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The World Super Jockeys Series, established in 1987, is a popular event in which first-class jockeys from around the world exhibit their skill in riding for race-fans in Japan.
The participating jockeys, who have made outstanding performance through this season, ride in a series of four races on Japanese mounts decided by drawing lots.
Points are allocated to each rider, depending on the final place in each race, to determine the overall winner of the event.
This year, we welcome eight top-class jockeys from Europe, North America, Australia, and Hong Kong to join seven outstanding Japanese jockeys to claim this year's title. The races are due to be held over two days on December 5th and 6th at Hanshin Racecourse.
DECEMBER 2009
The Japan Racing Association
| 1. | Date: December 5, 2009 (Saturday) December 6, 2009 (Sunday) |
| 2. | Racecourse: Hanshin Racecourse |
| 3. | Race Conditions: December 5 (Sat.)
December 6 (Sun.)
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| 4. | Draw for Mounts: Date of draw: Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at Rittou Training Center |
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| 5. |
Jockeys:
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| 6. | Method of Determining Jockeys' Award Rankings: The following points will be awarded to each jockey according to the placing of the horse. Thereafter, the award rankings will be determined by the total points over four races. Jockeys are unable to ride due to scratching or other events or reasons beyond the jockey's control are awarded the same points as the last jockey that finished the race. No points are awarded in the event of disqualification or in such cases where the jockey is at fault.
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| 7. | Jockeys' Awards: In accordance with the riding results over 4 races, the following prize money and prizes will be awarded to the top 3 jockeys. 1st: ¥ 3 million (about US$ 31,580) plus trophy ¥ 300,000 (about US$ 3,160) 2nd: ¥ 2 million (about US$ 21,050) 3rd: ¥ 1 million (about US$ 10,530) Note: The currency exchange rate used in this bulletin is |
NORTH AMERICA (USA)
| CALVIN BOREL | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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This season, Calvin Borel enjoyed his best season yet, claiming five G1 titles-he won the Kentucky Oaks, Preakness Stakes, the Haskell Invitational and the Woodward Stakes aboard Rachel Alexandra and claimed the Kentucky Derby partnered with Mine That Bird. He became the first jockey in history to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in the same season on different horses. His G1 wins in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1) and Woodward Stakes (G1) with Rachel Alexandra were especially outstanding achievements against older horses.
Calvin Borel was born and raised in Louisiana and made his debut at Delta Downs in 1983. After constantly accumulating wins over the years, he became the 34th North American jockey to score 4,500 career wins last year. Riding mostly in Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisiana, Borel claimed the 1993 Arkansas Derby (G2) at Oaklawn Park with long-shot Rockamundo, and achieved his first leading jockey title at Oaklawn in 1995. His 3,000th and 4,000th win was also marked at Oaklawn Park.
While ranking as a leading rider, Borel is known for his work ethic, helping out with stable chores and galloping horses for his brother Cecil Borel who is a thoroughbred trainer.
Participation in the WSJS: First
NORTH AMERICA (USA)
| GARRETT GOMEZ | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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Garrett Gomez has claimed seven G1 titles this year, among them the Santa Anita Derby (USA), Manhattan Handicap (USA), and the Canadian International Stakes (CAN).
Following the footsteps of his father who was a jockey in the Southwest region, Gomez decided to become a jockey and debuted at Santa Fe Downs in New Mexico in 1988. He marked 182 wins the following year and was second in the apprentice jockey rankings showing potential for a bright future. In 1995, he landed back-to-back Arkansas Derby (USA, G2) titles while he celebrated his 1,000 career wins. In 1997, Gomez captured the Mid-American Triple Crown- consisting of the American Derby (USA, G2), the Arlington Classic (USA, G2) and the Secretariat Stakes (USA, G1)-with Honor Glide in 1997. The Secretariat Stakes was his first G1 win.
His transfer to the west coast in 1998 proved to be successful as he accumulated numerous G1 wins, and in August 2002, he scored his 2,000th win at Del Mar. In 2005, he captured his first Breeders' Cup title, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Breeders' Cup Mile (both USA, G1). Becoming Todd Pletcher's first jockey the following year, he held off Japanese raider Asahi Rising to claim the American Oaks (USA, G1), achieving his fifth G1 win that season, which put him on top of the list of jockeys by earnings ($20,100,000). In 2007, he earned an even higher amount of $22,800,000 to take the title once again, which also earned him his first Eclipse Award.
