Christophe Lemaire

Christophe Patrice Lemaire (Japanese:クリストフ・ルメール (Kurisutofu Rumeru), 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 since 2017.[1]

Not to be confused with Christophe Lemaitre.
Christophe Lemaire
Lemaire in 2012
OccupationJockey
Born20 May 1979
Gouvieux, France
Career wins1,500+ (Japan)
718 (France)
Racing awards
JRA Leading Jockey (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)[1]
Significant horses
Heart's Cry, Makfi, Pride, Almond Eye

Career

Lemaire began racing in 1999, after he obtained the license required for a French jockey. From there, he has steadily built up a good track record, becoming the seventh leading jockey in 2003, and winning the French Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris in the same year.

In 2002 he also began racing in Japan Racing Association races using the 3-month short-term licence (短期免許, tanki menkyo) system, taking part mainly at local racecourses such as Chukyo Racecourse and Kokura Racecourse. Within a few years he had already placed in Japan's major Grade 1 stakes races, finishing second in the 2004 Autumn Tenno Sho on Dance in the Mood, second in the 2004 Japan Cup on Cosmo Bulk, and second in the 2005 Mile Championship on Daiwa Major.

Lemaire secured his first Japanese graded stakes victory, and first Japanese Grade 1 win, aboard Heart's Cry in the 2005 Arima Kinen. The victory snapped the winning streak of Triple Crown winner and eventual Horse of the Year Deep Impact. It was also the fourth straight year that a foreign jockey won the Arima Kinen, following three consecutive wins by Olivier Peslier.

In 2006 he rode Heart's Cry to victory in the Dubai Sheema Classic. He also rode Pride in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, beating the favourite, Hurricane Run.

In 2008 he rode the winner of England's second classic of the year, the 1,000 Guineas, aboard the Pascal Bary-trained Natagora.

In September 2009, he was chosen by the Aga Khan as first jockey.[2]

He won the 2011 Melbourne Cup in a photo finish riding Dunaden.[3]

Lemaire was scheduled to resume riding in Japan in March 2015 after suffering a fall at Kyoto Racecourse in November 2014 that required hospitalization. However, he was suspended by stewards of the Japan Racing Association (JRA) for 30 days after he used Twitter the night before he was scheduled to participate in races at Hanshin Racecourse. JRA regulations bar any outside contact by jockeys from 9 PM the night before racing until after they have ridden in their final race of the day.[4]

In 2017, he became the first foreigner to be Japan's leading jockey, winning 199 JRA races in the year. In 2018, he won Yushun Himba for the second time, on his 39th birthday.[5] In October 2018, he rode Almond Eye to her victory at the Japan Fillies Triple Crown and won the championship for the second consecutive year, breaking Yutaka Take's long standing record for wins in a year in Japan (215 wins vs 212).[6][7]

In 2019, he retained his title in Japan for the third consecutive year, winning 5 G1 races as well as the Dubai Turf, the first international G1 win of Almond Eye. In 2020, he again won the championship–for the 4th consecutive time–by winning a total of 204 races in JRA including 8 G1. He also established a new record of consecutive wins at the Emperor's cup (Tenno Sho Autumn) by winning this bi-annual race (spring and autumn) for the fifth consecutive time. At this occasion and under Lemaire's guidance, Almond Eye became the Japanese horse with the most G1 wins (8 in Japan and 1 international). At the end of 2020 season, Christophe Lemaire was ranked number 1 in the world, according to the TRC Global Jockey Ranking, taking the lead from legendary Frankie Dettori[8]

Major wins

Australia

France

Great Britain

Hong Kong

Japan (the JRA)

Japan (the NAR)

United Arab Emirates

United States

Year-end charts in the United States
Chart (2006–present) Peak
position
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2006 92

References
  1. "2021年度JRAリーディングジョッキー、リーディングトレーナーが決定！" [2021 JRA Leading Jockey, Leading Trainer have been decied] (in Japanese). Japan Racing Association. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  2. "L'Aga Khan a choisi Christophe Lemaire". Le Journal du Dimanche (in French). Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  3. Garvey, Andrew (1 November 2011). "The closest of calls". The Age. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  4. "Christophe Lemaire suspended for a month for Twitter use". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  5. Kieckhefer, Bob (May 20, 2018), Almond Eye Takes Second Leg of Japan's Triple Tiara, Blood Horse, retrieved October 14, 2018
  6. Sherer, Darryl (Dec 28, 2018). "Christophe Lemaire sets record for wins in a year in Japan". racenet.
  7. Hersh, Marcus (October 14, 2018), Almond Eye sweeps Japan's Fillies Triple Crown, DRF, retrieved October 14, 2018
  8. https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/rankings/category/jockey/
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