Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Champions come and go, but the legacy of Orfevre is forever etched in the history of horse racing. When I first thought about how to introduce this horse, it seemed easy. I could simply talk about the image everyone knows — the “Golden Tyrant.” The outrageously powerful Triple Crown champion who dominated his rivals with almost absurd brilliance
But when I actually began writing this video, I changed my approach. No single angle is enough to capture the true charm of this horse
Not his strength,
Not his achievements,
Not even the legend surrounding him,
None of them alone can fully convey the emotions he brought,
From an analytic perspective, I have never seen another horse like him. And the more I learned about horse racing, the stronger my appreciation for him became
The way he raced was almost outrageously brutal, overwhelming, explosive, almost tyrannical in nature. His sectional times sometimes felt borderline fictional. Even today, many fans can’t help wondering how much more this horse might have achieved if things had been just slightly different:
What might have happened if he had truly been given a chance to race on dirt? What if his racing strategy was less about controlling but more about allowing him to run freely the way he did in his final race?
At the end, it's believed he had just reached his physical prime at his final race. And after Longchamp was renovated after 2016, he probably could easily win the Arc nowadays given the current version of the Arc
And yet his story is something far deeper than raw dominance
In the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake, he ended a losing streak and surged forward to claim the Japanese Triple Crown, becoming a symbol of hope for countless people. At a time when the sport itself was struggling to capture public attention, he carried Japan’s long-held dream across the world — challenging the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe not once, but twice, pushing Japanese racing closer to that elusive victory than ever before. And in the end, the mission he could not complete himself… he entrusted to the future
In this video, I used references to King Arthur to tell his story.
And in many ways, the comparison feels strangely fitting.
A king of immense power
A figure shaped by myth and destiny
A legend defined by both triumph, and tragedy
This is why, if anyone ask you about this horse, instead of saying he’s a golden tyrant, tell them:
Once upon a time, there’s a horse called Orfevre, but only once
If there is one thing I regret not being able to fully include, it would be the bond between him, his jockey, and his trainer.
At first, I wanted to portray something similar to the story of TM Opera O and Ryuji Wada—a partnership built on trust and shared destiny.
For Ikezoe, he was part of many of Orfevre’s defeats. At times, fans even called for him to be replaced. So even though this is the longest video I’ve ever made, I know there are still many things I couldn’t fully capture. But at the end I chose to cut this part of storyline out
Unlike Wada, who had already reached a natural turning point in his career, both Kenichi Ikezoe and Yasutoshi Ikee are still active. Still racing. Still training. Still chasing something. And right now, both of them are struggling
I could have framed Orfevre as the once-in-a-lifetime horse who carried them to the height of their careers. But I chose not to. Because their story isn’t over yet
I want to see where they go from here.
Many people know this small detail: whenever Ikezoe goes to visit Orfevre, he has a habit of getting kicked. Maybe that’s Orfevre saying:
“Hurry up and win another G1 then come see me.”
0:00 The Wild Heir
7:55 The Crown Claimed
18:11 The Tyrant Ascends
23:59 The Empire Expands
37:39 Throne Trembles
43:20 Echo in Heaven
46:59 The Eternal Gold
Champions come and go, but the legacy of Orfevre is forever etched in the history of horse racing. When I first thought about how to introduce this horse, it seemed easy. I could simply talk about the image everyone knows — the “Golden Tyrant.” The outrageously powerful Triple Crown champion who dominated his rivals with almost absurd brilliance
But when I actually began writing this video, I changed my approach. No single angle is enough to capture the true charm of this horse
Not his strength,
Not his achievements,
Not even the legend surrounding him,
None of them alone can fully convey the emotions he brought,
From an analytic perspective, I have never seen another horse like him. And the more I learned about horse racing, the stronger my appreciation for him became
The way he raced was almost outrageously brutal, overwhelming, explosive, almost tyrannical in nature. His sectional times sometimes felt borderline fictional. Even today, many fans can’t help wondering how much more this horse might have achieved if things had been just slightly different:
What might have happened if he had truly been given a chance to race on dirt? What if his racing strategy was less about controlling but more about allowing him to run freely the way he did in his final race?
At the end, it's believed he had just reached his physical prime at his final race. And after Longchamp was renovated after 2016, he probably could easily win the Arc nowadays given the current version of the Arc
And yet his story is something far deeper than raw dominance
In the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake, he ended a losing streak and surged forward to claim the Japanese Triple Crown, becoming a symbol of hope for countless people. At a time when the sport itself was struggling to capture public attention, he carried Japan’s long-held dream across the world — challenging the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe not once, but twice, pushing Japanese racing closer to that elusive victory than ever before. And in the end, the mission he could not complete himself… he entrusted to the future
In this video, I used references to King Arthur to tell his story.
And in many ways, the comparison feels strangely fitting.
A king of immense power
A figure shaped by myth and destiny
A legend defined by both triumph, and tragedy
This is why, if anyone ask you about this horse, instead of saying he’s a golden tyrant, tell them:
Once upon a time, there’s a horse called Orfevre, but only once
If there is one thing I regret not being able to fully include, it would be the bond between him, his jockey, and his trainer.
At first, I wanted to portray something similar to the story of TM Opera O and Ryuji Wada—a partnership built on trust and shared destiny.
For Ikezoe, he was part of many of Orfevre’s defeats. At times, fans even called for him to be replaced. So even though this is the longest video I’ve ever made, I know there are still many things I couldn’t fully capture. But at the end I chose to cut this part of storyline out
Unlike Wada, who had already reached a natural turning point in his career, both Kenichi Ikezoe and Yasutoshi Ikee are still active. Still racing. Still training. Still chasing something. And right now, both of them are struggling
I could have framed Orfevre as the once-in-a-lifetime horse who carried them to the height of their careers. But I chose not to. Because their story isn’t over yet
I want to see where they go from here.
Many people know this small detail: whenever Ikezoe goes to visit Orfevre, he has a habit of getting kicked. Maybe that’s Orfevre saying:
“Hurry up and win another G1 then come see me.”
0:00 The Wild Heir
7:55 The Crown Claimed
18:11 The Tyrant Ascends
23:59 The Empire Expands
37:39 Throne Trembles
43:20 Echo in Heaven
46:59 The Eternal Gold