2008 was another successful year for Gomez, as he dominated four Breeders' Cup races, which led to his continuing reign as leading jockey by earnings once again, while he celebrated his 3,000th career win and another Eclipse Award.
Gomez was scheduled to ride Mast Track (USA) in last year's Japan Cup Dirt but his mount was scratched from the race due to lameness in his right shoulder on the race day. This will be his first participation in the series.
Participation in the WSJS: First
EUROPE (FRANCE)
| IORITZ MENDIZABAL | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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Ioritz Mendizabal has claimed the Prix Ganay (FRA, G1) partnered with Vision d'Etat in April this year. He is on top of the rankings with 161 wins as of Nov. 1, and is most likely to capture his third leading jockey title this year.
Born the son of a banker and a teacher in a village in the Basque region of Spain, Mendizabal discovered his passion for horses and left his country to attend apprentice school at Mont de Marsan in France at the age of 14, became apprentice to trainer Michel Laborde in Dax at 16 and raced mainly in southern France.
Claiming his first grade-race title in the Prix de Psyche (FRA, G3) with Commercante in 2003, Mendizabal steadily climbed the jockey rankings, finishing the season second to Christophe Soumillon, and finally reached the summit in 2004, marking 220 wins out of 969 rides which included his first G1 victory in the Prix Saint-Alary (FRA) with Ask for the Moon. This broke Christophe Soumillon's record of 207 wins in a single season.
Mendizabal's 2005 season was interrupted by accidents, and he was therefore third in the rankings. Reclaiming the Prix Saint-Alary with Germance in 2006, he was runner-up in the rankings and maintained the same position the following season next to Stephane Pasquier. He enjoyed a prosperous season in 2008 as he dominated the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, G1) with Eric Libaud-trained Vision d'Etat and also claimed the Arlington Million (USA, G1) with Spirit One in his overseas campaign. With 202 wins, he reclaimed his leading jockey title once again.
After conquering the WSJS last year without claiming a single win-the only jockey to do so besides Andreas Suborich (GER) in 2004-he is back at Hanshin for the fourth time, this year to defend his title.
Participation in the WSJS: Fourth
EUROPE (FRANCE)
| CHRISTOPHE LEMAIRE | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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Christophe Lemaire has raced in Japan every year since 2002 under short term licenses and has accumulated wins in both JRA and NRA G1 races including the 2005 Arima Kinen (with Heart's Cry), 2008 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (with Little Amapola), 2008 Japan Cup Dirt, 2008 Tokyo Daishoten and 2009 Kawasaki Kinen (with Kane Hekili).
Due to the philosophy of his father who was a leading jump jockey in the 80's, Christophe Lemaire did not attend the French apprentice school like most jockeys but began riding as an amateur, mostly on weekends while he was still in full-time education. He marked his first win in 1997 and began riding professionally after acquiring his license in 1999.
After scoring his first G1 title in France in the 2003 Prix Jean Prat with Vespone, he marked two more the same year and steadily accumulated more wins in the following years, and has sat near the top of the leading jockey's list every year since then. His highlight performances include five G1 titles with Divine Proportions in the 2004 and 2005 seasons-including the 2005 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) and the 2005 Prix De Diane (French Oaks)-and his notorious win over star horse Hurricane Run in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud with Pride in 2006. Last year, he guided Natagora to victory in the 1000 Guineas Stakes (GBR, G1).
The top half of this season has been extremely fruitful for Lemaire, claiming five G1 titles-including the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches with Elusive Wave, the Prix d'Ispahan on board Never on Sunday, the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) with Le Havre and the Prix de Diane with Stacelita-which ranked him as the runaway leader in achieved prize money.
Lemaire has signed a one-year contract extension with the Niarchos Family for 2010, but it has been announced that he will be retained as the Aga Khan studs' first jockey when he is not riding for the Niarchos Family.
Participation in the WSJS: First
EUROPE (ENGLAND)
| RYAN MOORE | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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Ryan Moore has had another remarkable season, claiming six G1 titles in Europe and has secured his third champion jockey title again this year, following his first two in 2006 and 2008. He has also claimed back-to-back G1 title in the Breeders' Cup Turf (USA G1) with Conduit (2008, 2009).
