African Gold: In Search of the Golden Eggs
African Gold (アフリカンゴールド) is indeed a son of Stay Gold (ステイゴールド), and a pure Japanese-bred racehorse. The “African” part of his name comes from his mother, Blixen, who was named after a Danish writer best known for Out of Africa.
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He was born at Darley Japan Farm (ダーレー・ジャパン・ファーム) on March 26, 2015, and started his racing career in Japan under Godolphin (ゴドルフィン), wearing the very silks his father, Stay Gold, absolutely despised. Maybe that alone explains why his temper was so bad early in his career.
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Being part of the final generation of the Stay Gold clan, he has a brother named Meiner Fanrong (マイネルファンロン), who always seemed a little out of the loop. African Gold himself, however, went on to have an experience uniquely his own.
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That is all the background you need! Now, let the journey of retrieving the Golden Eggs begin!
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Gold Dust
Yo, this is African Gold (definitely me). Today, I’m here to tell you a story—the great saga of searching for the golden eggs. And the protagonist? Uh… African Gold. Yeah, Me!
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It all started on June 25, 2019. I woke up, and that’s when I realized those white-clothed people had stolen something precious from me while I'm sleeping. My Golden Eggs!
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Hey! Without my golden eggs, my name will become “African No Gold"!
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Once I calmed down, quickly, I thought of my fans on Twitter. I needed to tell them the truth, hoping they might lend me a hand in finding my golden eggs. But when I posted… why was everyone joking about me?
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Huh? You didn’t know I have a Twitter account? Come on, you need to follow the trend! I opened my Twitter account just before the Kikuka Sho, because for a G1 horse, it is better to have a way to interact with fans, isn’t it?
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At the time, I was absolutely on fire, coming off two straight wins. My owner decided to pay an extra two million yen just to let me enter the Kikuka Sho. Hey, even the Godolphin trust my ability! Even though I ended up as the ninth favorite, I knew it. After this legendary race, everyone would know me.
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The result of the Kikuka Sho? Um… yeah. I spent almost the whole race trapped on the outside of the pack and, uh, finished in 12th place.
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Anyway, I soon realized that Twitter was really fun, and I started posting a lot. But I still dreamed of running in more G1 races, especially fan-voted races like the Takarazuka Kinen or the Arima Kinen, just like my colleague Blast Onepiece (ブラストワンピース) and my beloved senpai, Kiseki (キセキ)! I love Kiseki senpai!
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Then, I might have gotten a bit too excited before my next race, the G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai that, I accidentally threw off my foreign jockey, Filip Minarik, before the race and then finished 15th place. Yeah… sorry about that.
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But come on, that still is not a proper reason for those white-clothed people to take my golden eggs away!
(Author: Actually, it is.)
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My trainer, Masato Nishizono (西園 正都), told me that if I kept winning races, maybe I could get my golden eggs back. Come on, I’m no Meiner Fanrong. Did he really think he could fool me?
…But what if he was right? After all, I wanted to win more races and gain more fans anyway.
Fine. If that’s the case, all I can do is keep racing and keep winning, and get my golden eggs back!
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Golden Touch
Then I went to Malaysia, deep into the jungle, in search of my golden eggs… just kidding. I went to Chukyo Racecourse to run in the Malaysia Cup instead. And hey, I finished fourth.
Don’t look at me like that. I was just… a little scared of my jockey, Yuga Kawada (川田 将雅). Even though many fans said he was a great person.
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After my trip to Malaysia, I mean, Nagoya, I decided to open a poll on Twitter and ask my fans for some guidance on my next race. Who knows? Maybe this would help me find my golden eggs a little earlier.
And the poll says the Rokusha Stakes in Tokyo! My trainer also agreed this decision! I always wanted to run on the beautiful turf there!
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But I soon realized that it was a trap. Standing in my way was my first major rival in the hunt for my golden eggs. Oju Chosan (オジュウチョウサン), a fellow member of the Stay Gold clan and a seven time JG1 jump racing champion. This was already his second comeback, and he had won two flat races the first time he returned.
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As the second favorite, I was a little nervous. But thanks to my jockey, Yuuichi Fukunaga (福永 祐一) , I was able to settle into the perfect position during the race and launch my spurt at exactly the right moment.
