Nishino Daisy (Japanese: ニシノデイジー, Nishino Deijī; foaled 18 April 2016) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He competed from 2018 to 2024, recording six wins from thirty-two starts on both the flat and over jumps. On the flat, he won the Sapporo Nisai Stakes (GIII) and the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (GIII) in 2018. After switching to steeplechase racing in 2022, he won the Nakayama Daishogai (J-GI) in 2022 and 2024. His 2022 Nakayama Daishogai victory came in the retirement race of the champion Oju Chosan, and he became the second horse in JRA history to win a J-GI race after winning a flat graded stakes. He was named JRA Award for Best Steeplechase Horse in 2024.
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Background
Nishino Daisy is a bay stallion bred in Urakawa, Hokkaido, by Tanikawa Farm. He was sired by Harbinger, a British-bred stallion by Dansili, and his dam was Nishino Hinagiku (ニシノヒナギク), a mare by Agnes Tachyon. His third dam is Nishino Flower, winner of the 1992 Oka Shō and Sprinters Stakes, and his female line also carries the blood of Seiun Sky. He is owned by Shigeyuki Nishiyama, whose father Masayuki Nishiyama owned Seiun Sky and Nishino Flower, and was trained by Noboru Takagi at the JRA's Miho Training Center. His name combines the owner's prefix with "daisy" (雛菊), meaning "something wonderful" in reference to his dam.
Racing career
2018: two-year-old season
Nishino Daisy debuted on 8 July 2018 in a maiden race at Hakodate Racecourse, finishing second. He won his maiden on 21 July at Hakodate. On 1 September, he won the Sapporo Nisai Stakes (GIII) at 6th favourite. On 17 November, he won the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes (GIII) at Tokyo Racecourse at 8th favourite in a four-horse photo finish. He finished third in the Hopeful Stakes (GI) at Nakayama Racecourse on 28 December.
2019: three-year-old season
Nishino Daisy finished fourth in the Yayoi Sho (GII) on 3 March and seventeenth in the Satsuki Shō (GI) on 14 April. On 26 May, he finished fifth in the Tōkyō Yūshun (Japanese Derby) at odds of 107.9 (13th favourite). He finished fifth in the St. Lite Kinen (GII) on 16 September and ninth in the Kikuka Shō (GI) on 20 October, ridden by Christophe Lemaire.
2020: four-year-old season
Nishino Daisy finished sixth in the American Jockey Club Cup (GII) on 26 January and sixth in the Kinkō Shō (GII) on 15 March. He struggled thereafter, finishing eighteenth in the Meguro Kinen (GII) on 31 May and thirteenth in the Hakodate Kinen (GIII) on 19 July.
2021: five-year-old season
Nishino Daisy failed to place in his starts this year, finishing thirteenth in the Tokyo Shimbun Hai (GIII) on 7 February, twelfth in the Niigata Daishoten (GIII) on 9 May, and eighteenth in the Epsom Cup (GIII) on 13 June. He later finished eleventh in the Shimotsuki Stakes on 21 November and twelfth in the Betelgeuse Stakes on 28 December.
2022: six-year-old season
After finishing twelfth in the Shirafuji Stakes in January, Nishino Daisy was switched to steeplechase racing. He finished third in his jump debut on 28 May at Niigata before winning his jump maiden on 19 June at Tokyo. He finished second in the Shuyo Jump Stakes on 19 November. On 24 December, he won the Nakayama Daishogai (J-GI) at 5th favourite, defeating the retiring Oju Chosan and recording his first J-GI victory in only his fourth jump start. In the JRA Award for Best Steeplechase Horse voting, he lost to Oju Chosan by a single vote (137–138).
2023: seven-year-old season
Nishino Daisy finished third in the Hanshin Spring Jump (J-GII) on 11 March and ninth in the Nakayama Grand Jump (J-GI) on 15 April. He finished eleventh in the Tokyo High Jump (J-GII) on 15 October. On 23 December, he finished second in the Nakayama Daishogai (J-GI), beaten 1.8 seconds by Meiner Grand.
2024: eight-year-old season
Nishino Daisy finished fourth in the Hanshin Spring Jump (J-GII) on 9 March and third in the Nakayama Grand Jump (J-GI) on 13 April. He finished fourth in the Tokyo High Jump (J-GII) on 13 October. On 21 December, he won the Nakayama Daishogai (J-GI) for the second time, defeating Ecoro Duel by 0.8 seconds. He was named JRA Award for Best Steeplechase Horse for 2024. He officially retired on 26 December 2024.
Statistics
The following table details all 32 starts of Nishino Daisy's racing career. Record current as of 21 December 2024.
Stud career
Nishino Daisy entered stud at Hakuba Farm in Niikappu, Hokkaido, in 2025.
Pedigree
Nishino Daisy is inbred 4 × 5 to Danzig and 5 × 5 to Northern Dancer (sire side).
His third dam Nishino Flower won the 1992 Oka Shō and Sprinters Stakes.
His female line belongs to the Somethingroyal family, which also produced Secretariat and Lord Kanaloa.