Tailor made to becoming a jockey-his father Gary is a successful trainer, his mother a former race-rider and his brother Jamie an accomplished jump jockey-Ryan began his racing career over jumps and won his first flat race in January 2002 then claimed the Apprentice Jockey of the Year in 2003 with 59 winners, His wins accumulated rapidly while the fast rising star celebrated his first G1 title in 2006 when winning the International Stakes (GBR) with Sir Michael Stoute-trained Notnowcato. He achieved 182 wins that year, which carried him to the top of the jockey rankings for the first time while becoming the second youngest jockey to do so in British racing history.
Although his bid to defend his champion title was hindered by injury in March 2007 which cost him the first few months of his season, but he continued to excel once returning to the saddles and promptly retained his champion title in the following year.
Moore has numerously raced in Japan such as in the 2004 Keio Hai Spring Cup with Feet So Fast (3rd), 2007 Mile Championships with Becrux (8th), the 2007 Japan Cup Dirt on Kandidate (15th), and the 2007 and 2008 Japan Cup with Papal Bull (7th and 14th). It is his second participation in this series since 2006 when he ranked tenth overall.
Participation in the WSJS: Second
EUROPE (IRELAND)
| MICHAEL KINANE | |||||||||||
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At the age of fifty this year, Michael Kinane dominated various major G1 titles in Great Britain, Ireland and France with Sea the Stars, the first horse ever to win the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, Epsom Derby, and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Born and raised in Ireland where his father and three brothers were all jockeys, Michael Kinane was apprenticed to Liame Browne and won his first race at Leopardstown in March 19, 1975. He captured the champion apprentice jockey title in 1978 and landed his first classic win in 1982 at the Irish 2000 Guineas.
Teaming up with Dermot Weld stable in late 1983, he became the national jockey champion in Ireland in 1984, the first of many which he accomplished in the coming years. Riding for the O'Brien stables since 1998, Kinane claimed numerous European titles with legendary mounts such as, Giant's Causeway (Irish Champion Stakes, St. James's Palace Stakes, etc.), Galileo (The Derby and Irish Derby, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, etc.), and Rock of Gibraltar (Irish 2000 Guineas, Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, etc.). He also guided High Chaparral to victory twice in the Breeders' Cup Turf (2002, 2003). From the beginning of the 2004 season, Kinane joined hands with trainer John Oxx, and added more G1 titles with Azamour (King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, etc.).
His success is not limited to Europe, as he has claimed the Melbourne Cup with Vintage Crop in 1993 and scored consecutive wins in the Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup (2006, 2007) with Viva Pataka. He has participated in the Japan Cup six times since 1982 and captured the title with Pilsudski in 1997.
Kinane has participated in the WSJS more than any other foreign jockey, and this will be his thirteenth participation, his last being in 2005. His best over all ranking was 2nd in 1990.
Participation in the WSJS: Thirteenth
OCEANIA (AUSTRALIA)
| CRAIG WILLIAMS | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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The 2008/09 season was fruitful once again for Craig Williams, landing two G1 titles with Niconero in the Futurity Stakes (AUS) and the Australian Cup (AUS) and tying with Damien Oliver as leading jockey in the Melbourne region with 71 wins-he has been champion for four consecutive years. He has also climbed the summit to become the top national jockey with the most earnings.
Craig Williams was born into a racing family-his father Allan Williams is a jockey-turned-trainer and his two brothers Jason and Damien are also trainers as well. He began his jockey career as apprentice in 1993 in Melbourne and acquired his jockey license in 1997. He registered his first G1 victory aboard Lee Freedman-trained Grand Echezeaux in the 2000 Australasian Oaks, and then embarked on a globetrotting racing career beginning with England where he was successful as first jockey for Mick Channon. He claimed the 2000 Dewhurst Stakes (GBR, G1) with Godolphin-owned Tobougg and marked 58 wins that year in England. He then spent three seasons from 2002 racing in Hong Kong where he rode more than hundred winners.
After returning to Melbourne in 2005, Williams became a full-fledged jockey to top trainer David Hayes and scored multiple G1 wins with Miss Finland including the Australian Thousand Guineas (AUS, G1). Out of 70 wins in 490 starts, he marked four G1 wins, which gave him his first leading jockey title in 2005/2006. The following season was equally fruitful when he marked his champion jockey title with the most wins in the Melbourne region with 94 wins, and a runner-up position on the national list of leading jockeys by earnings. His achievements in the 2007/08 season included the Victoria Derby (AUS, G1) with Kibbutz and the Futurity Stakes (AUS, G1, first leg of the Asian Mile Challenge) with Niconero, which earned him another champion jockey title in the Melbourne region (2nd in earnings on the national leading jockey list).