In the end, I won the race and finally became an open class horse. All thanks to my fans on Twitter. The power of social media!
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Ah! I almost forgot. That day was also the day my beloved senpai, Kiseki, ran in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. So I wrote a message for him:
To Kiseki senpai,
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How are you doing?
I won today, my first victory in this year!
Now the dream of running in the same race as you finally feels within reach 🤤
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Today, you’re heading into the world championship.
Go show the world what you’re made of.
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Next time… it’s your turn.
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Go for the Gold
After that, I kept racing and fighting bravely, one race after another. I even reached the stage I had always dreamed of, the Takarazuka Kinen, and ran together with Kiseki senpai. My dream had come true, but I did not just want to be there. I wanted to win. Yet the more races I ran, the more I realized how strong Kiseki senpai and the others truly were.
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Can I really get my golden eggs back? Honestly at that time, I felt a little lost.
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I climbed Mount Fuji, visited Osaka Castle, and even walked all the way from Kyoto to Nagoya. Standing at Narumi Shrine under the starry sky, I found myself wondering if this was the end of my journey. My recent results had not stood out, and I did not want my fans to see me as someone who had lost the confidence to win.
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Until I watched the Kyoto Daishoten in 2021. Yeah, the race where Kiseki senpai was called so affectionately by the announcer. What truly stunned me was how Makahiki (マカヒキ) senpai broke free from the pack at the very end and won the race. Seeing him finally fulfill his dream again after such a long journey made me feel that I could do it too.
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Then it was my turn. In the October Stakes, another dream chaser stood before me. Panthalassa (パンサラッサ), a brilliant escape artist with silks that looked strikingly similar to mine.
Although I finished 8th in the end, watching him from behind, I saw a new possibility.
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But I still wanted to hear what my fans thought, so I opened a poll on Twitter, hoping they were thinking the same thing as me.
[Urgent!]
I’m taking votes on today’s race tactics 😳
Pick the strategy you want Afugo to go with ✨
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Striking Gold
In the end, it turned out my fans were thinking exactly the same. So I made my choice. I’ll go with a front runner strategy in my next race, the Chunichi Shimbun Cup!
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At first, I was still a little unsure, but my jockey, Kyousuke Kokubun (国分 恭介), my trainer, and my fans all believed in me. So I knew I had to give it everything I had.
Sitting just behind another front runner, Shonan Bardi (ショウナンバルディ), I gradually grew more confident. Then, in the final straight, I realized my legs felt surprisingly light, and the other horses were closing in much more slowly than I had expected.
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Maybe I really could do it. Maybe I could win my first graded race. I truly hoped so.
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But in the end, I could not shorten the distance between myself and Shonan Bardi, and I finished second.
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Wait. I finished second? I had never been this close to a trophy in the past two years!
Hell yeah! I had to tell my fans this great news! The golden egg hunter is back! The race trophy is finally within reach!
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Soon after, I challenged the G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai and finished fifth. After switching my racing style, I honestly felt like a whole new horse. The power of social media!
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Next came the G2 Kyoto Kinen. On the battlefield stood many formidable opponents. Among them was Makahiki, the very embodiment of perseverance, and Uberleben (ユーバーレーベン), the G1 winning sister of Meiner Fanrong.
And me? Just a nobody who hadn't won a race for two years. But now, this was my best chance to fight back, with the help of social media!
The tactics poll that everyone loved last time is back❗️
Please give Afugo your precious vote for the position you want him to take tomorrow ✨
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It seemed my fans really loved seeing me as a front runner, so I had to answer their wishes!
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I stayed in front right from the start, leading through the first corner, the second, the third, and then the final turn. After entering the final corner, I just kept running and running, and to my surprise, no one was catching up. I can win! I must win!
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At last, I reached out and firmly held my golden medal. This time, I knew I would not let go.
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[Announcement]
My name is African Gold‼️
A late blooming racehorse❗️
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At long last, I’ve finally claimed my first graded race victory 🥇
Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long 😅 Thanks to all of your incredible support, I was able to seize this victory today 🔥
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Thank you so much 😘
Let’s savor the taste of victory together 🏆
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After the short celebration, I decided to go on and challenge another G1 race, the Osaka Hai.
