Rulership (

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

: ルーラーシップ, foaled May 15, 2007) is a retired Japanese

Thoroughbred racehorse The Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed for horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered " ...

and stallion best known for his victories in the 2012

Queen Elizabeth II Cup The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race at Sha Tin Racecourse in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1975 by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, it is run annually in April over a distance of 2,000 metres (te ...

American Jockey Club Cup The American Jockey Club Cup (Japanese アメリカジョッキークラブカップ) is a Grade 2 horse race in Japan for Thoroughbred colts and fillies aged four and over. It is run over a distance of 2,200 metres at Nakayama Racecourse. This r ...

, 2010 Naruo Kinen, 2011

Nikkei Shinshun Hai The Nikkei Shinshun Hai (Japanese 日経新春杯) is a Grade 2 flat horse race in Japan for Thoroughbreds of at least four years of age. It is a handicap race run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Kyoto Racecourse in January. The Nikkei Shin ...

, and

Kinko Sho The Kinko Sho (Japanese 金鯱賞) is a Japanese Grade 2 horse race for Thoroughbreds aged four and over. It is run in March over a distance of 2000 metres at Chukyo Racecourse, in Toyoake, Aichi, Japan. It was first run in 1965 and was promot ...

. His name translates to "Position of Ruler, Authority of Governance."

Racing career

Before debut

Rulership was born to the legendary mare

Air Groove Air Groove (in Japanese: エアグルーヴ, foaled April 6th, 1993 ~ April 23rd, 2013) was a Japanese racehorse, who won the 1996 Yushun Himba, and broodmare. Career Air Groove's first race was on October 29, 1995, at the Icho Stakes, where s ...

, by

Tony Bin Tony Bin (1983–2000) was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in Europe for his Italian owner from a base in Milan and became a leading sire in Japan. Background Bred by Pat O'Callaghan, Tony Bin was foaled on 7 April 1983. He ...

, who won the 1996

Yushun Himba The , also known as the is a Japanese Conditions races, Grade 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race for three-year-old thoroughbred Filly, fillies run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately 1 mile 4 furlongs) at the Tokyo Racecours ...

(Japanese Oaks) and 1997

Tenno Sho The is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade 1 races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Gr ...

(Autumn), earning her the 1997

Japanese Horse of the Year The Japanese Horse of the Year is the highest honor given to the most outstanding horse in Japanese thoroughbred horse racing. It is awarded annually by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Since 1987 the honor has been part of the JRA Awards. This ...

title. As a

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

, her first

foal A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt (horse), colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. Whe ...

was

Admire Groove Admire Groove (in Japanese: アドマイヤグルーヴ, foaled April 30, 2000) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse, broodmare and the winner of the 2003 and 2004 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Career Admire Groove's first race was on November 10, 20 ...

, by

Sunday Silence Sunday Silence (March 25, 1986 – August 19, 2002) was an United States, American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. In 1989, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but failed to complete the Triple Cr ...

, winner of the

. Rulership, her second foal, sired by King Kamehameha, the 2004

Tōkyō Yūshun The , also called the is a Conditions races, Grade 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately 1 mile 4 fur ...

(Japanese Derby) winner, was highly anticipated due to his elite bloodline. Owned by Sunday Racing Co., Ltd., he was syndicated for ¥180 million (¥4.5 million × 40 shares). At nine months old, he weighed 470 kg. He began training at Northern Farm in August 2008 but developed swelling in his right hind hock in February 2009.

2009: two-year-old season

Rulership debuted on December 27, 2009, in a 2-year-old

maiden race In horse racing, a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...

Hanshin Racecourse is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After World War II, GHQ orde ...

over 2000 meters of turf under jockey

Yasunari Iwata (born March 12, 1974; from Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese jockey who rode the winner of the 2006 Melbourne Cup, Delta Blues. It was Iwata's first race outside Japan. He debuted in the Hyōgo Keiba, one of the racing organizations in N ...

. Starting as the favorite, he won by three and a half lengths over the runner-up.

