Ecoro Duel (Japanese: エコロデュエル, Ecoro Duel; foaled 4 May 2019) is a Japanese Thoroughbred steeplechase racehorse. He has competed since 2022, recording seven wins from twenty-six starts, including the Nakayama Grand Jump (J-GI) in 2025 and 2026, the Nakayama Daishogai (J-GI) in 2025, and the Kyoto Jump Stakes (J-GIII) in 2023. He is the third horse in JRA history to win three J-GI steeplechase races. He was named Best Steeplechase Horse at the 2025 JRA Awards. His racing name combines "Ecoro," the owner's prefix, with "Duel" (決闘).
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Background
Ecoro Duel is a dark bay colt bred in Hidaka, Hokkaido, by Shimokobe Farm. He was sired by Kitasan Black, a son of Black Tide, and his dam was Clarinet, an American-bred mare by Giant's Causeway. He is owned by Masanori Hara and was initially trained by Makoto Saito at the Miho Training Center before being transferred to Takaki Iwato.
Racing career
2022: three-year-old season
Ecoro Duel debuted on 23 January 2022 in a maiden race on the turf at Kokura Racecourse, finishing seventh. He finished unplaced in three subsequent maiden races before winning his fifth start at Tokyo Racecourse on 5 June. He did not win again on the flat, finishing the season with one win from ten starts.
2023: four-year-old season
Ecoro Duel was switched to steeplechase racing in May 2023. He finished seventh in his first jump race at Niigata Racecourse on 7 May, then won a jump maiden race at Kyoto Racecourse on 28 May by 2.2 seconds. He won a jump open race at Chukyo Racecourse on 22 July. He finished tenth in the Hanshin Jump Stakes (J-GIII) on 16 September. On 11 November, he won the Kyoto Jump Stakes (J-GIII) at Kyoto, defeating Asakusa Genki by 0.1 seconds. He finished third in the Nakayama Daishogai (J-GI) on 23 December.
2024: five-year-old season
Ecoro Duel finished second in the Hanshin Spring Jump (J-GII) on 9 March and fourth in the Nakayama Grand Jump (J-GI) on 13 April. He finished second in the Tokyo High Jump (J-GII) on 13 October and second in the Nakayama Daishogai (J-GI) on 21 December.
2025: six-year-old season
Ecoro Duel finished fourth in the Hanshin Spring Jump (J-GII) on 15 March. On 19 April, he won the Nakayama Grand Jump (J-GI) at Nakayama Racecourse in a race-record time of 4:50.5, recording his first J-GI victory. After a break, he finished second in the Tokyo High Jump (J-GII) on 19 October. On 27 December, he won the Nakayama Daishogai (J-GI) at Nakayama as the 1.5 favourite, recording his second J-GI victory.
2026: seven-year-old season
Ecoro Duel finished second in the Hanshin Spring Jump (J-GII) on 14 March. On 18 April, he won the Nakayama Grand Jump (J-GI) at Nakayama in a race-record time of 4:49.0, defeating Dinasta by 2.0 seconds and recording his third consecutive J-GI victory. He is the third horse in JRA history to win three J-GI steeplechase races, and the fifth to win the Nakayama Grand Jump in consecutive years. Ecoro Duel made his comeback in the autumn session at the Tokyo High Jump (J-GII) in October, in which he finished in third place seven lengths behind the winner, June Velocity.
Statistics
Record current as of 18 October 2026.
Pedigree
Ecoro Duel is inbred 5 × 5 to Lyphard (sire side).
His sire Kitasan Black won the 2016 Kikuka Shō and 2017 Tennō Shō (Spring).
His dam Clarinet was imported from the United States.