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Before the race, I walked all around the Ritto Training Center to do a bit of intelligence gathering. The first horse on my list was Jack d'Or (ジャックドール), another front runner who had also just claimed his first graded race victory.
I tried to get closer to him, but the aura coming from his beautiful flaxen chestnut appearance was simply too strong.
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Next was Efforia (エフフォーリア), the Horse of the Year from last season. He had finished second only once, while winning all of his other six races.
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Then I met Rei Papale (レイパパレ), the winner of the previous Osaka Hai. Man, she was really cute. I should probably tell Makahiki senpai that we need to protect her together during the race.
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One after another, I realized just how many strong horses were in this race. Still, I fought bravely, sticking to the front runner tactic my fans had encouraged me to use.
In the end, I faded and finished 7th. But hey, I kept my promise! I guarded Rei Papale and helped make a way out for her! She got second at last! Also, I ran in faster than Efforia!
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Golden Ticket
Next came the fan voted Takarazuka Kinen!
Before the race, my trainer told me something truly stunning. He said he had managed to get one of my golden eggs back, but he would only return it to me once I found another golden egg on my own.
He also told me that he had discovered a way to recover my other golden egg as well. To be specific, that golden egg would appear only when another version of myself was created.
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Of course, I didn’t really believe him. But… what did he mean by “another version of myself”?
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With that question still on my mind, I ended up finishing 16th, completely beaten by the ultra high pace set by Titleholder (タイトルホルダー) and Panthalassa.
After the race, I ran into one of my biggest rivals, not on the turf, but on the internet. Melody Lane (メロディーレーン). Her follower count on Instagram was higher than mine, and she was interacting with almost every fan, even signing Melody Lane plushies, despite not even being the winner.
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Hold on. Plushies?
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Putting my pride aside, I asked her about the plushies. She told me they were proof that she had won the hearts of fans through the Idol Horse Audition, an event decided entirely by fan votes.
The audition determined which horses would be selected to have their own plushies made, and she had placed second in last year’s audition.
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Thus, a new goal was born. I'm going to become the most beloved racehorse in Japan and bring my plushies into the world!
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With the help of my fans, I passed the first stage of the audition without any trouble.
In the second stage, I had to compete against nine other horses, and only the top five would get their own plushies made.
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Sounds like a piece of cake. I believe in my fans!
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But the results proved that I had been far too naive. My opponents were much more competitive than I had expected. The horses who made their way to victory were Meikei Yell (メイケイエール), Ghost (ゴースト), Deep Bond (ディープボンド), Yoka Yoka (ヨカヨカ), and even my own dad, Stay Gold.
Come on, Dad. You really did not have to bring your "Godolphin killer" instincts into this stage. I did not even choose to join Godolphin!
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Golden Rule
After some self reflection, I came to realize that the only thing I could do was to keep running, keep winning, and earn more visibility through the media.
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So I kept competing in graded races, giving it everything I had in every race. Over time, I realized that even with a front runner tactic, it was becoming a bit too difficult for a senior horse like me to keep up with the younger ones.
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Yes, I was turning eight at the time. But I did not want to give up, because my dad, Stay Gold, had also won the hearts of fans by never giving up.
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At the Kyoto Kinen the following year, facing shining stars like Efforia, Do Deuce (ドウデュース), and my dear brother Meiner Fanrong, even though I was the third favorite, I felt a little uneasy. Still, I believed it was my duty to guard the throne of the African Gold Kinen.
In the end, however, the African Gold Kinen turned into the Do Deuce Kinen, while Efforia was forced to stop during the race due to atrial fibrillation.
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“Wish him the best,” I thought, never realizing that it was a red flag for myself.
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After finishing 4th in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten, I finally earned the chance to enter another G1 race, the Tenno Sho Spring. Many horses had claimed their first G1 title in this unusually long race, so I knew I had to cherish this opportunity.
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Before stepping into the starting gate, I was so on edge that I found myself randomly singing Tankō Bushi. After the start, I shook off Titleholder and took the lead. As the plan unfolded just as intended, I slowly began to feel short of breath, and my heart pounded unusually hard.
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No problem. I can still stay in front.