He was the first jockey from the Southern Hemisphere to capture the World Super Jockeys Series in 2007. This will be his fourth consecutive participation in this series.
Participation in the WSJS: Fourth
ASIA (HONG KONG)
| DOUGLAS WHYTE | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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Douglas Whyte has reigned as champion jockey ever since he claimed his first Hong Kong champion jockey title for the 00/01 season, and the regular WSJS participant is now a familiar face among the Japanese racing fans, having ridden in a number of major G1 races in Japan. He has also ridden under short-term licenses in Japan since 2004.
Born in the Republic of South Africa, Douglas started his jockey career in 1987 but began riding regularly in Hong Kong after demonstrating his outstanding riding skills and successfully posting 25 wins in three months, while riding under a short-term license during the 1996/1997 season.
Along the road to retaining his ninth championship title, Douglas has reached a number of milestones and set new records on Hong Kong Racing's history book. His first milestone of 100 annual wins came in June, 2004, becoming the first jockey in Hong Kong to reach 100 wins in a single season-he then renewed his own record to 114 in the following season. During the 07/08 season, Whyte renewed another record, 946 career wins formally held by Anthony Cruz, now a trainer, and reached his 1,000 milestone-and has extended his career win beyond the 1,100 mark.
Already displaying much appreciated riding skills in Japan such as the '99 Japan Cup (G1) with Indigenous, in which he finished second to Special Week and a runner-up effort in last year's Yasuda Kinen (G1) aboard Armada, he also marked his first graded race win with Ambroise in the Hakodate Nisai Stakes (G3) while he was riding under a short-term JRA Jockey's License in 2004.
Participating in five previous World Super Jockeys Series, Whyte captured the title in a tie with German contender Andreas Suborics with 36 points in 2004 and was 2nd over all last year, lacking three points to champion Ioritz Mendizabal.
Participation in the WSJS: Sixth
JAPAN (JRA Eastern District)
| HIROYUKI UCHIDA | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights: **JRA races only
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Putting behind him the NAR top jockey status to transfer to the JRA in 2008, Hiroyuki Uchida has diligently accumulated starts and wins, and leads the JRA champion jockey list for the first time this year.
Born and raised in Fukuoka, Uchida began his career as a jockey in the National Association of Racing (NAR) in April 1989 and marked his first victory a month later. He marked 396 wins to achieve the leading jockey title for the first time in 2004. In 2005, Uchida tried out his talent overseas and finished sixth in the Dubai World Cup (UAE, G1) with Adjudi Mitsuo. He also became the first NAR jockey to achieve more than 400 wins for three consecutive years and to set a record of 524 annual wins, the most in NAR history, in 2006. He was the leading NAR jockey for four seasons from 2004 and landed his 3,000th NAR career win in 2007. His wins exceeding 120 in JRA races while still registered as an NAR jockey include five grade-race titles-his first being the Kyodo Tsushin Hai (G3) in 2003.
Uchida transferred to the JRA on March 1, 2008 and marked his first win as a JRA jockey in his first race that day. His first graded race victory after the transfer was with Red Agate in the Floral Stakes and he added another three grade-race titles, which included his first G1 win in the 2008 Takarazuka Kinen (G1) with Eishin Deputy. He concluded his debut season with great success, finishing second on the leading jockey list with 123 wins. Among the six grade-race titles he claimed this year are the February Stakes (G1) with Success Brocken, and the Kyoto Daishoten (G2) with Oken Bruce Lee, with whom he landed the Kikuka Sho the previous year.
He is on the verge of accomplishing a great feat by putting a stop to Yutaka Take's Champion Jockey seven-year streak (18 times overall from 1988 to 2008) with 132 wins, ten more than Take (as of Nov. 1).
Participation in the WSJS: Third
JAPAN (JRA Eastern District)
| NORIHIRO YOKOYAMA | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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This season, Norihiro Yokoyama claimed his first Derby title with Logi Universe in his 15th attempt and became the fifth jockey in JRA history to land 2,000 career wins. His record of most wins on a single race-day set in November 2005-winning six races in a row among seven starts from the second race thru the seventh race-stands unbroken to this day.
Growing up in a racing family where his father Tomio was a former winning jockey of the Kikka Sho and Tenno Sho, and his uncle Shinji Okuhira also a trainer, it was only natural for him and his brother Yoshikazu to seek their future as a jockey.