2010: three-year-old season

He opened 2010 as the favorite in the Wakagoma Stakes on January 23. Despite a troubled stretch run, he lost by one and a half lengths to Hiruno d'Amour, finishing second. Planned starts in the Saintpaulia Sho and Sumire Stakes were canceled due to fever and phlegmon, respectively. He instead contested the Armeria Sho on March 7 as the favorite. Despite interference from Tamuro Sky, who veered inward in the stretch, he rallied to win by one and a half lengths. In the Mainichi Hai, a poor start and a neighboring horse’s breakdown led to a fifth place finish behind Danon Chantilly, dashing his Satsuki Shō (Japanese 2000 Guineas) aspirations. After a brief break, he returned in the Principal Stakes on May 8 with jockey

Norihiro Yokoyama Norihiro Yokoyama (; Born February 23, 1968) is a Japanese jockey. As of May 2024, he is the oldest jockey in Japan to win a Group One, Grade I race. Background Norihiro was born in a family heavily involved in horse racing, with his father, b ...

, substituting for Iwata. Closing with a field-fastest final 600m in 33.7 seconds, he won by four lengths, earning a Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) entry. In the Tokyo Yushun, ridden by Hirofumi Shii, he tracked mid-pack in a good position but lost momentum after being cut off in front by Gestalt, finishing fifth behind Eishin Flash. He returned to race in the Naruo Kinen on December 25 under Iwata, defeating Hiruno d'Amour by half a length for his first

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

win. He concluded the year with a 6th-place finish in the

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Conditions races, Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds three-years-old and above and the world's largest betting horserace. It is run in late December each year, over ...

under

Christophe Lemaire Christophe Patrice Lemaire (Japanese:, born 20 May 1979) is a French-born jockey. He has enjoyed much of his success on the Japanese flat racing circuit, with the most wins at Japan Racing Association racetracks for five consecutive years sin ...

2011: four-year-old season

Rulership’s 2011 campaign began with the

on January 16, ridden by

Umberto Rispoli Umberto Rispoli (born 31 August 1988) is an Italian horse racing jockey. In 2025, he became the first jockey from Italy to win an Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown race when he rode the winning horse in th ...

. Despite initial plans to skip the race, he dominated as the second favorite, defeating

Rose Kingdom Rose Kingdom (, foaled 10 May 2007) is a Japanese Thoroughbred former racehorse and retired sire (horse), sire. In a racing career which lasted from 2009 until 2013 he won six of his twenty-five races. As a two-year-old in 2009 he was undefeated ...

and Hiruno d'Amour by two lengths for his second group title. In the

Dubai Sheema Classic The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track a ...

with

Christophe Soumillon Christophe Soumillon (born 4 June 1981) is a Belgian jockey based in France. Career Coming from a racing background, Soumillon is the son of jump jockey Jean-Marc Soumillon. He rode in pony races and left Belgium aged fifteen to go to the racin ...

, he broke off to a good start positioned up front early but faded to 6th in the final straight. Returning to Japan, he won the

on May 28 under

Yuichi Fukunaga is a Japanese horse trainer and former jockey who has won 29 Grade 1 races in Japan and abroad. He is affiliated with the Japan Racing Association (JRA) in Rittō. His father is former jockey who was said to be a "genius" during his active care ...

, overcoming a slow start to catch Captain Thule in the stretch. In the

Takarazuka Kinen The Takarazuka Kinen (宝塚記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan for Thoroughbreds aged three and over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately miles) at Hanshin Racecourse (阪神競馬場) in late June. It is one of the two "All-Sta ...

on June 26, ridden by Norihiro Yokoyama, he started as the second favorite. In the race, he closed from the rear but lacked his usual acceleration, finishing 5th. Skipping the Tenno Sho (Autumn) due to hoof issues, he ended the year with a 4th-place finish in the

under

Ioritz Mendizabal Ioritz Mendizabal (born 5 May 1974 in Oiartzun) is a Spanish Basque people, Basque flat racing jockey, who is long-term based in France. He won his first race in 1990 and joined the stable of Jean-Claude Rouget the following year. Mendizabal is ...

, clocking the fastest final 600m in 33.2 seconds.

