 06 FebKisaragi ShoGIIIKyoto · Turf 1800m · Kenichi Ikezoe3rd1:47.8
  3. 26 MarSpring StakesGIIHanshin · Turf 1800m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st1:46.4
  4. 24 AprSatsuki ShoGITokyo · Turf 2000m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st2:00.6
  5. 29 MayTokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby)GITokyo · Turf 2400m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st2:30.5
  6. 25 SepKobe Shimbun HaiGIIHanshin · Turf 2400m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st2:28.3
  7. 23 OctKikuka ShoGIKyoto · Turf 3000m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st3:02.8
  8. 25 DecArima KinenGINakayama · Turf 2500m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st2:36.0

2012

  1. 18 MarHanshin DaishotenGIIHanshin · Turf 3000m · Kenichi Ikezoe2nd3:11.9
  2. 29 AprTenno Sho (Spring)GIKyoto · Turf 3200m · Kenichi Ikezoe11th3:15.6
  3. 24 JunTakarazuka KinenGIHanshin · Turf 2200m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st2:10.9
  4. 16 SepPrix FoyG2Longchamp · Turf 2400m · Christophe Soumillon1st2:34.2
  5. 07 OctPrix de l'Arc de TriompheG1Longchamp · Turf 2400m · Christophe Soumillon2nd
  6. 25 NovJapan CupGITokyo · Turf 2400m · Kenichi Ikezoe2nd2:23.1

2013

  1. 31 MarSankei Osaka HaiGIIHanshin · Turf 2000m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st1:59.0
  2. 15 SepPrix FoyG2Longchamp · Turf 2400m · Christophe Soumillon1st2:41.4
  3. 06 OctPrix de l'Arc de TriompheG1Longchamp · Turf 2400m · Christophe Soumillon2nd
  4. 22 DecArima KinenGINakayama · Turf 2500m · Kenichi Ikezoe1st2:32.3

08

Pedigree

Source: the pedigree table in Japanese Wikipedia, which cites JBIS-Search.

Horse

Parents

Grandparents

Great-grandparents

Stay Goldステイゴールド1994
Oriental Artオリエンタルアート1997
Sunday Silenceサンデーサイレンス1986
ゴールデンサッシュ1988
エレクトロアート1986
Halo
Wishing Well
Dictus
ダイナサッシュ
メジロティターン
メジロオーロラ
Northern Taste
Grandma Stevens

Sire lineDam lineIn this archive (linked)Family 8号族

09 — MAJOR RACES

Great races contested

10 — JOCKEYS

Riders

  • Kenichi Ikezoe17 rides · 10 wins · G1 6
  • Christophe Soumillon4 rides · 2 wins

11 — RIVALS

Grade 1 opponents

  • ウインバリアシオンTokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) 2011 · Kikuka Sho 2011 · Arima Kinen 2013
  • サダムパテックSatsuki Sho 2011
  • エイシンフラッシュArima Kinen 2011
  • ビートブラックTenno Sho (Spring) 2012
  • ルーラーシップTakarazuka Kinen 2012
  • ジェンティルドンナJapan Cup 2012

Recorded as the winner (in defeat) or runner-up (in victory). Names as recorded in Japanese.

12

Gallery

13

Legacy

  1. 2011Japanese Triple Crown
  2. 2011Japanese Horse of the Year
  3. 2015JRA Hall of Fame

14 — CULTURAL CROSS REFERENCE

From racing history
to popular culture

Where the record meets the culture it inspired.

  1. REAL RACING ARCHIVE(documented racing history)

    Orfevre

    オルフェーヴル

    2008– · 6 G1 wins

    A real racehorse. The records, pedigree and honours on this page are documented facts with sources.

  2. FICTION / POP CULTURE REFERENCE(a reference to a work of fiction)

    UMA MUSUME: PRETTY DERBY — A GAME

    オルフェーヴル

    The game “Umamusume: Pretty Derby” features a character who bears the name of this racehorse. The character is fictional; details of the game’s story are not part of the horse’s documented history.

    Official character list ↗

This site is not affiliated with the game’s rights holders. Character artwork is not shown because permission has not been confirmed. Sources: Wikipedia / Cygames

SOURCES & REFERENCES

Sources & References

Race records are taken from the “Racing record” tables of each horse’s Japanese Wikipedia article (which cite netkeiba.com and JBIS-Search) and cross-checked against the career start count. Grades are shown as printed for that year’s running — current grades are never applied retroactively.

  1. 01
    オルフェーヴル — Wikipedia（日本語版）

    Wikipedia · Reference · Accessed 2026-09-26

  2. 02
    Orfevre — Wikipedia (English)

    Wikipedia · Reference · Accessed 2026-09-26

  3. 03
    オルフェーヴル｜JBISサーチ

    公益社団法人 日本軽種馬協会（JBIS-Search） · Racing record · Accessed 2026-09-26

  4. 04
    オルフェーヴル：名馬の殿堂（顕彰馬）｜JRA

    日本中央競馬会（JRA） · Official · Accessed 2026-09-26

  5. 05
    ウマ娘 プリティーダービーの登場キャラクター — Wikipedia（日本語版, revision 111119000）

    Wikipedia · Reference · Accessed 2026-09-26

  6. 06
    CHARACTER｜ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 公式ポータルサイト

    Cygames · Official · Accessed 2026-09-26

IMAGE CREDITS

Image credits

Each photograph was checked on its individual Wikimedia Commons file page for author and licence.