Acquiring his jockey license in 1986, he landed his first win at Nakayama Racecourse with Kioi God in April the same year. Capturing his first grade-race victory in 1988 in the Winter Stakes with Sodakazan, the talented jockey's big break came in the 1990 season when he won eight graded stakes including his first G1 victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup with Kyoei Tap, and was listed among the top ten jockeys in the national ranking.
His most prosperous season was in 1996 when he landed three G1 victories-the Yasuda Kinen (G1) with Trot Thunder, the Tenno Sho Spring (G1) and the Arima Kinen (G1) with Sakura Laurel-and in 1998 when he won his first two classics, the Satsuki Sho (G1, Japanese 2000 Guineas) and the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) with Seiun Sky.
Yokoyama won three of the four races that comprise the World Super Jockeys Series and captured the title in his first try in 1995, and has participated in the event six times.
Participation in the WSJS: Seventh
JAPAN (JRA Western District)
| YUTAKA TAKE | |||||||||||
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Yutaka Take celebrated his 3,200th career win in April this season, and with his Victoria Mile (G1) victory in May, he reached a significant milestone by scoring a G1 win for 22 consecutive years, an amazing record he has set in his 23-year career.
Yutaka Take is the third son of jockey-turned-trainer Kunihiko Take, and elder brother to Koshiro Take, also a fellow jockey.
Take rode his first winner in his debut year in 1987, when he scored 69 wins and was Japan's Champion Apprentice. He has and continues to renew practically every record available along with what he himself has set, not to mention the 2005 record of 212 wins in a single season. He has also reigned as leading jockey for 16 years, including nine consecutive years from 1992 to 2000, and seven from 2002 to 2008. He has enjoyed successful riding spells around the world and has achieved grade-race wins in France, England, the United States, Dubai and Hong Kong.
In 2005, he excited the nation by landing the Japanese Triple Crown (Satsuki Sho, Tokyo Yushun, and Kikuka Sho) on the legendary colt Deep Impact, the horse that won him his second Japan Cup. In 2007, the star jockey's career was highlighted by another extraordinary feat as Take, at 38, broke another JRA record for most career victories-2,944 wins-and posted his 3,000th win at Kyoto racecourse on November 3rd.
With the exception of 2001 and 2008, Take has participated in the World Super Jockeys Series from 1988, showing runner-up efforts five times and capturing the title in 1992.
Participation in the WSJS: Twentieth
JAPAN (JRA Western District)
| YASUNARI IWATA | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights: **JRA races only
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Yasunari Iwata made his jockey debut in NAR regional public racing in 1991 based in Sonoda Racecourse. Showing great potential, he became the winning jockey of Hyogo's Triple Crown in 1996 at the age of 22 and consistently registered over 200 wins every year since then. He led the jockey standings of the Hyogo prefecture in 2000 and repeated the feat in 2002 and 2004. In December 2005, he became the second fastest jockey to claim 3,000 career wins.
He enthusiastically challenged his skills in JRA races while still affiliated with the NAR and scored his first grade-race win in the 2002 Centaur Stakes (G2) with Believe, and then the 2004 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) with his congenial mount Delta Blues-he was the first regional NAR jockey ever to win a JRA classic race. He claimed the World Super Jockey Series title in 2005 and finally transferred his license to the JRA the following year.
Iwata's first season in the JRA was astounding not only by scoring three grade-race victories in a total of 126 wins, but with his first overseas campaign in Australia, finishing in great success as he and his partner Delta Blues dominated the 2006 Melbourne Cup (AUS, G1). Claiming two G1 titles, the Takarazuka Kinen and the Japan Cup both on multiple G1 winner Admire Moon in 2007, he went on to capture multiple grade-race titles the following year. Among them were the Tenno Sho Spring (G1) with Admire Jupiter and the Yasuda Kinen (G1) on board the gifted filly Vodka. As a result of his consistent endeavors, he was awarded the 2008 JRA Award for Best Jockey (money earned) for the first time, putting a stop to Yutaka Take's seven-year consecutive title.
After landing a G3 win in the Negishi Stakes at the beginning of this season, he has steadily racked up victories, marking 100 annual JRA wins in November, his fourth consecutive achievement from the year of his transfer to the JRA in 2005, and has won a seat in the World Super Jockeys Series once again for the fifth time.
Participation in the WSJS: Fifth
JAPAN (JRA Eastern District)
| SHINJI FUJITA | |||||||||||
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Shinji Fujita celebrated his 1,600th career win in August this year and is ranked third in western Japan and fourth overall in the jockey's ranking with more than 100 annual wins. He has landed two G1, one G2 and two G3 wins this year.