That was what I kept telling myself, even as my stride started to lose its rhythm.
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My right hand man, jockey Kokubun, quickly noticed the abnormality and pulled me out of the race. A medical check afterward confirmed that I had atrial fibrillation. What should I even say to my fans…?
[Announcement]
Thank you all so much for cheering me on today!!
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I tried my best to go for the lead, but I developed atrial fibrillation and had to stop during the race. I’m really sorry I couldn’t make it to the finish 🥺
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I’ll get plenty of sleep and come back feeling refreshed!!
Whew… I’m exhausted 🥱
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Scrolling through the unexpected warm replies, I realized that I might have overlooked the most basic part of being an idol: staying safe and sound.
So I decided to take a break from racing and focus on preparing for the battle online. The 2023 Idol Horse Audition.
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The Golden Journey
With nearly 40,000 fans on Twitter now, I made it through the first stage without any trouble.
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Still, I sometimes found myself wondering why anyone would love a horse like me, someone who had not even finished in the top three for over a year, unlike my bronze collector dad. Was it really just because I knew how to use Twitter? Or was it simply sympathy for me losing my golden eggs?
With this question in mind, I kept promoting myself. Finally, on September 21, 2023:
Dream had come true.
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Reading the description of myself on the poll results page, everything finally made sense.
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I am Stay Gold’s son. I'm a horse who never backed down. I won the Kyoto Kinen. I learned how to speak to my fans through Twitter. And I happened to lost my golden eggs.
All of it combined to create who I am today. African Gold, a beloved idol horse. It was a journey shaped by both luck and my own effort.
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While my trainer said he would buy 100 of my plushies, I asked him about my golden eggs. He replied that they had become something more useful, and that I would soon receive an award, all while patting me on the head.
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Sigh... I’m not Meiner Fanrong. I had already figured it out. My golden eggs were never coming back.
But it turned out that I could do just fine even without them. And somehow, they even gave my fans more stories to share and laugh about with me.
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But please, still call me African Gold. Or Afugo for short. African No Gold is just a little too long!
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Golden Handshake
And that’s the story of me finding my golden eggs. Even though I never got them back in the end, the journey itself was pretty interesting, wasn’t it?
TLDR…? Well, you’ve already recorded this story, haven’t you? You can replay it whenever you want!
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Thanks for visiting Hanshin Racecourse. I’m looking forward to seeing you again! I’ll always be here, after all, I’m the leading horse here now.
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Oh, right. One last thing.
This was the gift my trainer promised me after my retirement in the 2024 Kyoto Kinen. A new job at the JRA! It’s the perfect new job for a horse without golden eggs like me. I can hold fan meetings and sign African Gold plushies whenever there’s racing at Hanshin Racecourse! Thank you, trainer. And thank you, Godolphin!
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Epilogue
“Faniki! Long time no see! How’s your lead horse training at Niigata Racecourse?”
“Great! Everyone here is so warm and welcoming! I even won a race today and took some commemorative photos with a few strangers, without even competing on the turf!”
“Ah, right. The film shoot! You’re going to become famous, Faniki!”
“…Huh? What film shoot?”
"...Anyway, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time. How did you feel after losing your golden eggs?...Ah, I should put it more directly for you. How do you feel after being gelded? Can you finally feel the depression I felt back then?"
“…? What does ‘gelded’ mean?”
“…Yeah. Forget I asked.”
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My past work:
Meiner Fanrong: A Never-Ending Dice Journey
Oguri Roman: A Silver Bloom in the Shadow
Sakura Star O: Spirit of the Ink-Black Cherry Blossom
Spring Song: Curren Chan's "Big Bro" In Real Life
Kiseki: A Trail of Miracles and Its Followers
Hana’s Goal: Make the Flowers of Happiness Bloom Down Under
Orewa Matteruze: Smile, Because I’m Here!
Egao o Misete: Please Keep Smiling, Even After I’m Gone
Resistencia’s Weight-Check Series: 1,231 Days of a Cameraman’s Love Story
Sushi Train: Horse with a Bizarre Name and a Big Dream
Offside Trap: The Winner on the Glorious but Silent Sunday
Posted Feb 3, 2026, 9:03 PM UTC