2012: five-year-old season

Rulership started his five-year-old season in the

on January 22 under Yuichi Fukunaga. Rallying from the rear, he won by three lengths over Nakayama Knight for his fourth graded stakes title. In the Nikkei Sho on March 24, he finished 3rd behind Neko Punch, who led wire-to-wire. On April 29, he triumphed in the

Sha Tin Racecourse Sha Tin Racecourse is one of the two racecourses for horse racing in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin District, Sha Tin in the New Territories. It is managed by Hong Kong Jockey Club. Penfold Park is encircled by the track, and the Ho ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. Tracking third early, he drew clear in the stretch to win by 3.75 lengths over Thumbs Up, securing his first group one title. The race featured elite rivals, including

Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen The Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen is a Group 2 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Cologne over a distance of 1,600 metres (about 1 mile), every year in May. It ...

(German 2000 Guineas) winner

Irian New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australi ...

and

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a dista ...

winner

Treasure Beach Treasure Beach is the name given to a stretch of five Jamaican coves and their associated settlements: Ft Charles, Billy's Bay, Frenchman's Bay, Calabash Bay and Great (Pedro) Bay. Treasure Beach is known as the home of Community Tourism and is ...

, who was trained by

Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...

. His strong performance was praised not only in Hong Kong but also in Europe. In the Takarazuka Kinen on June 24 under Craig Williams, he closed from mid-pack but lost by two lengths to

Orfevre Orfevre (, foaled May 14, 2008) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active breeding stallion. In 2011 he won the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing#Japan, Japanese Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. In 2012 he ad ...

. In the Tenno Sho (Autumn) on October 28, he rallied with a field-fastest final 600m (33.1 seconds) but finished 3rd behind Eishin Flash. In the

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

on November 25, despite a slow start and a blistering final 600m (32.7 seconds), he finished 3rd behind

Gentildonna is a retired Japanese thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In 2012 she won the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. She was also the first three-year-old filly to win the Japan Cup, in 2012, and the following ...

and Orfevre. His final start, the Arima Kinen on December 23, was marred by a 10-length delay at the gate after he stood up in the gate. Rallying from last, he managed to catch up with the pack, finishing 3rd behind

Gold Ship Gold Ship (, foaled 6 March 2009) is a Japanese Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any br ...

and Ocean Blue. This was his third consecutive third-place finish. Rulership retired on December 26, 2012, to stud at

Shadai Stallion Station is a thoroughbred breeding facility located in Abira on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. The farm was begun in the late 1970s to early 1980s by the late Zenya Yoshida, and is now run jointly by his sons (Katsumi, Haruya, and Teruya Yoshida), know ...

Racing statistics

Below data is based on data available on JBIS Search, NetKeiba, and

Hong Kong Jockey Club The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) was founded in 1884 and is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong. In 1960, it was granted a royal charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name in 19 ...

. ''Legend:''

Stud record

His first crop in 2013 included 208 mares. Notable progeny include Ibuki who was his first winner in 2016 and Kiseki who won the 2017

Kikuka-shō The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run over a distance of 3,000 metres (approximately 1 7/8 miles) at the Kyoto Racecourse, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture in October ...

, his first group one winner. He ranked 12th in 2017, 8th in 2018, and 5th in 2019 on the JRA Leading Sire list.

Notable progeny

Below data is based on JBIS Stallion Reports. ''c = colt, f =

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States ...

''
''bold = grade 1 stakes'' File:Kiseki_Kikuka_Syo_2017(IMG1).jpg, Kiseki File:Mer_de_Glace(JPN)_IMG_1134-1_20190601.jpg, Mer de Glace File:Soul_Rush_Yomiuri_Milers_Cup_2022(IMG1).jpg, Soul Rush File:Dolce_More_Asahi_Hai_Futurity_Stakes_2022(IMG1).jpg, Dolce More

Pedigree

* His dam Air Groove won the 1996

and 1997

(Autumn). Granddam Dyna Carle also won the Yushun Himba. * His half-sister Admire Groove by Sunday Silence won the 2003

. * His half-brother Forgettable by Dance in the Dark won the 2009 Stayers Stakes and the 2010 Diamond Stakes. * His half-sister Gullveig by Deep Impact won the 2012

Mermaid Stakes The Mermaid Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. An important event for three-year-old fillies, the race was run on dirt over a distance of one mile and one furlong u ...

References

{{Reflist Racehorses trained in Japan Racehorses bred in Japan Thoroughbred racehorses 2007 racehorse births Thoroughbred family 8-f