A native of Hokkaido, Fujita made his debut in 1991, and marked his first victory on board Makiba Screen at Chukyo Race Course seven days later. Demonstrating his talent from the start, he claimed 39 wins that year, which won him the JRA Best Jockey (Newcomer) Award. His first G1 victory came the following year with Takeno Velvet when capturing the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (G1).
With Fusaichi Concorde, Fujita became the second youngest jockey to claim the Tokyo Yushun (G1, Japanese Derby) in 1996. Chemistry worked for him and his best mount of 1997 Silk Justice, as they landed all three of his major wins in that year-the Kyoto Four-Year-Old Tokubetsu (G3, discontinued from 1999), the Kyoto Daishoten (G2) and the Arima Kinen (G1).
Three of his career 11 G1 wins have been in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1), which he has won in 1999, 2002 and most recently with Laurel Guerreiro this year. His partnership with Laurel Guerreiro has been fruitful besides that, winning the Tokyo Shimbun Hai (G3) last year and the Sprinter's Stakes (G1) in October this season.
Committed to running a clean race, he was the youngest and third overall to be awarded the JRA Special Fair Play Award, rewarding him for a full season with nil penalties, in 2004. It was during this season that he landed his 1,000th career win.
He has participated in the World Super Jockeys Series eight times between 1996 and 2006, his first attempt being his best in which he finished 2nd.
Participation in the WSJS: Ninth
JAPAN (Winner of Summer Jockeys Series)
| SHINICHIRO AKIYAMA | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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Born as the son of a former jockey, Shinichiro Akiyama debuted at Chukyo Racecourse on March 1, 1997 and marked his first win eight days later, partnered with Suzuka Aoi. He claimed his first grade-race victory the following year in the Kobe Shinbum Hai (G2) on Kanetoshi Governor, with whom he landed another grade-race title in the Aichi Hai (G3) three months later, and has won grade races every year since then.
His skills have been highly acclaimed as he has guided least favorite mounts to victory, such as Meisho Kio in the 2004 Chukyo Kinen (G3), Venus Line in the 2006 Hakodate Sprint Stakes (G3) and 8-year-old Tanino Martini in the Keeneland Cup last year.
In 2005, Akiyama claimed the Tokai Stakes (G2) on Saqalat, which became a memorable father-and-son victory, as his father had won the Winter Stakes-the predecessor of the Tokai Stakes-in 1987. He added two grade-race victories, which included a G3 win in the Lord Derby Challenge Trophy on board Picaresque Coat, and marked his 500th career win in 2007.
His partnership with Sakura Orion this season has proved very successful, claiming the Chukyo Kinen (G3), the Hakodate Kinen (G3) and taking home a third in the Sapporo Kinen (G2). These results led to his victory in the Summer Jockeys Series, which also won him a seat in the World Super Jockeys Series for the first time.
Participation in the WSJS: First
JAPAN (NAR)
| FUMIO MATOBA | |||||||||||
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Recent Career Highlights:
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Fumio Matoba is the champion of this year's World Super Jockeys Series trial for jockeys representing the National Association of Racing (NAR). His many fans enjoy his aggressive racing style, pressing the leaders and battling down the stretch with an impressive drive.
Under the influence of his older brother, a fellow jockey, Matoba kicked off his career at Ohi Race Course, making his debut on Oct. 16, 1973 riding Hoshimiyama, and celebrated his first win twenty days later on the same mount.
Ten years later, he marked 129 annual wins, the first time he exceeded 100 wins, and became Ohi Racecourse's leading jockey for the first time. He has won 21 champion titles at Ohi (1983, 1985 - 2004). His wins steadily accumulated as he celebrated his 1,000th NAR win in 1987, 2,000th in 1993 and 3,000th in 1999. This connected to his achieving the Japan Professional Sports Award's Lifetime Achievement Award that year.
He also rose to the top of the NAR Leading Jockey list for the first time in 2002, the year he marked his 4,000th career win, and repeated the feat for the following season. He also celebrated his 5,500th win on April 20, 2008, the 3rd jockey to do so in NAR history.
Although Matoba prefers to race at his home ground at Ohi, he has had opportunities to participate in JRA races such as the Japan Cup (JPN, G1) with Galdan (1987), George Monarch (1990) and Hashiru Shogun (1993). This will be his first try at the WSJS in his 36-year career.
Participation in the WSJS: First
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