Speed Symboli

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Speed Symboli スピードシンボリ
Breed	Thoroughbred
Sire	Royal Challenger
Grandsire	Royal Charger
Dam	Sweet Inn
Damsire	Rising Light
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	(1963-05-05)May 5, 1963
Died	May 31, 1989(1989-05-31) (aged 26)
Country	Japan (Niikappu, Hokkaido)
Colour	Dark bay
Breeder	Symboli Bokujo
Owner	Tomohiro Wada
Racing colours
Trainer	Tomohisa Nohira, Shozo Nohira
Jockey	Yuji Nohira
Record	43: 17-5-5
Earnings	¥163,207,050
Major wins
Keisei Hai (1966) Tenno Sho (Spring) (1967) Arima Kinen (1969, 1970) Takarazuka Kinen (1970) American Jockey Club Cup (1967, 1970) Meguro Kinen (Spring) (1967, 1969) Japan Keizai Sho (1967) Argentinian Jockey Club Cup (1968) Diamond Stakes (1969)
Awards
Keishu Horse of the Year Award (1967, 1970) JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse (1967, 1970)
Honours
Japan Racing Association Hall of Fame (1990)

Speed Symboli (Japanese: スピードシンボリ, Hepburn: Supīdo Shinbori; May 5, 1963 - May 31, 1989) was a Japanese racehorse and stud horse. In the late 1960s, he won the Tenno Sho (Spring), the Takarazuka Kinen, and the Arima Kinen (twice), and in 1967 and 1970 was awarded both the Keishu Horse of the Year prize and the JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse. He was the first Japanese horse to contest the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and was inducted into the JRA Hall of Fame in 1990.

Summary

Speed Symboli was born on May 3, 1963 at Symboli Bokujo. After his maiden race in 1965, he went on to have a long competitive career, during which he became the oldest horse (at the time) to win one of the Eight Big Races, winning the Arima Kinen at eight years old. In the later years of his career, he was nicknamed the "Old Hero" (Japanese: 老雄). His main jockey throughout his career was Yuji Nohira.

The horse also went abroad for a long period of time—a rarity at the time—traveling across Europe to contest famous races such as the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the United Kingdom and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France, during the latter of which he became the first Japanese horse ever to take part. For these reasons, he was also called the era's pioneer.

Ultimately, Speed Symboli contested 43 races over the course of his career (39 in Japan and 4 abroad) and win 17 of them, earning over 160 million yen in winnings. His five consecutive attempts at the year-end grand prix race Arima Kinen were notable; he won his fourth and fifth attempts in 1969 and 1970, becoming the first horse to win consecutive Arima Kinen races.

He became a stud horse after retiring, and while he only fathered a single graded race winner in Pure Symboli, his foal Sweet Luna eventually gave birth to seven-crown winner and the first undefeated Triple Crown winner in Symboli Rudolf. He died of old age at 26 on May 31, 1989.

Racing form

Speed Symboli won 17 races, finished second five times, and third five times from 43 starts. This data is based on JBIS and netkeiba.

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt

• R indicated that it was a record time finish
• Bold races indicated that it was a part of the eight major races (八大競走)

Stud record

The data below is based on JBIS Stallion Reports.

In popular culture

An anthropomorphic version of Speed Symboli appears in Umamusume: Pretty Derby and is voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro.

Pedigree

References